Death machines with dying fall foliage

[pebblesky]

Wow what a sight!

[jamesp]

Oct 15, 2022 13:11:58 GMT -5 rockpickerforever said:

jamesp. I love the photos taken from overhead with your drone! Very good tool (toy?) to have, lol. You can check on inventory/general condition of plants from your porch!

Keeping fire pit inventory especially, they are a pain to count physically. Drone gets used for rock hunting, off roading(it goes out several miles), kayaking, fishing(fish beds), log jams on creeks, rock bars on creeks, real estate, all kinds of stuff.
The fast drone is real loud. Yesterday I flew from a spot 2 miles away over subdivisions but legally, Denise read on the Neighbor app that someone was complaining. They will never catch me. Nothing they can do anyway, totally legal. I try not to fly around civilization. Don't blame them. Everyone is paranoid thanks to our government.

[rockpickerforever]

jamesp , there was one photo you posted recently of the vertically stacked firepits that at first I didn't understand what I was seeing. But then it hit me. At first, they looked liked stacked candies in a plastic package, lol.

This picture, especially the top two rows!

[jamesp]

Oct 15, 2022 10:54:30 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones said:

This is really interesting, Jim.  Can you take pictures of the seed pods and the seeds inside so we can see what they look like?  

Ha you read my mind Robin. Done earlier today.

Ok, my old stock never set good seed. I have germinated sarracenia seed, it is easy to do.

However these 12 new hybrids are killing it in the seed department. Found that out today and am pumped. Hybrid game on !
The seeds from the 12 hybrids are fully capable of being new hybrids.
Certain that I will be able to harvest 1000 to 2000 seeds out of the flowers harvested today.
One third of the seed pods are still green and need a month to harden off before collecting seed, no problem.
The other two thirds were caught just in time before strong winds/rains would have released the seed from the seed pods. Too late then.

Seed pods, might be about half of the total that were ready, plenty enough. About a dozen varieties including some old plants:



Close up of one seed pod, it put out the brown seed, the purplish seeds from another variety. The bottom catching umbrella(will clarify later) was cut off for visuals, flower is upside down. When that 5 way casing opens up the seeds will fall out in just a breeze. Lost forever !



Ok, upper right is a green seed pod, needs to finish drying out. Lower right is a sterile hybrid(Tarnok), the bloom is a double but too perverted to make seed, for that reason Tarnok is a very robust grower being a eunuch and not chasing gals lol. The upper middle pod shows the 'dried' catching umbrella with petals cut away for visuals. The umbrella is best seen at upper right, the green bloom(that is yellow), catching umbrella is to left. The other three 'dry' pods are at harvest age, seeds have hardened off(I hope no one is getting excited here). Pretty sure that the 'catching umbrella' is to further dry the individual seeds before they drop to the soil. LOTS OF BIG SEED IN THESE PODS !! The 12 new hybrids have excellent breeding.(I never checked their seed output for several years since buying them.) The system is self watering, I rarely go down there except to photograph bugs and trim dead foliage in February.



And one more gift to top the day off, found a fine white S. leucophylla hybrid seedling and the best I have ever seen. Lots of white in that sexy baby ! Normally leucs are green with a red and white veined top(on right), no red in the seedling ! Eurekaville !

[jamesp]

Oct 15, 2022 18:53:11 GMT -5 rockpickerforever said:

jamesp , there was one photo you posted recently of the vertically stacked firepits that at first I didn't understand what I was seeing. But then it hit me. At first, they looked liked stacked candies in a plastic package, lol.

This picture, especially the top two rows!

Yep. Easy to count in the photo. #1 and #2 are the same stack, just different quantity after adding more, same game with photos #3 and #4. You got it ! There are two more smaller stacks holding inventory not shown. Don't feel alone, everyone thought they were candies lol.
Pitcoins, not bitcoins

[jamesp]

hummingbirdstones, mine have seen 5F overnight. That would be sitting on the ground giving some protection. The 2-3 inch water they sit in was certainly frozen hard.
If you have long bouts below 0F they may get damaged, don't know. Even had -2F that killed Black Bamboo that was 15 years old and no damage to the sarracenias.
Only a few varieties will survive say to Ohio. The Purpurea is cold blooded and is taking over the Swiss Alps, a bad thing.

Purpurea range in US. I found them down there in Florida panhandle but they did not like Atlanta Ga go figure.

You can look up the various sarracenia hybrids. They get wild and crazy. There is a very rare mountain pitcher(oreophila) found in Ga/Al that has killer colors and is used for color intensifying in hybridizing and aiding cold hardiness.



