Sarracenia, 9 weeks old photo

[Woodnative]

<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v468/Woodnative/?action=view&current=Shybridseedlings9weeks.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v468/Woodnative/Shybridseedlings9weeks.jpg" border="0" alt="SarhybridsRSx3Feb09"></a>

Sarracenia are fun to grow from seed. Hybrid seedlings always seem to grow faster for me than the pure species. However, I was surprised how big these 9-week-old seedlings have gotten. They are from my own plant, harvested in fall, chilled, and then warmed up about the first week of December. You can see a pitcher in the back right that is almost 3 inches tall!!! Some of them are already catching fungus gnats.

 

[adnedarn]

That's very good! Are you keeping them in a normal spring setting, or some type of 24 hour photo period system like some people speak of?
Keep up the good work
Andrew

 

[S_Oregon_CP]

Very Nice! I cant wait until spring so I can enjoy the other half of my collection!

 

[Capensis]

Neat. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Brokken]

My two year-old seedlings aren't that big.

 

[Jefforever]

That's very good! Are you keeping them in a normal spring setting, or some type of 24 hour photo period system like some people speak of?
Keep up the good work
Andrew

I'm trying out the lowland system, but with 14 hr days, so they grow with my lowland neps.

It'd be kinda cool to see how fast we can push seedlings to maturity - maybe like a race. I think osmocote pellets would make the process even faster. The nurseries around here use them.

Nice plants, Woodnative!

 

[Woodnative]

Thanks all! They are under regular cw fluorescent lights, 16 hour photoperiod.
They are growing in a mixture of peat, sand, perlite, and some native acidic soil obtained under an old pine tree.
When seedlings begin to stagnate, replanting them into fresh media sometims "jump starts" them.

 

[Fryster]

Very cute.

They look like a bunch of baby snakes rising up for the warm sun.

 

[jimscott]

I like that they are getting some live LFS to help them along.

 

[DroseraBug]

We should all try using fertilizer for our Sarra seedlings like we do with our Neps. Dr. Mellichamp who has been growing pitcher plants for a long time has some cool findings related to fertilizer. You could potentially have flowering plants in cultivation in 3 years. See http://www.bioweb.uncc.edu/Faculty/Mellichamp/index.htm

 

[Alexis]

The reason they are doing well is because they have less light than they'd expect, ironically enough. They are furiously trying to lay down new tissue so that they have more to photosynthesise with.

Keep them like that forever and they'll eventually suffer. But if you put them out in the sun in spring, they'll mature even faster because of all the foliage they have grown indoors.

Put them back under lights next winter, skipping their dormancy, and you'll have mature plants in 2-3 years.

 

[rco911]

VERY Cool Chris!! Lovin' it! Must keep us all posted on what those babies will turn out to look like!

 

[Woodnative]

Some seedlings, all germinated back in December of last year. The two largest seedlings are form the batch shown at the beginning of this thread. Sorry Alexis, but I disagree about them being light starved. They are still under the same lights...coloration is good, the purp is short and stocky and well colored. It is fun growing Sars from seed!

 

[Alexis]

You must have very good lights! Well done!

 

[TranMinh]

Waa my seeding sarra 6 month but only produce 4 pitcher and 3 cm tall !

 

[rco911]

Very nice!!