What a pleasant surprise when i got home...

[Vertigo]

I got home from work yesterday and wanted to go check on my plants. The first one I wanted to check on is a d. capensis "narrow leaf". I thought something might be wrong at first because lately i've noticed the leaves growing in a bit smaller...I turned the plant around a little and on the far side is what I assume to be a flower stalk.

It's a round stalk with at least 6 little green buds all rolled up. So I figured that the leaves may be smaller since it's using the energy for the flower. What a relief and a nice surprise.

Next I decided to check on a d. binata "multifida". This is not a plant to keep in a ten gallon terrarium...just a bit of advice for anyone who doesn't already know this.

It's leaves were getting too tall so I decided to take some cuttings from one or too of the longer, more developed leaves. So I looked in on them, and I saw what I think are plantlets growing off of them.

They are what look like these little green fingers growing up off the surface of the leaf.

Now comes the questions.

1. Do drosera's require a 12 hour light cycle for flowering?
My light's are on for 16.

2. What do you do after you have plantlets?

I assume you let them get a bit bigger. Do you wait to seem some sort of root structure before touching them at all?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

1. Do drosera's require a 12 hour light cycle for flowering?
My light's are on for 16.

***This depends on the species. Some winter growers require a reduced photoperiod to grow and flower, other summer growers want a long day photoperiod. The species you mention will flower just fine with the photoperiod you are using.***

2. What do you do after you have plantlets?

I assume you let them get a bit bigger. Do you wait to seem some sort of root structure before touching them at all?

***I would just leave them where they are until they get larger and make some roots. Once this happens, the plants are gently pulled from the parent with as much root as possible, and replanted in a new pot of the same media, kept humid and out of direct sun until they adjust. Neither specie is particularly sensitive and should offer no problems***

 

[Vertigo]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">***I would just leave them where they are until they get larger and make some roots. Once this happens, the plants are gently pulled from the parent with as much root as possible, and replanted in a new pot of the same media, kept humid and out of direct sun until they adjust. Neither specie is particularly sensitive and should offer no problems*** [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

With at least one of the plantlets I don't think i'm going to have to worry about pulling away from the parent...it's attached to a small tip of the binata multifida leaf...that cutting is 1/4", if that.

When I get some roots on that it should be ready to go. Thanks for the help Tamlin.

 

[Vertigo]

Ok, here's an update.

The D. Capensis "Narrow Leaf"'s flower stalk is starting to straighten out and the little green pods are definately swelling and getting larger.

The plantlets that formed from the cuttings on the D. Binata Multifida now have little specs of dew at the tips and a little bit of red showing...not sure if there's any roots yet.

But...to my surprise the D. Binata Multifida seems to have put up a flower stalk as well. So now both of my drosera's look like they may have flowers. Making me one very happy person.

Btw, anyone know what would happen if I cross pollinated the two?

 

[schloaty]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Btw, anyone know what would happen if I cross pollinated the two?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Well, hopefully you'll get hybrids. No two will probubly look exactly the same, but no doubt you should get some cool 'dews. Give it a shot, what's the worst that can happen? If you do decide to cross pollinate, make sure you keep track of which flowers you used....and when you sow the seeds make sure you keep track too. Which plant is the "mother" and the "father" may make a difference, and you don't want to mix them up with the pure seeds.

 

[Vertigo]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (schloaty @ Feb. 28 2003,5:30)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Well, hopefully you'll get hybrids.  No two will probubly look exactly the same, but no doubt you should get some cool 'dews.  Give it a shot, what's the worst that can happen?  If you do decide to cross pollinate, make sure you keep track of which flowers you used....and when you sow the seeds make sure you keep track too.  Which plant is the "mother" and the "father" may make a difference, and you don't want to mix them up with the pure seeds.

[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
From what i've heard so far d. binata won't self but capensis will, so if I use capensis pollen on the binata's flower then I could be sure that it didn't actually self. Where if I use the binata's pollen on the capesis, I could end up with capensis pollen all over it as well...so the suggestion would be to use the binata's non-self pollinating attitude as the control.

But, I think i'll just do both...ya never know what might happen.