The range of the rare mountain pitcher

[jamesp]

The concrete system was used to grow wetland plants back when we were in that business. I have three such systems, two sitting dormant.
Need to rent them out ! Like for growing mushrooms where ebb and flow is used. They are setup for draining and filling daily.

This one used for water lily production. The farmers market was tearing 4' x 22' concrete channels off of the shed roofs.
Instead of paying to have then ground up they paid to have them delivered to my property. A crane and lots of gravel with concrete poured between them then happened. 12.3 million snakes lived in there.

[hummingbirdstones]

Oct 15, 2022 19:22:52 GMT -5 jamesp said:

hummingbirdstones , mine have seen 5F overnight. That would be sitting on the ground giving some protection. The 2-3 inch water they sit in was certainly frozen hard.
If you have long bouts below 0F they may get damaged, don't know. Even had -2F that killed Black Bamboo that was 15 years old and no damage to the sarracenias.
Only a few varieties will survive say to Ohio. The Purpurea is cold blooded and is taking over the Swiss Alps, a bad thing.

Purpurea range in US. I found them down there in Florida panhandle but they did not like Atlanta Ga go figure.

You can look up the various sarracenia hybrids. They get wild and crazy. There is a very rare mountain pitcher(oreophila) found in Ga/Al that has killer colors and is used for color intensifying in hybridizing and aiding cold hardiness.



The range of the rare mountain pitcher

James, we very rarely even get near single digits here.  We get in the low 30's and sometimes high 20's overnight usually in the thick of winter.  Once the sun comes up high enough, everything warms up a bit.  This will be a fun experiment.  

[amygdule]

We have a native Cobra Lily, Darlingtonia californica, here on the Oregon Coast at 44^oN latitude

There is even a park designated for them. Unfortunately, it's illegal to collect samples of them.

Darlingtonia State Natural Site

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlingtonia_californica

[jamesp]

Oct 15, 2022 22:28:37 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones said:

Oct 15, 2022 19:22:52 GMT -5 jamesp said:

hummingbirdstones , mine have seen 5F overnight. That would be sitting on the ground giving some protection. The 2-3 inch water they sit in was certainly frozen hard.
If you have long bouts below 0F they may get damaged, don't know. Even had -2F that killed Black Bamboo that was 15 years old and no damage to the sarracenias.
Only a few varieties will survive say to Ohio. The Purpurea is cold blooded and is taking over the Swiss Alps, a bad thing.

Purpurea range in US. I found them down there in Florida panhandle but they did not like Atlanta Ga go figure.

You can look up the various sarracenia hybrids. They get wild and crazy. There is a very rare mountain pitcher(oreophila) found in Ga/Al that has killer colors and is used for color intensifying in hybridizing and aiding cold hardiness.



The range of the rare mountain pitcher

James, we very rarely even get near single digits here.  We get in the low 30's and sometimes high 20's overnight usually in the thick of winter.  Once the sun comes up high enough, everything warms up a bit.  This will be a fun experiment.  

Must be nice Robin. Sarracenia need a hibernation so that winter would do the trick. Sounds like a south Georgia winter where they thrive. Those temps should work well for you. You will have no challenge ! The old ocean lowlands of south Georgia and Florida also rarely have a late frost when the sarracenia bloom pod emerges. However further north the late frosts kills the bloom pod - so the reason sarracenia don't perpetuate further north. Same goes for alligators - they do the lowlands and that is why beavers and muskrats are not to be found down there other than in the belly of a gator .

[jamesp]

Oct 16, 2022 4:07:12 GMT -5 amygdule said:

We have a native Cobra Lily, Darlingtonia californica, here on the Oregon Coast at 44^oN latitude

There is even a park designated for them. Unfortunately, it's illegal to collect samples of them.

Darlingtonia State Natural Site

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlingtonia_californica

Cobra's did ok here amygdule but stayed on the burnt side. Same(Sarraceniaceae) family but different (Darlingtonia) genus.
Both grow in highly acidic ph4- ph5 peat bogs. Always liked that mustache they carry.
Propagated cobras can be purchased. May need a plant license to sell/own them.
Pitcher plants are endangered by over collection and habitat destruction (same old story).
Cobra Lily may only exist in one variety so hybridization may not be possible. Sarracenia exist in many varieties in the SE US. Where varieties overlap in location they do cross naturally.

Overlap/boundary range of 6 sarracenia varieties. Panhandle of Florida/south Alabama is the most varied.:

[HankRocks]

Jim had cut a Bouquet of the bug eating plants for us to see. The blooms as well as the color variety made for a very handsome bouquet. Also amazing to see how many bugs had met their demise down in plant stem after he cut one open. Nature feeding nature.

