Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

Hello,

I just wanted to get peoples opinions on growing nepenthes from seed.

1. Suitable and effective potting mixes to sow seeds on?
2. Temperatures?
3. Humidity dome/plastic cover, or no cover at all?
4. Lighting conditions. Outdoors with other well growing mature neps, indoors under CFLs? Sunny, bright, shaded conditions if outdoors? If indoors, how close to the lights?
5. Potting mix sterilization or treatment. Fungicide, microwave?
6. Seedling treatment. Watering, misting?
7. Finally, when to transplant to individual pots?

Probably question that have been asked too many times to which many different answers can be found through many resources on the web. I just wanted to hear about peoples personal experiences and what has worked well for them. Thanks a lot everyone, later!

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

Wow Pananep I'm sorry no one has contributed to your questions. Unfortunately most of my tries are failures, maybe just sharing will help bump this topic up coz I'm also interested in the topic.

1. Potting mix, a friend of mine says that cocopeat is his choice. Shawn made experiments on potting mix, and if I remember correctly Peat moss produced the last and least germination, I think LFS (sphagnum moss) was the best, if I remember correctly.

2. I have used Sphagnum moss and Cocopeat, unfortunately without any sucess. Bad luck or bad germination skills on my part. Droseras are easier of course.

3. I have not been able to germinate so I can't yet imagine how hard or easy it is to take care of the seedlings, but I heard you need to take care of them daily, make sure they are moist, that is why a humidity dome is a good idea.... problem for me is that humidity dome will surely make fungus grow on the potting mix suface and suffocate the seedling. :( This is my experience with Drosera seedlings as well so I assume I'd have the same problems with Nepenthes.

Hope others chime in with their comments and suggestions :)

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

Well as for me so far i've had 3 sets of seeds i received and 2 germinated very well while 1 set didn't....Anyways..I've used peat...And LFS and they both seem to do just fine.....To me as long as you're in a sort of tropical country then just sow them put them in as bright light as possible but no direct sunlight...And just keep them moist...Humidity at my balcony is not that high but its enough to make the seedlings thrive though some mature neps dont do well

Ken

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

Ok, this is what works for me best:

Media = sphagnum moss
Humidity = Almost 100% as I cover the container with only a small gap
Watering = Media is wet constantly with occasional spray from the top
Light = Artificial florencent lights
Day Temperature = approx. 32-34 degrees celsius
Night Temperature = approx. 28-30 degrees celsius

I do not steralise the sphagnum moss as I use use good quality s.moss. So there is no problem with fungus etc.

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

David, thanks, can you please share how much photoperiod you give the seeds? And how much wattage?

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

David.... if u cover it, then the cover is transparent rite ?

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

I've had success germinating Nep seeds on (1) long fibered sphagnum moss; (2) a mix of 50% peat moss and 50% perlite; and (3) coco peat, all unsterilized. Nep seeds need light to germinate, so I simply scatter the seeds on the medium and press them down a bit so they make good contact with the medium. I put them outdoors in bright light, uncovered, and they are sprayed with water three times a day by an automatic watering system. The plants are transplanted to individual pots when they are 2 cm. in diameter, keeping as much of the original medium around the roots as possible. If too crowded, however, I transplant them when they are as small as 1 cm. in diameter, although the mortality rate is higher. At this stage (or even before), the plants can be fertilized. However, fertilizer tends to grow a slimy substance that appears to be algae on long fibered sphagnum moss. There are probably better ways to do it, but this method works well enough for me.

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

I give them 16 hours of light a day and there are four 4-feet florecent lights (36 watt if I remember correctly). Got to go back and check.

Re: Sowing/germinating seeds and seedling care.
 

Thanks David, I think 4 feet usually means 40W.

I just learned that there are 36W 4 feet bulbs :)

TTFN
Arvin