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Post by Curtis on Jun 16, 2015 23:22:32 GMT -5
Hello everyone, I'm very new to the forum. I have only one carnivorous plant so far, a small venus flytrap, which seems to be doing much better than when I bought it, but I don't know any sources for cp's in my area. I'm a pretty busy guy, but this seems like a hobby that won't take up too much of my time, and I've really enjoyed what I've read about these plants so far. I ordered a pack of 10 seeds online, which I know is not a lot of seeds, but I liked the look of the plant and I wanted to try growing a sundew next. I bought seeds for a plant I knew absolutely nothing about, so I set out to research as much as I could on the subject. I'm hoping to post what I think I know in this thread, in case I may have misinterpreted anything I have read. If none of the 10 seeds germinate, I'd like to know with a high enough degree of certainty that it wasn't my fault. I'll jot down everything I think I know in a couple posts. Please feel free to comment on anything I might have wrong.
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Post by Curtis on Jun 16, 2015 23:32:57 GMT -5
Soil:
I read a bunch of different views on proper soil configurations for a wooly drosera like the one I'm going to try to germinate seeds for, some say 50/50 peat/sand, some say heavier on the sand portion is better for woolly drosera, and some of what I read said equal parts peat/sand/perlite. I also read about shredding up fine sphagnum moss to put across the surface of the soil, but I think I'll leave that step out. The middle ground seems to aim for 40/40/20 peat/sand/perlite, so I'll likely go with that. The peat moss I have available to me is the premier Canadian sphagnum peat moss brand, and I've read a post on this forum that seems to suggest this is an ok one. As for sand, I've read that I should use a silica sand, the type used for sandblasting. I am pretty sure I still have a bag or two of unused silica sandblasting sand somewhere around here, so I'll use that. I haven't located any perlite yet. I read a couple threads on washing the soil ingredients, which now seems really important so I'm glad I stumbled across them. My wife walked in one evening to catch me watching a youtube video giving step by step instructions on how to watch sand. She may worry for my sanity. I'll likely wash all the ingredients in separate buckets with rainwater a couple times on one day, and then let them soak in buckets for a day or so and then wash them again just to make sure. It won't be a lot of soil being washed, just enough to make sure I can fill one small pot. I read that I could wash it with tap water to begin with, but I should have a good amount of rain runoff in a barrel outside by now. I bought a jug of mineral free distilled water to use on the very last washing. This seems to be a ridiculous amount of effort to put into raising a plant, but I'm actually looking forward to this.
One question comes to mind at this point. If I wash a lot of soil ingredients at once, and mix it all in a 5 gallon bucket, will it keep for a long time that way? Or would I need to wash it all again if I didn't use it for a long time?
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Post by Curtis on Jun 16, 2015 23:41:26 GMT -5
I have an idea for a cheap grow chamber I want to put past you guys. But it's late. I'll continue this tomorrow.
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Post by WillyCKH on Jun 17, 2015 2:22:35 GMT -5
Though Drosera ordensis might not be the best Drosera to start with, I think it's quite pretty. I hope your seeds germinate and grow for you! There are many more types of Drosera that grow easily, such as D. Capensis, D. Spatulata, D. ALiciae... Give them a try too while waiting and you won't regret Peat mix is best to be done when you need it, in my opinion. Base on my experience, the extra soil mix will left wet and things might start growing in it, mostly things that you won't like (like bugs, weeds, etc.).
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Post by lloyd on Jun 17, 2015 8:19:56 GMT -5
Where did you buy the seeds?
Let us know if they're viable.
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Post by Curtis on Jun 17, 2015 8:36:12 GMT -5
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Post by Curtis on Jun 17, 2015 8:59:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the post willy. You take great pics, by the way. I would like to try those drosera as well but im limited to buying seeds from the net until I can find a cp source within driving distance. I would prefer to just buy a few plants instead of seeds. I live in the country near St Mary's Ontario if anyone knows any leads. In London possibly?
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Post by Curtis on Jun 17, 2015 9:19:35 GMT -5
To continue what I think I know: After I have the soil washed and lightly packed in a small planter, I plan on putting it in a water try like I have my flytrap in. My understanding is to sprinkle the seeds across the surface, and apply a light misting of rainwater with a spray bottle. I think I read somewhere to keep a quarter inch of water in the tray at all times, and to lightly mist the surface of the pot once a day? Not as confident about the misting part, I dont' want the seeds to rot. And then I wait for a month, at which point I might still not see anything lol
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Post by Curtis on Jun 17, 2015 9:28:14 GMT -5
This is probably going to make you laugh, but this is what I was thinking I would use to grow the seeds in. Its an old cooler bag that came with a case of ceasars at the liquor store a couple years ago. It has a reflective surface all around the inside, is lined in plastic to keep moisture in, and hopefully should trap some of the heat from the lightbulb. The lightbulb is a 8w T5 I had running as a night light in my shop. it says 3500K on the side. I Just screwed it through the lid to a piece of wood redneck style. I don't know how I want to grow the plants after they germinate, but I thought this would be a cheap way to set up the seeds, as they won't be interesting to look at anyway. here is another pic: This is turning into a bit of a run on post, but does anyone have any suggestions on how much light I should give the seed plants per day? Do you guys think my cheap terrarium will work ok for seeds?
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Post by WillyCKH on Jun 17, 2015 10:02:55 GMT -5
I have never worked with lights other than LED so I can't give insights on your light setup. Your setup is a great idea, but what is the temperature inside the thermal bag? Most CP won't like temp higher than 30C. Growing Drosera seeds doesn't take that much effort, you should start with something simpler like a clear chocolate box and the light hanging above your box. That way seeds are most likely to sprout if they are viable! You can perhaps keep the bag setup for the grown up seedlings Here's a pic of my current setup for a bunch of mixed seedlings, average temp is 22C, Humidity 100%: A simple and small box like mine can fit hundreds of seedlings with no problem! You can move them to other pots when they grow bigger.
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Post by Curtis on Jun 28, 2015 15:21:46 GMT -5
I'm going to call this a slight mix up with the ebay seed vendor. Those sure aren't Drosera Ordensis.
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Post by WillyCKH on Jun 28, 2015 16:34:50 GMT -5
hahaha... on the bright side you can plant some silk trees!
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Post by peatmoss on Jun 28, 2015 16:43:51 GMT -5
Sorry to see your order got mixed up!
If you're still interested in trying sundews from seed I have some (really) old easy Drosera seeds that may or may not be viable. If you're interested in trying them, I'll gladly send you a selection if you send me a SASE. PM me if you're interested.
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Post by Curtis on Jun 28, 2015 17:08:55 GMT -5
My wife contacted the seller because I used her account to buy the seeds. He is sending the proper seeds. So the silk trees are freebies. I also ordered a couple packs of mystery mix like willy did so I should get something to grow. I do appreciate the offer but I don't know what a sase is. I'm very new here.
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Post by paulkoop on Jun 28, 2015 17:20:08 GMT -5
I have alot if seed ill post a giveaway some time sooon
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