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Hi, from Ireland


Niall FM

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Hi, I'm Niall from Ireland!

Similarly to everyone here(I assume), I have an interest in carnivorous plants.

 

What began as oddities spotted in the local garden centre soon became my current collection of

  • Nepenthes 'Ventrata'
  • Nepenthes 'Bloody Mary'
  • Sarracenia Flava
  • Venus Fly-trap (normal form(x3))

It was only at the point of realising how excited I was when I saw a 'Bloody Mary' pop up in a florist window that I realised the trend of Carnivorous plants :red33:

 

I have done much research into most types of CPs and currently know all the basics from ppm of water to dormancy, but with the project I've decided to embark on I am struggling to get all the information I need. As a result I type here before you to ask for help(and hopefully I'll be able to give you all help in the future).

 

I recently bought seeds for

  • S. Psittacina
  • S. Alata (Dark Form)
  • S. Leucophylla
  • S. Minor
  • S. Oreophila (Red Throat)
  • S. Flava var. Ornata
  • S. Purpurea ssp.venose var.burkii
  • Pinguicula Grandiflora
  • Drosera Rotundifolia (French strain)

And my grand plan is to create a nice bog Garden area in my garden.

 

So first of all to get a good handle on the forum, can I ask questions here or would it be better to split them into their respected disciplines? most of my questions are about the drosera and pinguicula as information on them seems sparse.

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Welcome from East Cork! Where are you? Great to see another Irish grower.

 

It would be better for you to pose your question in another topic as some people could miss it in the 'introduction' thread.  

 

But I'll answer here anyway.  All the seeds that you have require cold stratification to germinate.  A period where they are sown on moist potting media at a cold temperature.  The P. grandiflora and the D. rotundifolia are fully hardy and do best outside.  Sow them in pots outside now and they'll receive the lower temperature over the winter.  The ping seed doesn't remain viable for long so don't leave it in the packet in the fridge until the autumn.  

 

It's a bit late to do the Sarracenias now, although you could stratify them in pots (or a little bag of moist peat) in the fridge for a couple of months now. They'll be behind but you could overwinter them indoors under lights without dormancy for the first year.  If it were me, I would leave the Sarra seeds stored dry in the fridge until the autumn, you can then soak them in some water for a couple of days to aid hydration prior to sowing.  

 

A few of those Sarracenia aren't the hardiest of plants for a bog garden though and don't perform as well outdoors as they would under glass.  Particularly the minor, psittacina and leucophylla.  The oreophila is hardy though, as is S. flava and S. purpurea ssp purpurea (but you haven't got those so I've digressed).  

 

If you are ever down in Co. Cork and fancy a look at my collection you'd be more than welcome.  

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Thanks a million for the quick reply!

I'm based in Kildare so I probably wont be able to pop round :-P

I had read about the less hardy species of sarracenia and I apologise for not mentioning the fact I already have many spots in the greenhouse(unheated) with their names on them, but it's a long time until they'll be big enough to fill them. I also have a fish tank set up in the garage with artificial lights and a heater to power through the first dormancy for the sarracenia as I've read this can give them a whole growing seasons head start. If this has been a bad decision I fear it may be too late as they went in the fridge last week.

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Hi Niall, welcome to CPUK !

There are a lot of friendly, knowledgeable folk on these forums, so as Richard says, plonk your future questions in the right section of the forum (where the relevant experts lurk), and you're more likely to get quicker replies and sound advice.

Have fun, and happy growing !

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Well if you're ever in Cork, hit me up! I'm usually home most of the time.

 

By stratifying the seeds now you've given them a good start. I would definitely utilise that terrarium for skipping the dormancy this winter. 

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