CP seed advisable media
 

Hi everyone

Considering the sudden monsterous burst of seed giveaways.......And since a number of people took it what do you guys normally use for a specific kind of media to germinate them.Doesn't really need to be specific maybe by genus Nepenthes,Sarracenia,Drosera and VFT etc etc etc...

As my last try on nepenthes seeds i only got about 10-20% or less of germinations.But that happened because i was stupid and i watered it like normal neps making some seeds getting flushed down under the media which probally rotted and dead by now.So i can't really say what media works for neps...Okays so i also heard that a older media might help germinate more seeds or germinate them faster....But how old is old??? Does maybe even getting the pot ready for use a couple of days to about 2 weeks even help? Or does it have to be months to years?:unsure:

Okays back to the main topic...What media do you use for your CP seeds which u have grown from seed and just need some advice if the medias i'm gonna use will be good.

Nepenthes

Thin Layer of LFS at the bottom and a little peat moss in the middle and LFS as topping again.Perlite is spread throughout the whole thing

Drosera

Thing LFS at bottom and Peat Moss all the way up (Peat seems to hold a lot of water) Perlite is spread evenly throughout the media.

Well those are what i use....I've not really heard of a lot of people using peat moss for neps but i find peat moss really compact which in my opnion will prevent the seeds from dropping down to the bottom so do you think thats advisable to use for nep seeds?

Ken

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

I just use peat moss for drosera. Washed and soaked.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

I've been collecting advice on Drosera seed germinating media from everyone that has been sending me seeds. Most all of the 'experts' have been telling me to use 1:1 peat;sand or 1:2 p/s. A few have mentioned that at least the upper layer should be heavier on the sand as this discourages moss which will overtake the seedlings.

As usual, I'm experimenting! My sand is often contaminated with loads of weed seeds, so I have just screened a bunch of my finest grained pumice stones and am mixing the resulting "pumice sand" with peat at about 1 (peat):1.5 (pumice sand). I will plant the plug trays with 1-2 seed/cell and put them in my hydro-tables where they can get water from the bottom (like tray method). I'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks!
:biggrin:

PS Ken - I find it best to use finely chopped (I use a blender...but I've also burned out 2 blenders now!) for Nep seeds. If you use LFS you have a hard time transplanting the seedlings without pulling up all the other seedlings at the same time. I've never tried peat with my nep seeds but it works spectacularly for fern spore germination!

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

As general rule most CP will do well on mix of 50/50 sand and peat. Personally I only use Canadian peats and mixture of equal parts of coase, medium and fine sand for the sand mix.
Here in South Australia we have a tendency to use pure LFS for Nepenthes, Heliamphora, and Darlingtonia.
Some of us use some pertile in the mix when it comes to Sarracenia while other use straight peat sand mix.
It seem to be what ever works for you as long the media is nutrient poor and acidic. I seen pygmy sundews growing in pure Silicon carbonate.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

I germinate drosera, nep ands sarra seed with LFS.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Peat moss is the best for little plantlets and seeds from my point of view.

Cheers

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Hi Shawn

Well i have limited resources...........I only have 3 ingredients to use....Peat moss,LFS and perlite...So among this in your opinion which do you think is the best???? On the peat moss label it says good for seedlings though....I don't really do much or cut or blend the LFS i just do what i can by tearing them to as small as my hands can go ( a bit lazy ) So well if those seedlings roots which were hurt during taking out the other seedlings then die then die la lol.....Just kidding i know they'll be hurt but i can't do much.I'm not sure if peat will have the same affect.

Hi Khaos

Looks like quite a lot of people use sand as a mix............Well i don't really know where to get river sand.So have you ever used peat for nep seeds????

Hi Aaron

You're goin to have difficulty seprating them.

Hi Ed

Peat moss for neps too???

