When should I see gemmae production?

[DragonsEye]

So the D. scorpiodes gemmae I received have been growing well all summer. I thought gemmae production was a fall event, but have yet to see any sign that they are considering doing so. Currently they're still making new leaves....

 

[schmiggle]

Two thoughts come to my mind, at least. First, are you growing them under lights? Second, were these recently imported from Australia? In the first case they may not think it's fall, and in the second they are probably still under a reversed seasonal schedule.

 

[DragonsEye]

Got them from a fellow tf member. Can't recall if she sent them out last fall or last spring (think it was fall). They spent the entire summer on a windowsill but a couple weeks ago got moved under lights as some outdoor plants got shuffled to the windowsill spot.

 

[madrone]

So the D. scorpiodes gemmae I received have been growing well all summer. I thought gemmae production was a fall event, but have yet to see any sign that they are considering doing so. Currently they're still making new leaves....

I don't have D. scorpiodes, and this is only my second fall with pygmy drosera. But at the moment, D. nitidula is *just* starting to produce a few gemmae. The other, D. omissa x pulchella, is not showing any indication. Both were moved inside at the same time. Checking notes from last year...nobody had any gemmae until 7-10 days from now. And there was a similar spread. D. nitidula leading the pack by about two weeks.

Hopefully you hear from some folks with a bit more pygmy cred. But, my novice opinion says they may come in time...maybe even as late as mid/late-November.

 

[nimbulan]

My scorps tend to produce gemmae in February. I have no idea why it's so late, but it's been reliable the past couple years. I've seen scorpioides gemmae available at least by November so it must be dependent on conditions. Meanwhile I've had gemmae on another unidentified plant for several weeks already.

 

[Grey Moss]

It definitely does come down to conditions. My scorps have full crowns of gemmae now. If they are under lights you may want to look at a timer that mimics seasonal daylight hours so they can still get those cues.

 

[nimbulan]

It definitely does come down to conditions. My scorps have full crowns of gemmae now. If they are under lights you may want to look at a timer that mimics seasonal daylight hours so they can still get those cues.

Mine do too, but I'm wondering if the plants may need cooler temperatures in addition?

 

[Grey Moss]

It could be. It's getting pretty cool around here at night. Down into the 40's and 50's on average.

 

[DragonsEye]

Thanks for the input folks. Nice to know mine aren't the only pokey ones. I was hoping they'd be doing their gemmae deal already so I could could a giveaway before it got cold. Guess that won't be happening ... temps have dropped to normal chilly levels and expecting snow next week.

 

[Not a Number]

It depends on the species or hybrid. Some will produce gemmae 3 or 4 times a year.

Normally expect them between mid-October through March or April in the Northern Hemisphere. Much of it depends on you latitude (photoperiod) and weather conditions.

I have several species and hybrids producing gemmae at the moment. I would tend to think the heat spells and then much cooler weather are a factor in my case. I have D. scorpioides with gemmae and these usually start in December for me.

 

[tommyr]

My Scorps do it in November/December. Room temp is around 60 F. Give or take a degree or 2.

 

[nimbulan]

An update from me, I've got scorps full of gemmae already. It was always February previously, and I can tell you exactly why - I used to use a 12-16 hour photoperiod depending on the time of the year, and this year I dropped it down to 10-14 to more closely match what most subtropical plants experience in their natural habitat. The lower photoperiod triggers gemmae production, so the plants were doing it out of season when the photoperiod wasn't dropping low enough. Maybe I'll even get some flowers this time around!

 

[Grey Moss]

That makes a lot of sense. My lights were set to winter times which is 9 to 6 when my scorpioides started to produce gemmae. Production is still going strong here. A few crowns were completely harvested and have since replenished themselves.

 

[DragonsEye]

An update from me, I've got scorps full of gemmae already. It was always February previously, and I can tell you exactly why - I used to use a 12-16 hour photoperiod depending on the time of the year, and this year I dropped it down to 10-14 to more closely match what most subtropical plants experience in their natural habitat. The lower photoperiod triggers gemmae production, so the plants were doing it out of season when the photoperiod wasn't dropping low enough. Maybe I'll even get some flowers this time around!

Interesting. Maybe I'll try that next year. At this point, may as well delay production as long as possible as I don't have the room and winter temps are supposed to set in in earnest this upcoming week.