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Idon'tstudydinosaurs

Advice on sick Khat

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Hi, I have had this Khat for a few years now, I will admit I have neglected it. However I have just repotted it into decent potting mix and have been watering it about twice a week with weak seasol solution (it is hot here in perth at the moment, so thought twice a week watering was justified).

I just want to know what else I can do to get it into top shape again. It has only had leaves on the top, but it has started growing leaves on the lower stems.

Should I cut it back? Fertilise with something else?

Thanks.

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You are probably watering it to much. when young they like to be more on the dry side and they must have very well draining soil...

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Hey sorry to kind of hijack this topic, I too am curious on my sick khat.

Anyone familiar with this discolouration of the leaves?

Also to OP is it possible the soil is too wet at the bottom of the pot?

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I have only just repotted about a week ago. I wish I could plant it in the ground but I rent at the moment and the dogs like digging in the garden.

I will stop watering twice a week and see how it goes. My potting mix is well draining, so I doubt the roots are staying wet when I water it.

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I found in Perth they grew really well. Quite a hardy plant IME. And the local councils planted them in quite alot of suburbs as a hedging plant back in the 60's thru to the 70's so I've heard from a number of varying people.

Anyway, I only usually water mine now when they start wilting. They are very durable.

The Khat farmers of South Africa would strip them back to almost nothing, leaving only a few active shoots. Info taken from Dragibus magazine vol 1 issue 2.

The plant that was in the front yard of the property I was renting in Inglewood use to get hammered by those in the know. It always grew back bushier and stronger.

Don't smother it with too much love

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one day a furry good friend of mine came over for a swim. After playing around in the water and just generally splashing each other like 10 year olds we get out and wander over to the chairs for a smoke. He looks at my fat phf2 khat tree and says,

"oi, pass me over an empty stubbie eth."

i look at him and do it because the power of speech had temporarily evaded me. I says,

"oi , what's that you doing mang?"

He grabbed a long , new growth branch from the bottom of the tree and 'air ground layered' it using the weight of the stubbie as a 'tie down peg'.

Dang nab it it powered off three new shoots into new plants within 30 days in ozzie summer time February.

The cat when happy expands it's stem very fast when happy. Root space confinement does make it slow growth, stress it abit and a red colour will start to exibit in the leaves and stem even.

In the ground or large pots if ya renting.

The whole hoopla about this plant being a potent stimulant is kinda funny. It's good with a coffee and a ciggie if ya smoke em.

Any hoo, good to see the weather heating up again in melbz. This summer has left my plants not knowing shit. They are shooting new shoots, some are dying back as if it is april already.......some are just sitting there like stunned mullets. either way, each season teaches you more and more each year.

I must add that Ph has provided many here with excellent seeds,cuttings and wonderful first hand advice about this particular plant.

edit - thanks Anodyne i meant ground layering in this particular instance:)

Edited by etherealdrifter
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Hey sorry to kind of hijack this topic, I too am curious on my sick khat.

Anyone familiar with this discolouration of the leaves?

Also to OP is it possible the soil is too wet at the bottom of the pot?

almost looks as if its getting burnt...

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I'd say transplant shock given you've only just repotted.

I usually heavily prune back the foliage of any plant before repotting.

But yeah if planting out isn't an option i'd go a large pot given it's a tree.

For now i'd just leave it be and see how it goes. Maybe just trim the foliage a bit?

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AIT - it doesn't look too bad. It'll almost certainly grow back better if you cut it back. Cuttings put under humidity domes have a reasonably good success rate. But a nice middle-ground technique is ground layering, as eth describes above. With your plant I would untie those stems and let them fall over the sides of the pot - stop trying to get it to grow up straight. This serves two purposes:

- those nice tasty new shoots will have more room & light to grow, making for a stronger plant in the long run.

- the old shoots can be pinned down into neighbouring pots (just put an empty pot of soil next to it - and then don't forget they're attached when you go to move them!) to create three new ground-layered plants. This method is slower than taking cuttings, but you get almost 100% success rate, and even if the layering fails the shoot is still alive, so you can always try taking a cutting from it later.

You will also get a bunch of new shoots coming up from the nodes on the old stems.

HY - maybe sunburn? I've had a few potted khats do something like that in very hot weather, but only fairly root-bound plants in exposed positions. The damage seems to only be on older growth - is that because it's old damage, or did it not affect the younger leaves?

Edited by Anodyne
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i wouldn't cut it back, not the way it's looking. if a plant is healthy then cutting it can make it boom. if it's unwell, cutting it back can kill it.

i would suspect the new potting mix because IME most store bought potting mix is way too muddy, and i wouldn't expect catha to appreciate wet feet, but you said you are not watering it too much

it might be as simple as a matter of fertilizer. seasol isn't really fertilzer but a soil conditioner, helping plants get the fert that is alreay in the soil. maybe you could just throw some osmocote on it ?

<- not an expert, just throwing ideas out there

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My big one looks like this but my small one doesn't and they get watered once a week, well draining soil, filtered sunlight... Hopefully my red leaf var I get Sunday doesn't do the same. Only plant I've really had problems with in terms of getting/looking sick.

Going to just plant them out and let nature do it's thing.

Great forum full of wisdom :wub:

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i reckon...

let those big branches flop free (if it was mine i would even prune them off, but hey they would be worth layering like Ethy suggests if you wanna make more),

those new shoots at the bottom is where she really wants to concentrate on now, and if they get the auxin preferences they will take off. they are a bit like D. hopwoodii

in the way they like to do this sometimes.

...in the ground, no ties, no stakes.

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Hi, im looking for some advice I have a khat plant and its leaves have started turning red, this happened around this time last year too ( its coming to spring time) and last year it dropped the leaves that turned red. If the leaves drop off it will only have about 4 leaves left on this plant.

In autumn last year the plant top section just seemed to drop off, I was really confused why it did this but that section that dropped off I dipped it into some rooting gel and stuck it in the soil.

Any help would be much appreciated.

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They hate (all plants) dark pots that heat up in the sun, cooks the roots. If khat is in a pot it likes to be watered with 20ml Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed Fert per 9L water per fortnight when growing or getting new shoots.

Edited by Leaves

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plant it out in the ground, well drained and not overwatered, south facing best if in full sun mulch well the roots dont like getting hot,

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