Re: stratification of D.californica

From: Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)
Date: Thu Feb 20 1997 - 11:22:16 PST


Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 20:22:16 +0100
From: Clarke Brunt <clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg669$foo@default>
Subject: Re: stratification of D.californica

On 17 Feb 97 at 0:44, Russell Elliott wrote:

> was just wondering if stratification of this species in a
> freezer for a few weeks would help in increasing germination
> rates. I normally only do seed in the fridge, but several books
> I have read mention that stratifying Darlingtonia in the freezer
> is beneficial. I would have thought this would kill them after a
> month or so.

Usual answer: I don't really know. I'll trot out my usual story that
my own home collected Darlingtonia californica seed always germinate
within a few weeks if sown relatively fresh from the plant, even if
it is Autumn at the time. A few years ago I tried several packets of
D. californica from seedsmen, and never succeeded in germinating even
one, so doing *anything* different might be of benefit.

I doubt that the freezer will kill them though. I've stratified
Sarracenia in a freezer and still had them germinate (though I now
think this was a waste of time - the fridge works fine). I've sown
fresh Darlingtonia in pots outside (in England) - they must have been
well frozen several times, but germinated in the Spring (whereas the
ones sown inside only took a few weeks). Am I right in thinking that
Darlingtonia doesn't get frozen in habitat? Nevertheless the plants
aren't troubled by the occasional freezing we get here.

-- 
Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)
http://www.brunt.demon.co.uk/ Seeds, Cacti in Mexico, etc.



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