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The Corroboree

planthelper

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Posts posted by planthelper


  1. most cuttings (leaf cuttings like in this case, but tip and stem cuttings as well) will benefit from "squashing the tissue a bit", and

    this process is called wounding.

    wounding a cutting can be done by bruising, the tissue, by embedding a blade into the lower part of the stem cutting, or by cutting away a sliver of the cambium layer at the bottom of the cutting.

    for me it's difficult to fold and squash a viridis leaf, or to wound a stem cutting, as everything inside me, doesn't want to hurt the plant, but I do it, because I know it helps the plant, to form roots.

    I mean it's hard for me as well, to drench acacia seeds with boiling hot water, although this will facilitate germination.

    some people fold the viridis leaf, like an accordion,... it looks bad, but it does the trick!

    separating those plantlets, is hard work, most people never bother, because viridis leaves are often available in abundance, and it's faster and much, much easier to, plant more leaf cuttings than to separate plantlets.


  2. So I was looking at my Viridis plants the other day and it occured to me that People may like the seed s that come from the berries of the plants. My question is when is the optimal time to remove the berries and what is the best procedure. Please note seeds wil be given away freely

    they lose there viability after a while, so you are best of, to germinate them when they are ultra fresh! most people remove the red seed coat and than just, place the seed 3 or 4 times deeper into the potting mix, as the seeds diameter. they need it pretty warm to germinate fast, the colder the longer it will take till they poke there embryonic leaves out. old seed, and too cold are the main factors, if germination fails.

    the optimal time to remove the seeds is, when there colour turned deep red, AND when you need them.

    I mean the seeds will stay on the plant fresh for months, but once you remove them, the clock starts ticking, in short only pick them once you will lay them down or trade them.

    use a dome, for viridis to keep the moisture high, once they "are up", remove the dome.

    bright aspect but only save morning sun.

    they grow quite true to type from seed. a good method is as well to germinate them, in a coinbag (or plastic container) filled with moist (not soggy wet!!) sphagnum moss.

    once you see they germed, open the coin bag and plant them into soil. the same method enables you as well to send out seeds which have been picked already a while ago, because you started germination right away after picking (means the clock will not start ticking), hehehe, comprende?

    • Like 4

  3. emmm, blush :blush:, is the head life size :scratchhead:?

    if so, i might drop you a pm. :unsure:

    parcels and letters generaly don't get missing often with aus post, I had only one parcel missing over 12 years!

    even this parcel, eventualy turned up, once aus post noticed the thieve amongst them.

    on a serious note, stickers can come undone from a parcel and even stick themselves to another parcel this is correct, i have worked in this field, so i know.

    the stickers provided by aust post, as well don't stick very well to card board which has a light coating of wax, as many card boards do.

    anyway, one has to make 100%sure the sticker can't come off, one has to, wrap the sticker with heaps of, see through sticky tape.

    as well, never use water soluble ink, to write the address...


  4. ilex is at times a tricky cutting, but it can be re produced by cuttings,

    just rejuvenate the plant a lot, and than take the cuttings from, young flushes.

    fresh seed is the easiest method of probagation.

    mate, is just so cheap to buy, so growing your own has less appeal?

    • Like 1

  5. i would extend this search including other aussie plants, like the snow gum, or eucalyptus generaly.

    some of those are protected in Australia, but you will find many of them already in Europe, mainly in the uk and in irland.

    sourcing seeds from trees in, those countries, might be easier for you than trying to source them from Australia.

    last time i was in a climat similar like you describe, i noticed a new tree fashion, some keen gardeners started planting monkey puzzle trees!!! they look so exotic, in cold climat countries, specialy in winter.

    • Like 1

  6. there is only one small issue, if as you say, you want to graft onto "m long stock".

    long stock, produces very strong growth, so this is very good, but very often, those long sections of stock, will throw more pups than shorter ones...

    expect to have to cut off 3 or 4 pups every year, to keep the graft in tip top condition.

    a small button, on top of a 100cm stock looks akward, anyway my stock size never exceeds 30cm this day's...

    • Like 2

  7. once people started growing qat from seed, the whole iding thing got a bit more complicated, as it produced many small variations... the term pink, often means it's a seedling, obtained from various parents.

    back to topic, once qat has reached human size, pruning is adviceable, because the young re growth, is the prize, it as well make the plants easy to reach and care for.