[Deleted]

Those are really pretty death machines James!
jamesp

[jamesp]

Oct 16, 2022 8:40:05 GMT -5 HankRocks said:

Jim had cut a Bouquet of the bug eating plants for us to see. The blooms as well as the color variety made for a very handsome bouquet. Also amazing to see how many bugs had met their demise down in plant stem after he cut one open. Nature feeding nature.

I had a blast with you guys Henry. I was a little thick that day as usual. Please forgive. You are a very effervescent and energetic fellow, wished you lived close by. We'd get into it, trust me. My buddy's wives prefer to keep their husbands away from me cause I get them in trouble lol. Diane would let it happen, such a sweet lady. Don't feel special, I make those bug eating plant bouquets for everyone, however I don't give them Rio's ! So you are special.

You guys left just as the rain cranked up. Later that night another 2.5" fell along with the lightning.

Cunning adjective, one hybrid bug eater is named Flies Demise.

Bet you guys had fine scenery up there. Those +5000' el. Appalachian mountains are another world.
Travel safe on your return.

[jamesp]

Oct 16, 2022 8:47:03 GMT -5 ashley said:

Those are really pretty death machines James!
jamesp

God's engineering Ashley. Ya never know what he may put on the table !

[jamesp]

This is how I made my income for 25 years. Or part of it anyway. Learning how to grow from seed was tricky with some plants.
Harvesting seeds from the bug eaters was easy. Seed crop was massive this year.
Got about a nickel bags worth, enough to plant up about a $100,000 crop after lots of work of course.
Some varieties still have green seed pods, should be ready for seed harvest in a few weeks.

Scissored the seed pods out of the blooms from a dozen different varieties. Pods consistent from variety to variety.



Detail work, use lots of light



seeds got funky surfaces, color varies



about a half cup. guessing many of these will result in new hybrids. Hopefully the hybrids will show up at 1 year when the seedlings are about 4 inches tall. May have to wait 2 years...

[hummingbirdstones]

Thanks for all the info and pictures of the seed pods (the catching umbrellas are cool) and seeds.  

[jamesp]

Oct 16, 2022 12:04:51 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones said:

Thanks for all the info and pictures of the seed pods (the catching umbrellas are cool) and seeds.  

My Buddy is one of the most renowned Sarracenia hybridizers. Hadn't seen him in a decade. He is coming over this week to pick thru my stuff. I have been giving him my hybrid seedlings for years as I never had time to pet them. He is bringing me some mean ones for trade.
Maybe we can turn Robin into a Sarracenia woman ! I give them to fire pit customers regularly. Got many people addicted to them. Another friend that bought a pup from us is stopping buy this week too, he needs more.

[rockpickerforever]

Oct 18, 2022 13:37:34 GMT -5 jamesp said:

Oct 16, 2022 12:04:51 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones said:

Thanks for all the info and pictures of the seed pods (the catching umbrellas are cool) and seeds.  

My Buddy is one of the most renowned Sarracenia hybridizers. Hadn't seen him in a decade. He is coming over this week to pick thru my stuff. I have been giving him my hybrid seedlings for years as I never had time to pet them. He is bringing me some mean ones for trade.
Maybe we can turn Robin into a Sarracenia woman ! I give them to fire pit customers regularly. Got many people addicted to them. Another friend that bought a pup from us is stopping buy this week too, he needs more.

Another pup?  Or more seeds?  Lol.

[jamesp]

Oct 18, 2022 13:52:22 GMT -5 rockpickerforever said:

Oct 18, 2022 13:37:34 GMT -5 jamesp said:

My Buddy is one of the most renowned Sarracenia hybridizers. Hadn't seen him in a decade. He is coming over this week to pick thru my stuff. I have been giving him my hybrid seedlings for years as I never had time to pet them. He is bringing me some mean ones for trade.
Maybe we can turn Robin into a Sarracenia woman ! I give them to fire pit customers regularly. Got many people addicted to them. Another friend that bought a pup from us is stopping buy this week too, he needs more.

Another pup?  Or more seeds?  Lol.

Really, around here it is best to ask. Funny thing, collecting plants out of the wild I ran up on 3 hybrids of various species. Well, 2 of them were variegated which is apparently a plant virus induced defect.
Pickerel(pondetera) and Juncus Effusus(common bullrush) both varied so much in hybrid characteristics after seeding out you had to trash your growing stock every 5 - 7 years.