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Author Topic: Pinguicula vulgaris seed sowing  (Read 742 times)

Jack Meatcher

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Pinguicula vulgaris seed sowing
« on: September 16, 2021, 12:12:22 PM »
Earlier this year I got some useful help regarding harvesting Pinguicula vulgaris seeds. The harvest was successful and, using two brown plastic mushroom trays from the supermarket, sowed the seed. One tray had my usual alpines compost while the other had a layer of compost topped by a 1" (25mm) layer of sphagnum moss. Both were kept moist. Checking this morning I have a "no show" with the alpines compost and too many seedlings to count on the moss. The seeds were sown fresh from harvesting.
I'm posting this for info and apologise if this technique is already well known. Incidentally, I think I may have got the idea of sphagnum moss from a picture of Ian Young's Pinguicula "island" on his bulb log.

Jack
The Learner

Carolyn

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Re: Pinguicula vulgaris seed sowing
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2021, 03:45:22 PM »
Jack, i have used the same method of sowing onto moss for rhododendron seeds - with much more success than compost.
Carolyn McHale
Gardening in Kirkcudbright

Maggi Young

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Re: Pinguicula vulgaris seed sowing
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2021, 04:08:22 PM »
Glad to hear things are  going/growing well, Jack!
 Yes, Ian described  this  re the  "pinguicula island" in the  Bulb Log - its also our  subject   in Growing on Sphagnum, in The Rock Garden 90/39 which you can read here:
http://files.srgc.net/journals/vol_1%20to_113/90.pdf
 
Margaret Young in Aberdeen, North East Scotland Zone 7 -ish!

Editor: International Rock Gardener e-magazine

Tristan_He

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Re: Pinguicula vulgaris seed sowing
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2021, 06:05:58 PM »
Hi Jack, with Pinguicula, as with other carnivorous plants, it's important to sow onto a nutrient poor medium. Normal alpine compost has nutrients in which will quickly kill them.

Did you stratify the seed, or did they come up straight away? My experience of temperate Pings is that they generally need a cold period to stimulate germination.

Unlike many carnivorous species, Pinguicula seem indifferent to pH. Indeed many species grow in quite base-rich environments in nature. Last year I sowed seed direct onto pieces of tufa left standing in plastic trays (and therefore kept wet) with pleasing results - see photos. They are just starting to die back to resting buds now.

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I have also been putting my temperate Pings into these black containers made from recycled car tyres - a Canadian company called Tierra Verde makes them. Not terribly cheap unfortunately but they should be water and frost proof. As you can see they hold water. I fill them almost to the top with sharp sand, then place the tufa 'island' in the middle and fill with water. The tufa then stays moist through capillary action and seems to make a good butterwort habitat.





Jack Meatcher

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Re: Pinguicula vulgaris seed sowing
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2021, 10:14:38 AM »
First of all - thank you all for responding to my posting. Maggie - I read the article you suggested - nothing new under the sun is there? Tristan_HE - the seed was sown within two days of collection with no stratification. The "seed pans" were open to the elements, ie., no alpine house or cold frame. When I remembered them, I poured rain water over them with a small watering can. Now, what do I do with them all when they are larger - prizes for the AGS Hampshire branch meetings draw???

best wishes

Jack
The Learner

Tristan_He

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Re: Pinguicula vulgaris seed sowing
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2021, 08:20:52 PM »
Hi Jack, that's interesting, so really fresh Pinguicula seed can germinate straight away.

How big are your seedlings now? They will need to get through the winter - if they are still small it may be worth keeping them under cold glass or they may not survive. If they are a bit bigger they should die back to a resting bud soon.

Unless they are a fairly good size I wouldn't advise dividing them as Pings don't much like root disturbance.

Cheers, Tristan

 


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