How to know when to collect the seeds
 

Can anyone advise me on when to collect the seeds from my sundews? I have two different types of suundew now flowering but not too sure when to harvest the seeds? How do i know whether the seeds are able to germinate?

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

You will ned to wait until the flowers fall and the seed pods that are produced after that turn to black or dark colour. That's when you can harvest the seeds. What species of Sundew are those two?

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

D. spatulata var. fraser island and D. nagatomoi

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...2042009464.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...2042009463.jpg

Which one is ready for collection?

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

Hi Cedric, neither of those inthe picture are ready to harvest. When the capsules turn black you can remove them. As they will generally ripen from the bottom to the top you may want to remove individual pods as they ripen (turn black) other wise these will release seeds into surrounding pots and you will have plants coming up everywhere.

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

I'm no expert, but at least for Spatulata, I have experience with. Wait till the tip of the flower (red parts in the photo, and I assume that is the spatulata) turns brown. When that happens, I usually get seeds from them.

What I also do is that because the bottom flowers are the first to turn brown (they are the oldest) I actually cut off the bottom ones that have browned already and then I pinch to get the seeds, leaving the rest to continue to develop. Be careful though, because once I just plucked out the bottom bud, and I broke the whole flower stalk. :(

The yellow flowered one is probably D. Nagatomoi, have no experience, but maybe same thing.

Anyway, long story short, I don't think any of your flower stalks are ready yet!

TTFN
Arvin

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

Arvin, the yellow flower stalk is the D. spatulata var fraser island. : ) Thanks for all the advise. A silly question as I never done this before. Do I split the buds to get the seeds or will they crack open?

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

In my spatulata the seed pods turn translucent under strong light when they are ripe. At that point you can just pinch them to get the seeds. They will spill out as dust. The seeds are very, very fine.

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

Wow thanks for the clarification, nice! Yellow flowered spatulata. :)

Regarding collection, when I wasn't sure yet before, what I did was collect the dried buds and put in a small plastic container and shake, that will make the seeds come out :) Now because I have some in the garden, if I am finished with my chores watering, and see a but ripe, I cut off the bud, squeeze like alcran said with my fingers and out comes the seeds, I just dust them off into some medium.

Don't worry too much, you have a lot of window, but don't collect too soon though.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

Just check my D. nagamotoi, the stalk is starting to bend downwards, saw that one bud have turn dark. Didn't know whether is it time to collect seeds?

Re: How to know when to collect the seeds
 

Bending downwards, can't comment on that, I'd say leave it alone, but if you see one browning and you really are itching, then cut that bud off carefully and see if you can squeeze out some seeds, you can squeeze it onto a white paper or on your finger, then you can sow them or keep them somewhere cool and dry, but if you want to propagate, then sow them sooner, if not immediately.

Good luck!
TTFN
Arvin