Yeti101 Posted March 30, 2002 I have a khat plant I bought off SAB a coupe of years ago. It's doing ok I guess, but has not grown a great deal for that length of time. I have it in a 20 inch planter at the moment. I don't over water it. I'ts well drained, gets a modest amount of feeding and full sun. Am I doing something wrong? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted March 30, 2002 feed it heaps during the hot months. good drainage is essential. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pablo Posted March 30, 2002 i bought one couple years ago of torsten too, it's now taller than me . too bad i cant take it with me when i move. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Cadaver Posted March 31, 2002 eat the bastard! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pablo Posted March 31, 2002 i've tried taking a couple of cuttings before with no success, i've also sent people cuttings and havent heard of any positive results. any tips? i think mine was the weaker variety anyway, are the strong ones available again? while we're talking about khat, anyone have much success with getting effects from chewing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blog Posted March 31, 2002 I don't think the ones from SAB are active. Mine is a few years old now, and looks very healthy. Get's a shinny glistening surface on the leaves of the morning. But doesn' have the characteristic cathinone odour, and no amount of chewing produces any result. I think someone on this list is selling the narrow leaf khat, which is said to be active. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted March 31, 2002 I only sell one variety and it is active. It is the same variety as Medicine Garden sells. I used to chew it regularly and even a couple of leaves can give you a nice buzz. A bunch can get you VERY trashed. There are dozens of people who grow this plant and get good results from chewing, so this must be a problem to do with your physiology or with the location of your plant. We also grow a few other strains, some stronger, some weaker, but we haven't sold any of them. Assassin, use tip cuttings about 20cm long and cut the top 2 nodes off. Insert past one node into a sandy commercial potting mix. Do not use a dome, keep in dappled shade and don't touch the stick for 3 months. The plant will start growing long before it produces any roots. best time is November to february, but you can probably still get them to root now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted March 31, 2002 khat becomes very weak during the wet season. you should try fresh leaves (3rd down from the tip) in November or december when it is hot and dry. The enol smell (decomposing cathinone) is really only obvious in that time too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yeti101 Posted March 31, 2002 Well even though my plant aint so big it is very active, Almost too much at times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veronica Posted March 31, 2002 I have two varieties of Khat(the normal one and the narrow leaf khat) and I have had good results from my narrow leaf khat. Torsten you say in your Species List that the narrow leaf variety is much harder to propagate by cuttings (only about 4% success rate) than the normal dark green khat. I have tryed taking cuttings of both and havent had any success. Is your method of propagation the narrow leaf the same as with your normal strain Torsten? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blog Posted March 31, 2002 Originally posted by Torsten:I only sell one variety and it is active. Sorry about the misinformation. I"m very sensitive to the usual stimulants so I'd think my individual plant has problems perhaps it get's too much water for high alkaloid content. It's in the vege garden so get's watered every 2-3 days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darklight Posted April 1, 2002 Originally posted by assassin:anyone have much success with getting effects from chewing? Yeah, makes me want to spit them out. That's an effect of sorts I have the narrow leaf one I bought samples to EB1. Hard to propagate, haven't been able to so far. Have heard of seeds of similar sounding cultivars being available & viable but mine has never set seed ( self incompatible maybe ? ) but I believe its the strongest anyone's found yet. Bought it from Fruit Spirit at Dorroughby about ten years ago maybe more. Huuuuuge! There's a photo on the species page if you can see it through the lawn. Don't know how it compares in taste to the other cultivars ( Torsten? ) but it ain't pretty to chew... haven't been able to chew enough to get a decent effect for years. Ugh! But it likes sun, good drainage and handles frost. Healthy as fun! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darklight Posted April 1, 2002 Originally posted by Yeti101:Am I doing something wrong? Maybe the pot is too big? I vaguely remember my grandad ( very keen gardener RIP the old darling )telling me never to put small plants into big pots- transfer up in slow steps by maybe an inch wider diameter per pot per transfer. I've found this advice applicable in some spp but not all Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Murple Posted April 1, 2002 When you say feed them heavily... what sort of fertilizer do you recommend? I currently just give them the same treatment I give most of my non-cactus plants... Miracle-Gro, with occasional applications of seaweed emulsion. Also, has anyone else ever noticed that khat seems particularly prone to attracting a particular scale-type insect? Mine gets them constantly (so does my coffee)... when young they're soft small yellowish scales, then when they get bigger they grow these big bead-shaped brown shells. These buggers squirt nasty yellow shit out when you squish them. Whatever they are, they LOVE khat and coffee, and no matter what I try, they're always back within a couple weeks. As long as I keep my eye on them and kill as many of the bugs as I can, the plants seem to be doing OK... though they would probably be healthier if I could eliminate the bugs for good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted April 1, 2002 Scale are a real pain with catha, however, they seem to prefer certain individuals and not others (identical clones, so there must be other variables). Darklight, your strain is much stronger and has more essential oil. It gives an inebriating stimulation, while the broadleaf strain gives a clear focussed stimulation. I am intrigued about individual plants that are not potent! If we cna work out what makes them weak, then we can probably increase the strength of our other plants by providing ideal conditions. Yeah, blog, too much water and good soil will cause strong growth at the expense of strength. However to get no effect at all is quite extraordinary. fertiliser?? we use only dynamic lifter (pelleted compost of chook manure and sawdust). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pablo Posted April 5, 2002 well i gave the khat another shot and was impressed, i really wasnt looking forward to doing some work in the backyard, being desperate chewed up a few nicer looking leaves. i found myself content doing the work, and actually compulsively doing a really good job of it. there was some stimulation but seemed less of a body high stimulation like speed but more like i was able to work harder and ignore my body being tired and sore from work. next day tried again this time without any pysical exercise and found a mild stimulation all day, i found myself more alert (wide eyed) and content spacing out and not doing anything at all (waiting for train, taking train etc). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted April 5, 2002 hi, veronicas plant is a clone of the mother of recher,s plant, originated in RBG syd.after 5-7 years the narroleaved reaches more than two metres at times and has a wonderfull recurving branches increasing harverest! if i would be torsten i would get tired of same questions all over- but true WE ALL GET BETTER WITH our answeres! i got viable seeds mabee a job 4 your seedring.up to 70% of seedlings can be weaklings.narroleaved produce better seedlings . cuttings of superior strains are the way to go! i grow lots of seedlings too. fractal are the narroleaved seedlings still happy? growing by seed is but the only way to grow large nummbers of plants. try more the harder wood cuttings if not yet sucessful. cleaning the explant before further usage is imp. this plant loves bottom heat and at times my plants with ants borrowing (fgn, ants put pests everywhere)in the pots grow most virgorous because of extreme good drainage. if fungus appeares on woodchieap mix( robbing nutrients and making moister unavailable to roots)bla, bla..still water dont starve a sick or weak khat plant.once the young leaves are producing a shiney gloss thats it u made it. the red one of torsten and others rocks, its more sensitive maybe. confused? chewing qat works it makes u dance! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted April 5, 2002 and clears your throat! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Veronica Posted April 7, 2002 Thanks for that info Planthelper. I dont know why my question wasnt worth an answer or even a reply but anyway, I will try more woodier cuttings next year. It is a hard plant to find good growing info on. BTW planthelper, Iam still keen on getting my hands on one of your white khat plants. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted April 8, 2002 the white one looks like its flowering soon,its a tall grower like the red one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Torsten Posted April 8, 2002 veronica. Yes! same method. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
