Sarr-Droso-Darling-Utric

Barry Meyers-Rice (barry@mips3.as.arizona.edu)
Thu, 27 Oct 1994 12:31:25 -0700

Hey Ya'll

A few comments and observations from the greenhouse. I've been spending the
occasional free moment collecting Sarracenia seed---I'll announce if I
have any extra. I used to store my seed in the refrigerator for a few months
(wet, already sown in seedling pots) but the last few years I have discovered
that if I sow the seeds in the greenhouse I get just as good germination
rate in the spring, along with about 50% early germination rate which buys
about 1/2 season of growth for the first year.

Early this summer I got seed from my Drosophyllum and sowed it immediately.
The last week is the first time the temperatures in the greenhouse have
dipped as low as 35F (2C) so I engaged the heating system. But this cold
has initiated huge amounts of germination in the Drosophyllum seed pots.
Interesting.

Finally, my experiment with Darlingtonia continues into its third year.
It is too hot in my greenhouse to grow this plant, so I store it in
the refrigerator during the summer and grow it during the winter! It is
only 3yrs old from seed and is fully acclimated to this situation (it started
growth two weeks ago in the fridge so I put it in the greenhouse). It is
quite happy with life.

Does anyone here have luck with U. menziesii? I'm good with tropical Utrics
and Genlisea, as well as Tuberous Drosera. How the heck do I grow
U.menziesii? I am trying to treat it as a tuberous Drosera but have lost a
pot already. In the past treating it as a tropical has been equally pathetic.

Barry