Question
I recently got some D. Peltata seeds but am unsure on how I should go about germinating them. Should I go ahead and try and get them to germinate or set them up for their dry summer? Would they also need any special treatment as several sites recommend smoke/heat stratification while others say they would be fine. They would get potted up in a Texas west facing window alongside other tropical sundews that have been growing well and Nepenthes.
Thank you

Answer
Hi Preston,

Fortunately, D. peltata isn't like many other tuberous sundews that need all sorts of elaborate treatments to germinate.  Just sow them, give them a month, and they should germinate.  They will start off looking like little D. rotundifolia, then eventually start producing the upright stalks.  When it starts getting hot in the summer they will go dormant and produce the tuber.  When that happens keep the soil damp, but not super wet, and wait until late fall when it cools down, and you should see them return.  In Texas a window should work ok for them.

Here's a good resource for tuberous Drosera:  http://www.tuberous-drosera.net/index.htm

Our experience with this group other than D. peltata is very limited.

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com