geezer0 Posted September 6, 2010 Just thought I'd post some pic's of this Khat I have had in a glass of water for five months over winter . As you can see it is still alive and has grown 4 leave over that time........... but still has no roots. Is this normal ? Your thoughts............................ Cheers G Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr me Posted September 6, 2010 Thats pretty cool. It looks as if it doesn't mind over-watering. What was the inspiration for the experiment? Do you know the specifics of your water? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted September 7, 2010 yes, thats not unusual with catha! i have never put catha in water to see this, but some cuttings planted in soil, do this repeatedly. i don't waste time waiting for roots, with those ones, as 90% of all the other cutting would have been fully rooted by than already. what i do with those plants is, to say, i am sorry, dear plant that i will cull you, i love you very much, please forgive me, and than i discard them. i am very sure the cutting could have formed roots, if it would have been cut much shorter, as the bottom of the cutting looks very much like very old tissue, an old tissue takes much longer to form root, but in turn will not rot as easy. but sure i would keep waiting with that specimen, and don't forget, catha needs quite high temps to worm roots, the colder, the longer it will take to strike... my bet is, it will never form roots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
∂an Posted September 7, 2010 a khat plant i got from SAB doubled in size in 3 weeks during the winter, was pleasantly surprised at this rigourous growth. how big do they get? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted September 9, 2010 that's a very good point you make there, kalika, as catha edulis seems to me aswell quite a very happy winter grower. in wa, the climat suits catha edulis even more, i think as they have a lot of winter rain. my plants certainly enjoyed, the relative wet winter, i had at my location. anyway, in wa they have some red cathas which i guess are 10tall or more, once at the old forum someone posted a pic of those trees, it was unbelievable, you can climb onto them... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
santiago Posted September 9, 2010 have seen a 6 foot plant in 2.5 years from cutting striking...........it has a companion plant, but thats another story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted September 9, 2010 This is a tree that has been hacked to ground level a number of times. The second photo is after we had to chop it down after we had people coming into our back yard to strip branches of the tree Cheers Got Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bread Filter Posted September 9, 2010 ^^Wow. That is amazing. Thanks for posting that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted September 9, 2010 what a beautyfull sight, catha definately deserves to be called an australian climat hardy landscapeplant. thank you for uploading. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted September 9, 2010 They are a beautiful plant that sadly being removed out of many gardens here due to people trespassing to harvest the new growth. I also know where there is nice big one that has never had the top taken out of it. I will take a photo next time I am there. The first photo was taken the day it was cut down to ground level July 08 The second photo was taken June 09. I will take another pic in the next few days to show this last year’s growth but then it will be trimmed back to fence height after she finishes flowering so it can’t be seen from the road The one positive thing about trimming it back all the time it the stunning red growth during the winter. Here is a couple more photos taken June 09 Cheers Got Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted September 9, 2010 jeez i can see a few cutting in there! tried air layering? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted September 9, 2010 Hey Blowng I haven’t tried air layering but have had some success at ground layering and have also propagated from cuttings. You should have come up for the meet I took a few cuttings along. I can just see you heading back down south on the bus with bags of cactus and Catha cuttings I am going to try and collect seeds this year. She has some flowers at the moment. Cheers Got Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted September 9, 2010 Nice! i have a narrow leaf flowering now but have nothing to cross it with . Ground layering is the go... Did you ever find possums ate the leaves at all? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted September 11, 2010 (edited) I haven’t seen any sign of possums in all the time we have lived here Has anyone collected seed before if so what would be the best course of action presuming they will set seed Here are some more photos taken today (sorry about the quality of the photos) Shit and heaps bigger than I thought Cheers Got Edited September 11, 2010 by GoOnThen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted September 11, 2010 Lush! ....are the flowers self fertile? it'd be fun to make a cross with a narrow leaf or other, Got your lawn needs mowin lol, or is that Phalaris grass? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted September 11, 2010 I dont know if they are self fertile we need Planthelper to come back he is the man on catha And yep the yard could do with a bit of a trim thanks. I did think about pulling some of the wild oats before I took the pics but then i thought no one on here would notice I could send you some flowers but i dont no if that will work Planthelper where are you Cheers Got Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
santiago Posted September 11, 2010 is that regrowth from a sawn off trunk or is it just naturally bushy? its a lovely hedge : ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted September 12, 2010 Yes it has been chopped to ground level a couple of times it is all new sucker growth that will be trimmed back to fence height when it has finished flowering. On the original topic I have had cuttings produce a number of new shoots after 6 months and still have no roots yet others that show no real sign of growth and have a good size root ball. I keep at least one leaf on each cutting and if that goes brown and dies I chuck it. While it has green leaves it stays in my prop box. Cheers Got Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted September 12, 2010 hi! my red one has already some big swollen seed capsuls on them, meaning my flowering is i guess 4 weeks ahed of yours. not to mean, i'm in competition with you, just so we can see how different locations affect the flowering periode. they all are selffertile but would aswell foreign pollinate. as we know, the seedpods will open up, once the seeds are ready and that means you will loose most of your seeds, if you are not carfull. so some people use paperbags or old stockings and wrap the inflorescence into the stocking, so as to catch the seeds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GoOnThen Posted September 13, 2010 Thanks planthelper I will bag a few bunches when they start setting seed. We have been having some nice warm days here but over all it has still been cold and our winter was very dry and cold. Cheers Got Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