Anyone knows where to get sand in KL?????????/

Ken

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

If there is a construction site near you, ask the owner or supervisor for some sand. Otherwise, you can get sand from live fish shop I think, nurseries, hardware shop. Otherwise try playgrounds, long jump pits, even sweeping up from road side. Use your imagination. Just make sure you wash the sand clean.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

You can get sand from fish shop... You can try the fish shop at Jalan Pasar that opposite temple. I refer to shop lot and not those small store.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Well, I think that for neps, the peat moss must be wel drain to be used. Although I haven't sown any nep seeds yet:blush: but, I am planning to use peat moss and see how the effect is. The reason why I like peat moss is that it doesn't stink(it took me a long time to realise this, thank you David for telling me), it is very compact and it helps seedlings establish themselves more effectively than LFS.

Cheers

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Hi Bactrus and casey

Okays i will use my imagination if all doesn't work i'll just go to the fish shop.

Hi Ed

I definitly agree that peat moss is a very compact media......Like i said before i added perlite in it,i watered it and the water took some time to reside all the way down. Also if its compact in my opinion would be good for seeds....ya know just to keep them wet and not falling in.

Ken

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

I got N. khasiana and maxima 'Sulwaseii' both growing in a peat and sand mix, need to be change as they been growing in the same media for over 5 years.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Shawn I got a second hand, hand held mixer/blender that I will try to use on LFS as you have suggested :) At least it's easier to clean and disinfect for cooking use. Sorry to hear that you have burned 2 blenders already!

I myself use LFS a lot of seed germination, I still have a problem with Nep seed though, no germination yet at all for all of the seeds that our generous fellow members have sent. Including you :(

I have only used Peat on Sarracenia and VFT seeds.

Oh one thing I would like to mention, I have tried D. Spatulata germination on plain old tissue paper (unsued of course, hehehe) with water. The Seeds germinated nicely. I have one batch that has nice plantlets already, but I have one that dried up and killed all the plantlets :( I have not tried to replant them yet, so not sure if this would be easy or hard, but it Works!

I have a Filiformis leaf cutting that is starting to grow on the tissue paper.

KEN, just a reminder, make sure when you buy sand, that it is river sand, an alternative is perlite or pumice rock.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Who said I'll have difficulty in separating, Ken. I have very careful hands.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Hi Khaos

Okays then by your case neps can actually be sown or grown in peat moss......

Hi Arvin

No germinations?????????? Unlucky you.....Well yeah i know i read a lot of people think it is sea sand which is full of minerals....I will also have some difficulties with seperating them.

Hi Aaron

Show off ;p

Ken

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Yes you can grow some Neps in peat moss and sand. I also seen them grow in a orchid based mix using wood chips. The best media for you often depends on the amount of watering you do and the local climate.
N. mirabilis does grow naturally in peat.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Hi Khaos

I would be suprised if mirabilis actually grows naturally in peat moss.....Because i read and it suppose to grow in alkaline kind of soil which is the opposite of peat moss........Anyways i shall try out peat moss on some of the viking seeds and some on LFS and see which does best.

Ken

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

G'day Kentosaurs,
I just check Pitcher - Plants of Borneo, and the authors agree with you. It seem to prefer more alkaline conditions. What interesting mirabilis seem to the most salt tolerant of all the Neps, growing in brackish water. Sorry about the misinformation.
My mirabilis seedlings are growing on a peat/sand mix with chopped sphagnum over the top, standing in water.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Hi Khaos

So i assume your mirabilis is thriving in that media right????? I've tried my tray method/standing water with raffs and they seem to like it.....But my truncata definitly didn't like it at all.

Ken

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Well my mirabilis seedling seem to doing well, at the moment. They are not even a year old and some have three small pitchers. I really don't much experience with lowlander because of the little thing call winter here. My seedling are growing in a heated tank.
Here we finding many of the highlander do well in LFS in a self watering pot.
Ken, is your truncata a highland form or lowland form? If I remember correctly it found in both climates.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Hi My truncata is the lowland form green pitcher with reddish bronze peristrome.

Ken

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

It looks like each species would have to check to see if it enjoy watering by tray. I would say any hybrids with large amount of mirabilis and/or raff in it would enjoy tray method.

Re: CP seed advisable media
 

Hi Khaos

Yeah i guess so............And also maybe bicals and amps might do well in those kind of media and tray method.

Ken