Byron,

This is rondon. I have just begun my first encounter with VFT tissue culturing this week. See my notes "VFT seedlings/backyard gardening" on this Forum. I can't give much advice yet, I planted my first batch (100) VFT plantlets last night. Placed all the cultures in a bowl of water to rinse off the agar jel, then planted them with 1 part milled sphagnum peat moss to 1 part perlite in peat pots. Using reverse-osmosis and/or distilled water (available in bottles anywhere). I am acquiring some NEEM OIL to prevent mold, mildew, rot. Using 4-ft shop lights for "hardening" the plantlets.

Jacob from Sarracenia Northwest recommends this setup and over the course of the next 4 to 6 weeks gradually make more and more holes for aeration in the plastic cover to acclimate the plants while gradually going from lights to indirect to dim direct sunlight. In about 2 months the plants can be carefully taken outdoors.

I plan to make a large natural stand of VFTs in my backyard, a dream from a long time ago. I have been to the natural area on the Carolina coast and am trying to duplicate it as much as possible. Alabama is quite humid. I just need to watch my soil and water.

GOOD LUCK to BOTH OF US!

rondon

I've been trying to learn a bit about this heres a start
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq6010i.html Barry Rice basic run down it might help.

Mick

Thanks, for all your help.

I will give that web site a try. One thing that concerns me is if using growth hormones on VFTs makes them grow faster. Some people are saying that it is not necessary.

I would love to see at least twenty plants come out of one tissue culture leaf, if that is possible.

Since I do not have much time to do tissue culture, I like to do the best I can to reduce the time I spend doing it. I also have a bit of asthma, and I am kind of concern about the chemicals.

The use of hormones in tissue is about directing growth not accelerating it. Cytokinins eg BAP & Kinetin are used to induce shoot and leaf growth while auxins eg IBA & NAA are used for induce root growth. When combined the plant produces callus tissue, a kind of mass of undifferentiated cells that can be sliced up to produce new plants.
Callus formation can be induced without hormones by agitating the meristem explant in liquid media. Plants produce auxins and cytokinins in response to their orientation so if you don't let them know which way is up or down the cells produce both leading to callus formation. For in vitro propagation using seed, hormones are usually not necessary.

Why would you use tissue culture on seeds. Do they grow faster in tissue culture containers?

I would recommend that you get the book "Plants from Test Tubes" by Lydiane Kyte and John Kleyn from your local library and read that.

Joel

IMO and IME, tissue cultureing is not the best way to propogate VFTs. I say this, b/c the nutrient agar that is used to facilitate cell growth seems to produce weak plants and plants that are unable to fuction properly, until they are grown outdoors, in proper soil for a few seasons. I think it works much better for nepenthes and other carnivores that have lots of basic foliage. I have found it makes for distorted sarracenia that have to be grown out of the condition the tissue culture created them in as well. I am not discourageing captive propogation, just saying that tissue culture isn't ideal for some plants, though it may be worth it to grow a tissue cultured VFT out for a season or two, rather than wait for seeds or small corms to produce showy plants. It's a personal choice.

Leaf cuttings placed in live LFS, under lights, does well by producing clusters of new plants. That, to me, is the best way to propogate VFT's.

"Why would you use tissue culture on seeds. Do they grow faster in tissue culture containers?"

The way I understand it, it's because seeds are typically perfect little patches of DNA, ready to tissue culture without being already messed up with contaminants like fungi, mold spores, etc etc.

One thing I did think was pretty neat was seeing a guy on eBay from ... Spain I believe? ... selling test tubes directly from his Tissue Culture setup. Inside would be 25-50 plantlets ready to wash off and plant. If I was more adventurous I would have bought a tube or two.

I think that would actually be an interesting thing to get set up -- that is, transferring things like rare cultivars around via tissue cultures instead of live plants. Dunno how well that would work, however...