The Little Garden of Horrors


Back to Specific Plants/Topics	Germinating CP seeds is a very straightforward process, sans a few genera/species that require special treatment. The first step is to make sure that you have fresh, viable seeds. Always get seeds that are no more than a year old, and in the case of Nepenthes and Utricularia, their seeds lose viability quickly after a few months even in the best storage conditions. Sow CP seeds thinly on the same substrate that you would use for most CPs - I favour a 50:50 peat and sand mix, as perlite tends to accumulate at the surface and may interfere with the seedlings. Place the pot in a bright place on a tray of water, and avoid direct rain. That's really all there is to it, and now all you need to do is to wait. The few exceptions come with some genera that require stratification, scarification or smoke treatment. Stratification Stratification is the cold treatment of seeds, to simulate their natural environment where seeds germinate after a cold winter. Genera that require stratification include temperate Drosera (D.anglica, temperate forms of D.intermedia, D.linearis etc), Dionaea, Darlingtonia and Sarracenia. To do this, sow as you would normally, mist lightly with anti-fungal solution, and wrap with a plastic bag or cling-wrap. Place the entire pot in the fridge at 0-4C for 6 weeks, and return the pot (minus the plastic wrapping) to the water tray again. As the pot is sealed in a bag, there is no need to water it during this cold period, but you may want to check them occasionally for fungus. Scarification Scarification is the removal of part of the seed coat to encourage germination. Plants that will respond well to scarification include Drosophyllum and Roridula. To do this, rub the seeds between 2 pieces of ultra-fine sand paper until the seed coat appears dull-looking. Subsequently plant as per normal. Smoke treatment Certain plants experience bushfires in the wild, with seeds germinating after a fire, and their seeds in cultivation require smoke treatment. You can simulate this by sowing the seeds in a ceramic pot, wetting the seeds and substrate, then place a layer of dry grass on top to burn. However, this is unnecessarily risky in my opinion. Smoke water is commercially available as dry filter paper discs impregnated with the necessary chemicals found in smoke. Prepare smoke water by adding these discs to a small container of purified water, then soak the seeds for 24-48 hrs before planting. Such plants include Byblis (except B.liniflora, which germinates well without treatment), Australian Drosera (D.petiolaris complex, tuberous Drosera) and some South African Drosera species. Gibberellic acid One great chemical that can be used to stimulate seed germination is gibberellic acid, or GA3. This naturally-occurring plant hormone may be bought in 100 microgram portions from seed banks or commercial sources, and may be used to germinate seeds that would normally require stratification or smoke treatment. Most CPs use a solution of 100ppm (10mg dissolved in 100ml water), or 250ppm (10mg in 40ml water) for Roridula. Wrap smaller seeds such as Drosera in a piece of folded filter paper and soak for 24 hours, followed by a rinse in purified water before planting. Larger seeds may be soaked directly in the solution also for 24 hours. GA3 should be stored in its dry powder form between 0 to 4 degrees celcius as it degrades quickly in solution form.