Pinguicula germination and tea

[Jack Meatcher]

I've noted a past thread relating to pinguicula seed germination and, separately, the use of tea drenches to get reluctant seed to germinate. In the hope that I am successful in obtaining some seed in the forthcoming exchange, I'm preparing some compost. It will consist of moss peat, tea leaves (coarse and used), and some soil (mud?) from a stream in an area of acid heath. The latter is intended to provide some undefined symbiotic ingredients. I'll report in due course whichever way it goes. Meanwhile, any comments/suggestions?

Jack Meatcher

[Guus]

Hi Jack,
Are you talking about European Pinguicula's?
They are too easy! Just take pure sand and wash it several times with rainwater. Keep very wet and sow before winter so that cold period occurs. Seeds will all germinate next spring.
You can also take loam and act the same way or take 'lava' stone and keep it very wet. Put the seeds on and you will have a rock full with Pinguicula's...
Good luck.

[Jonna]

Jack, if you are looking for seeds of P. grandiflora and you can't obtain them in the seed exchange, I have some left. Send me a PM or an email if you want seeds.

[Lesley Cox]

The charming Wim Boens in Belgium sent me some seed a few years ago of both PP. grandiflora and vulgaris. There was only a single vulgaris germinated (after 2 years!) but it is still alive though very small. Grandiflora has done much better and I have a nice potful, the first flowering this spring. I sowed them all on my usual seed mix with its usual top dressing of grit and the seed sprinkled over it. These did well but those sown on a spaghnum mix got swamped by liverwort almost immediately and the germination even of grandiflora was very poor.