  8. I would say that is a cross between red and narrow leaf

    me thinks it's not a red x nl cross, as that one is still very rare, here some pics, featuring a red nl!

    red broad leaved compared to red narrow leaved.

    post-70-0-29281600-1395624636_thumb.jpg

    I grew hundreds of seedlings, and selected only two plants, this is one of them, a red nl.

    post-70-0-68611600-1395624792_thumb.jpg

    as people said the color changes depending on the season and the amount of rain the plant received.

    this means that even the normal, and quite common narrow leaved Catha can get a some nuances of "reddish". this happens if they experience stress and drought.

    paradoxicly, the veins and whole (young!!) leaves, do get more reddish if, extremely happy (when the plant experiences ideal conditions).

    the stress related "reddish", is easy to distinguish from the ideal condition "reddish" as it's a vibrant colour and glossy, and the plant looks lush.

    the stress related "reddish", has no gloss, and the whole plant looks a bit wilted...

    red_vs_red_nl.JPG

    red_nl.JPG

    red_vs_red_nl.JPG

    red_nl.JPG

    • Like 3

  9. two schools of thought, I heard about, one say's they did not use dmt for example, the other say's it's secret mens business, and that's why we don't know.

    I believe they knew about, the halucigenic powers of some acacias. maybe they knew, but had no use for it.

    even if aboriginal art looks sometimes psychedelic, it's common understanding, it has nothing to do with halus.

    aboriginal people, never produced alcohol either....

    we can be proud to share this country, with the natives, they are awesome people, with beautyfull spirits and souls! :)

    • Like 2

  10. faszinating, no idea what it is than, but it sounds to me as it could be something else, and not a pest.

    let's hope in given time, some of the other bechette growers can tell us more.

    at least she is still growing strong, this further might suggest it's not a pest.


  11. unfortunately, the pics are shaky and out of focus, which doesn't help your cause.

    ok, I don't know what it is, but it could be the result of pest animals, damaging the tissue, and than the white fluff appears as a result.

    I have seen white spots similar like yours, when taking cuttings in a glass of water, and in this case, it's callus forming.

    none of the pics shows the white dots, you mentioned, located at the underneath of the leaves, so we can't say anything about it.

    the 2nd pic shows though an other pest problem, spider mite, to be precise (the small spider web sort of thingy).

    maybe the white dots are as well brought on, by high humidity and temperature, similar like when callus forms during probagation of cuttings, only thing is that your whole plant thinks it's a cutting.

    anyway, we don't know how the plant is kept so, we can't say...

    • Like 1

  12. I support halcy, if you have a nice garden, than the same, will attract benefical insects as well, as the bad ones.

    sometimes one can observe, some premantis or stick insects hatching in the garden, by the dozens, and one can than, distribute them to all the plants which suffer from pest animals.

    often indoor plants suffer the most from sucking pest animals, and placing one or two lady bugs, to those plants will make, very soon a big difference.

    I would even count lizards as benefical, because they eat gnats....

    • Like 3

  13. otusifolia can get much older than 20 years, but it is a pioneer tree, and they never live for very long.

    ginko and adansonia, would be nice trees which can get 1000 years old, in mel only ginko would do it of those two.

    the yew, is another incredible tree, which get's very old, as you said. the yew was once, a very important tree, and almost felled to extinction, because it's wood, was the only source for, making an English long bow.

    the pope did forbid, the trading of yew wood, to the muslim infidels.

    lucky the, Christians did not cut down every single yew tree, because only around 50years ago, the first cancer medications were manufactured out of exactly the same tree.

    for hundreds of years the yew wood, killed people, and than suddenly, it prevented death, ethnobotany is an incredible sience!!!

    • Like 9

  14. Catha edulis 50years and more.

    Erythroxylum coca 35 years.

    Ephedra sinica don't know, saw some plants die after 8 years.

    Echinopsis pachanoi

    Echinopsis langniformis

    Echinopsis peruviana

    Lophophora williamsi

    Acacia obtusifolia around 20years, but as well much less.

    Psychotria viridis

    Banisteriopsis caapi

    EDIT: and Tabernanthe iboga

    I had a quick look through Google and The Corroboree but couldn't find any answers.

    I know this question is very hard to answer.................

    so all I'm after is a ballpark figure

    Cheers

    • Like 3

  15. @Plant helper: Were these mine?

    The ones that I have, have gotten quite big quite fast. It's been less than a month and they're around 2-3 mm each.

    no, they came from another member!

    if yours as well, put on size quite fast, than they are probably not albertos...

    I observed, over the years quite a few, miniature lophs (but not albertos) growing up, and the general rule is that dwarfs, are very slow in gaining size.


  16. #12, I had this condition when I was a child, and than with 14 years of age, my tonsils got removed.

    even without tonsils, there could be maybe some sort of tonsillitis going on me reckons.

    #14, I can't wait to follow up you suggestion.

    and thx for all the other ideas, specialy the importance of not going too hard core for extended periodes of time, as this will lower ones immune response.

    thank god it's not very painfull, you would not believe what the gp's said to this, one said re flux causes it, the other said, I did hurt myself brushing my teeth.

    but it's not my throat anymore which hurts (sore throat can be caused by reflux) and I have no reflux.

    and as said, if you hurt youreslve brushing it will heal within 5 day's.

    I have though a mucus problem, and there where it hurts now, at the roof of the mouth, is where a lot of saliva is produced.

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