Re: Drosera binata problems, BA CP meeting this week?

From: Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)
Date: Mon Nov 10 1997 - 16:10:16 PST


Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 00:10:16 +0000
From: Clarke Brunt <clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg4307$foo@default>
Subject: Re: Drosera binata problems, BA CP meeting this week?

On 10 Nov 97 at 12:30, Matt Ouimette wrote:

> First, I have a problem, I think. I have a drosera binata (dichotoma
> giant) that seems to be growing pretty well [but...]

I shouldn't worry about how many bifurcations you get - they just
tend to vary a bit. Flopping leaves are just another feature of some
of the variants of this plant. Also, all Drosera binata are deciduous
in my greenhouse (which gets down to 45F/7C in Winter). Of the two
kinds I have, the one with more bifurcations and floppy leaves has
already lost all its foliage, while the one with only a single
bifurcation and upright leaves in still active, though probably not
for much longer.

> Second, I asked earlier if I should allow it to flower, it's definitely
> putting up a flower scape now. Should I let it, or snip it?

I always let the plants do whatever they want to, including
flowering. It's up to you - I doubt it will make any difference to
the plant one way or the other. You might want to snip the seedpods
before they ripen though unless you want young Drosera everywhere.
Interestingly, my 'more bifurcated' binata seed readily (but then I
have more than one clone, since I grew them from seed originally),
while the 'less bifurcated' single plant never produces a single
seed. In any case, vegetative propagation is easy by pulling apart
the thongy clumps of root as they start to grow in Spring.

> I've actually got 8 or 10 VFT seedlings now, plus a pot of
> hopefully-sprouting seeds. I'm going to have to give them away soon,
> I'll have so many! All for $3.00, what a deal! I should have enough
> plants to actually get some good results with at least a few of them, I
> hope. :)

You're doing well with these! I often find VFTs (home collected seed)
to be a bit reluctant to germinate well.

-- 
Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk) http://www.brunt.demon.co.uk/
Cacti in Mexico, Cacti in flower, Seeds from Cambridge University Botanic Garden



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