Guy Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 On December 30th I sprinkled various seeds onto trays with a peat/perlite mix. Nice and damp. The trays went into my frost free (minimum 3°C) greenhouse. Then I forgot about them. Looking today the compost had completely dried out. It's now damp again, but will it be too late for the seeds? Thanks. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepenthesman Posted January 28, 2019 Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 What seeds are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted January 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 Drosera, Sarracenia and Pinguicula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepenthesman Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 It depends if they slightly germinated, if they did so they could be dead but if they did not germinate they should be alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobH Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 It has been cold so they may not have started full germination yet. If that is so, lucky you, and they should still germinate, or at least some of them should still germinate. Otherwise they will have dried out and are dead. Just keep them moist for a month or so and see if anything comes up. If nothing has appeared in say 6 - 8 weeks, then you have lost them. I'll wager something will come up for you, though perhaps not all the seeds. Keep them moist and at least wait until we get some warmer weather to promote germination before deciding to discard the trays. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted January 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 Thanks gents There's no sign of any germination yet, so perhaps they'll be ok. I'll certainly keep a closer watch on them now and make sure they don't dry out again. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 they will be fine,keep them damp/wet .i'd expect germination in april/may Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted January 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 Blimey-April/May? That's a long time away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocky71 Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 Ada lives up north, you may get better weather earlier Guy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linuxman Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Remember sarracenia seeds need the cold weather for stratification. Like ada I plant my sarracenia seeds at New Year in a cold greenhouse and don't expect anything for 3 or 4 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Thanks again. Definitely warmer down here in Dorset than in Sheffield, so perhaps things will start a bit earlier. As to the stratification. Not sure how it will work out. The greenhouse has a heater which keeps the temperature to 3°C as a minimum. But, on a lovely afternoon like this, the greenhouse is up to 15°C and one of the roof vents has opened. This is my first attempt at growing from seed. If it doesn't work then a rethink will be needed for next year. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picavorus Posted February 2, 2019 Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 At least some of them should still come up fine. I don't usually expect to see germination until April or May from my Sarracenia seeds, that I tend to sow around Christmas time and place in an unheated polytunnel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted May 26, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2019 Update--absolutely nothing showing in any of the trays. We're now 5 months on from sowing. I've found a few slugs and snails in the greenhouse, so it may be that the seeds started to come through and got eaten. Or they never came through at all. Should I give up with this lot, or is there still some hope? Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted May 26, 2019 Report Share Posted May 26, 2019 any pictures of the trays? drosera and pings seeds are like dust and any seedlings are tiny when first germinated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted May 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2019 Thanks ada, but there's definitely nothing there! I spotted a snail/slug trail across one of the trays this morning, so the likelihood of predator damage seems high. How do you keep slugs and snails off seed trays? Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted May 28, 2019 Report Share Posted May 28, 2019 Keep the trays high up in strong light ,keep warm and wet and you can,t really go wrong with fresh/stratified seeds of any of the common species Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted May 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2019 Did all that, except the trays dried out for an unknown period of time between December 30th and January28th--see OP. Perhaps they'd started to germinate then were killed by drying out. Although I'd have thought germinating during early January at low temperatures would be unlikely. I'll try again. Is the end of December the best time to sow the seeds for Drosera, Pinguicula and others? Thanks. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted May 29, 2019 Report Share Posted May 29, 2019 I sow all my seed at christmas/new year,except pings which I sow fresh in summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Posted May 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2019 Thanks ada. I think I'll get rid of the current lot and get some more seeds. I'll sow the pings when I get them, and leave the rest until the end of December again. Must come up with some way of keeping slugs and snails off the seed trays, though. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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