Kawartha Purp Seed Test Log

Jessi

Plant
Collected some good looking (wild) s. purpurea seeds yesterday! All of these would be last year's flowers that didn't pop properly, I find they often get stuck shut with spiderwebs n' such.
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Gonna set up some germination tests and keep updates going in this thread. Overwintering outside would be more than enough cold stratification right? The plan is to see how viable they are and do some trades if things go well! :)

Pics of a windfall pitcher I found to show off the adult plants... they're real stunners! I'm totally in love with the polka-dot hood, and they flower that same deep burgundy.
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Also dashed a few seed pods around back at the cottage, so we'll see if any of those new patches take off.
 

Smilodonichthys

Carnivore
I'm very curious to see if those germinate for you. I would think that they need to have both cold and enough moisture for a sufficient cold stratification. It's possible they received enough moisture while still in the pod but I have some doubts. Especially if the pod was on a stem that was upright all winter. I have had low germination success with purp seed at times so maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

That polka dot hood is very nice!

Keep me in mind if you do eventually have some to trade. Purps are my jam and I'm always looking for more.
 

Raymond

Carnivorous Plant Addict
Keep us updated! Also super stoked to see purp stuffs. The winter colour on those purps look insane!

Still for in-flower seeds you would still need to cold strat it unless snow managed to stay around the flower for a long enough time.
or GA3 as Lloyd said.
 

Jessi

Plant
Keep us updated! Also super stoked to see purp stuffs. The winter colour on those purps look insane!

Still for in-flower seeds you would still need to cold strat it unless snow managed to stay around the flower for a long enough time.
or GA3 as Lloyd said.
Oh they were easily buried for months, we had a banner year for snow... wet and relatively mild so Im optimistic. All the same one of the trials will be the traditional 6wks in the fridge. I've also had great success with a tiny bit of sanding in the past so I'll give that a shot too, and of course I'll share my findings!
The way they just, don't even flinch in the winter blows my mind, that's definitely one if last year's pitchers so it braved the -25 cold spells and somehow came out lookin like a candy apple.
 

Jessi

Plant
I'm very curious to see if those germinate for you. I would think that they need to have both cold and enough moisture for a sufficient cold stratification. It's possible they received enough moisture while still in the pod but I have some doubts. Especially if the pod was on a stem that was upright all winter. I have had low germination success with purp seed at times so maybe I'm just being pessimistic.

That polka dot hood is very nice!

Keep me in mind if you do eventually have some to trade. Purps are my jam and I'm always looking for more.
Youre not the only one! Theyre notorious... but I have some theories to test. First I wonder if for these northern plants our usual stratification methods don't cut it; these just sat through 5+ ft of total snowfall with dips to -25 for 6 months. The adults barely flinch, jumping right out of dormancy with last year's unscathed pitchers! A stint in the fridge may barely register to them o_O these guys went the whole 9 yards.
I've also had success in the past sanding shells. All sarrs have tough seeds but these seem especially so, which I get, but may be a double edged sword. Given the seeds/seedling ratios I've seen it looks like very few ever germinate and populations mostly get by on division. It may only be the very beefiest purp seedlings who can crack that shell, accidentally evolved TOO good and botched their main reproductive method?

We shall see!
 

Jessi

Plant
I've found Sarr seeds pretty easy. Purps I just leave in the garage with numerous freeze cycles. They germinate reliably. Others I put in the fridge on moist filter paper. If I'm in a hurry, I'll use GA3. They also come up well in TC with the Phytotech Drosera/VFT media.
Well that's promising news! Also with the GA3, did you get it at a garden center or special order online?
 

Kevin1861

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I've found Sarr seeds pretty easy. Purps I just leave in the garage with numerous freeze cycles. They germinate reliably. Others I put in the fridge on moist filter paper. If I'm in a hurry, I'll use GA3. They also come up well in TC with the Phytotech Drosera/VFT media.
Lloyd, is your garage unheated? I want to overwinter my sars and I’m already getting the evil eye when I suggest keeping them in the fridge. My only pot of purps may be ideal to test overwintering in my unheated garage. Thanks.
 

Lloyd Gordon

Cactus micrografter newbie.
Staff member
It's an unheated garage that shares a wall with the house. I used an outdoor grade space heater to keep the temperature above zero. Still on some super cold days for Toronto there was some freeze damage to all but the hardier Starr's. Purps. are ok outside with some snow cover.
 

Raymond

Carnivorous Plant Addict
garage sarr grower,
Lloyd, is your garage unheated? I want to overwinter my sars and I’m already getting the evil eye when I suggest keeping them in the fridge. My only pot of purps may be ideal to test overwintering in my unheated garage. Thanks.
Garage sarr grower here, I love it. Join me!
 
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