Calaverite Posted December 29, 2019 Based in Melbourne I am chasing some quality wasabi variety either division or seed. cheers 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gimli Posted December 29, 2019 Can't help you source this but are you aware the climate needed to grow these is a cool climate? Think there is only one commercial grower in Australia, based in Tasmania Be interesting to see if it can be grown on the very bottom end of mainland Australia at all. Good luck 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Calaverite Posted December 29, 2019 Hi Currently in the process of setting up a small scale climate controlled environment for this new challenge of mine. I read something earlier about the Tasmanian farmers biggest hurdle was getting the quality genes... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted December 29, 2019 (edited) https://www.diggers.com.au/shop/edibles/rare-incredible-edibles/wasabi-mazuma/wwas/ Can't vouch for the genetics. You won't get Shima genetics though more guarded than poppy genetics. If you can't keep temp under 25 degrees you'll be struggling Edit- the cooler its kept, the bigger and faster it grows, and "better" quality for wasabi connoisseurs Edited January 14, 2020 by waterboy 2.0 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Calaverite Posted December 29, 2019 (edited) I did see diggers had them and may have to give them a shot if nothing else comes up. Keeping the temperature in a wasabi friendly range won’t be too much of a problem with AC. I can think of a few pristine mountain streams that drain mount Baw Baw where I think it could flourish naturally. Use to chase gold up there and is always cold and wet due to its elevation. Edited December 29, 2019 by Calaverite Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darklight Posted December 29, 2019 12 hours ago, Calaverite said: Based in Melbourne I am chasing some quality wasabi variety either division or seed. i sent some down to ReShroomed a few years ago ( mmm, maybe a decade now I think about it ). TC clones of seed grown. They grew down at Colac like corkers and the leaf size was 6x what I got in NNSW within weeks ReShroomed passed away a few years ago No chance of getting plants out of him now either... allrareherbs.com.au site says they're delivering Wasabia offsets in April But try the seed too. Even if you don't end up with a commercial-grade wasabi root, the leaves are great for winter salads and the stalks apparently are useful too Give it a go I reckon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Calaverite Posted December 30, 2019 Alright I now have a few options so I’ll grab a few from each known source and keep the winner .... I love a challenge. I wonder if it would be worth buying some of the commercial stem for consumption and trying to propagate from that ? Would that be even possible for a slightly more advanced than average back yarder? Darklight how difficult is the tissue culture process? thank you darklight , waterboy and Gimli 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lintonius Posted January 8, 2020 Its so easy to grow them in Melbourne as long as they are kept moist and in the shade. I have sold dozens on Gumtree over the past few years from the commercial selection that is grown in Tassie. There's a commercial farm growing them in Cairns that sells the plants too. Cheers! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Calaverite Posted January 12, 2020 A wasabi farm in the tropics you say ? I wonder how they keep the root temperatures down way up there... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lintonius Posted January 12, 2020 Its called Ah Gee Family Farm in Kuranda so I guess its a bit cooler than right in Cairns being at a slightly higher elevation although it would never get really cold. They grow thousands of Wasabi plants and have to mist them several times per day. Could be worth asking if they post plants to Melbourne. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darklight Posted January 13, 2020 On 30/12/2019 at 4:14 PM, Calaverite said: Darklight how difficult is the tissue culture process? From seed? Easy. A great beginner's project, really worth a go. Sow a lot, some in individual containers, some with a few per container. Split the batch in half and put one of the halves in the fridge for 3-4 weeks then return it to your light rack. If you wanted to start from a live plant it could be more challenging. Start with seed in tissue culture and let us know how you go Share this post Link to post Share on other sites