2009 Late June

A couple random pictures from around the yard.

The largest of the 100 Darlintonia seedlings I have from seed in Fall 2005. Finally big enough to catch flies! Slowly getting filled :-) Schnell says that the first pitchers are the largest (definitely true with these) and that the first two pitchers orient N/S and the second two pitchers out orient E/W. I wouldn't know since I've moved the pots so many times. He also said that it takes the plants a year to figure out their own orientation...


Paphiopedilum rothschildianum.


Paphiopedilum philippinense var roebelenii


Neofinetia falcata Onami Seikai.


The kitty. Don't let the angle fool you, she's 97% fluff.


My South African seedlings from seeds sown in April :-) This is the Protea end of the flats. Closest are compacta, then two rows of cynaroides then eximia then lacticolor then magnifica then nerifolia then pudens then sulphurea then... I forget. Lots had good germination (75%+), many had sporadic germination (~30%) and the only one that didn't come up was P. sulphurea. In the middle are the Erica flats that look like there's nothing in them... because there is nothing in them. The Erica didn't come up at all (except maybe 5 tiny things that are impossible to discern from weeds). I'm hoping that they'll come up in Fall. The soil for all the ZA seeds is the same: 3 parts quarter-minus gravel, 2 parts pumice, 2 parts perlite, 2 parts bark, 1 park turface. I don't trust sand after a bad batch killed just about everything I put into it, including a ton of Cyp seedlings! Grrrrr.


This is the Aulax/Leucadendron/Leucospermum end. One of the 2 Aulax species germinated, A. cancellata. The Ld. had good germination in general, with only a a few species that had low germination, and Ld. tinctum was the only one that didn't come up. Ls. are always hard to germinate! I'm very lucky if I get 30% germination... I soaked the seeds in H202, I pulled off the soft shell, I smoke primed them, I scratched them, I even split some of the hard shells... I don't know what the problem is :-P I got one or two of each, which is probably enough. Ls. conocarpodendron is definitely the most reliable germinator and the easiest to keep alive, for me at least.