Heimia salicifolia/sun opener cultivation

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

Hey guys, I searched around the forums but couldn't find a decent write up on germinating and raising sun opener plants. There is a lot of info on the net, but I thought I'd share my experiences here. Also it may help some of the 30 odd people who just received fresh seed from me (almost 100% viable).

I originally found it hard to germinate HS. I sourced several sources within australia and they all failed. I tried high humidity, low humidity, well draining medium, water retentive media, but nothing worked. I soon after sourced some from an Ethno botanical gardens in Peru and have had amazing success since. Here's what I do with the strain from Peru;

The seed : Absolutely tiny! You can thin it out with sand to sow so it isn't to heavily populated. My current batch out in the community is almost 100% germ so follow the above!

Pot : at least 3 inch deep and seed sown/thinned at least 1cm apart

Soil : When sowing use a well draining soil and gently moisten each day. I use 1/1/1 soil/sand/coco.

Water : Gently mist each morning and evening, or adequetly to allow the soil to dry on the surface between sprays. No streams of water or you'll wash your seedlings away. You'll think you have moss/fungus before you recognise plants!!

Light : Dapled light, no full sun

Ferts : not until transplant stage

When your seedlings are 2-4" tall it's time to VERY FRICKEN GENTLY loosen the soil and roll the entire soil out of the pot, trying to keep it tact as best as possible. Very gently tease the soil apart and free each seedling. I repeat, you must treat this excercise like grafting cactus, with the upmost steady hand. When the roots are loosened, gently transplant into its pot it will live in for a good 6-12mths (I reccomend a 20cm depth at least). A humidity dome may be used for no longer than a week whilst the roots take place and support the plant. Be wary of any hardening off issues. Water with 1/3 strength nutes once plant has taken to pot. Keep moist but not wet.

At this stage of first transplant you can slowly introduce to stronger light over a month or two. You will notice the plant take an obvious leap in health and grow considerably almost overnight. At this point it's ready for a good fert and full morning sun and dappled afternoon light. This is the best combo I have found for my plants, and I assume your seeds from me. Although I assume the plant to be highly adaptive.

Once it's grown to its pot size do what you will. Into the ground (produces bigger, more vigorous leaves), or a bigger pot (smaller leaves, much less foliage).

I've been getting flowers spring and end of summer, with more seed than I can be bothered harvesting! Maybe ill reopen my free seed thread if people are still keen.

I hope this short guide to my method helps a few of you guys out. Good luck with it

d00d

[bullit]

cheers for tha seeds

[Optimystic]

Thank you! I tried some seeds last season in peat pellets and they didn't last for shit
but I got like 1000 seeds left (exaggerating but it must be hundreds lol)

This sounds like it will be very helpful... I was just thinking about them yesterday

GOD DAMN it was like a few hours before you made this thread lol
A buddy of mine on FB told me he had a dream his head turned into the moon and I told him about dream herbs
and I brought up sinuichi because the rest of his dream sounded like a sun opening lol

Lots of synchro lately

I LOVE YOU MOTHER NATURE!

and thanks d00d

Edited February 12, 2013 by Spine Collector

[planthelper]

here is is what i might add.

those seeds, seem to loose viabilety reasonably fast, thats why some seeds don't germinate.

fresh seed germinates very easy, in fact heimia can become almost a pest, because it self seeds so efficantly.

keep mature heimia plants away from other plants, and specialy from pot's where you sowed out other seeds.

use sand, as dood say's, or sieve a bit of potting mix for your top layer of soil and than, sprinkle the seeds on top.

than seal the pot, with a small sheet of glass, or the bottom of a soft drink bottle.

personally, i don't like dividing seedlings, so i mostly use small individual pots, rather than seedlings trays.

this methode means a little bit more work, in the early sowing out stage, but avoids transplant shock, and time consuming work (dividing, re potting) later.

i found heavy prunning (equals haveresting), once or twice a year, very benefical regarding the virgor and wellbeing of this plant.

if you don't prunne the whole bush once in a while, you will end up only with small leaves, akward branching, and almost only seed capsuls instead of leaf material. having said that, if you are after seeds, don't prune for a while.

established plants are quite drought hardy, and will grow for many years.

the activas in this plant can be extracted, by using only water, and if you are lucky, will even form crystalls on your evaporation plate!

the effects of this herb are faintly like benzos, some people are said to use this plant to beat, benzo addiction.

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

As I suspected a very adaptive plant. I never use humidity nor has the transplant/separating ever lost me a seedling! Choose what works for your situation above and I guarantee you'll have success with the seed I sent.

[whitewind]

I used takeaway tek using seed raising mix, with old seed that had been cleaned dried and stored cool the germination rate was very high it grew like cress. When transplanting just spoon out a group into the same mix trying to avoid root disturbance, then watch it crank!

Plenty of light is good too they are very unhappy in deep shade

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

How's people seedlings going??!

[shonman]

I have never raised this plant from seed,

But once it gets going,

It is super easy to root from cuttings.

Almost unstoppable!

This, and the Calea Z., just seem to root on their own almost.....

I did throw some small nodes of Sinuichi into agar to see if it would propagate that way too.

Although, I had to ask myself, why, since this one roots so prolifically anyway......

[planthelper]

I have never raised this plant from seed, But once it gets going, It is super easy to root from cuttings. Almost unstoppable! This, and the Calea Z., just seem to root on their own almost..... I did throw some small nodes of Sinuichi into agar to see if it would propagate that way too. Although, I had to ask myself, why, since this one roots so prolifically anyway......

hold your horses, just for a moment.

you have to be as precise as possible, in our business.

it is a super easy to root from cuttings, BUT only juvenile growth, or say young straight shoots.

once this plant displays an older growth habit, with tiny branches everywhere, and small leaves and thousands of seeds, you will NOT be able to strike any part there of.

some plants always produce good cutting material, but many of them only with young growth.

for example I give you the dahlia flower plant, just try it out...

if you remove the pale first short growth of any dahlia tuber, you can strike them with ease, without any hormone.

but try to strike a dahlia cutting from any parts of the plant, when it's tall and you will fail.

Edited April 17, 2013 by planthelper

[shonman]

That is good to know!

I have just kept on propagating the smaller, new growth....for several years now!

I was not aware it was difficult later, thanks !

[Kykeion]

I grew both Heimia myrtifolia and Heimia salicifolia from seed successfully last year using an aerogarden to germinate the seeds, then transplanted to potting soil once they were about an inch tall. I only used a few seeds of each, and didn't bother thinning them, I still have both plants in pots and they are doing fairly well (a bit gangly after winter, but with springs arrival some pruning is in order).

[gwalchgwyn]

excellent information on Heimia!

once one gets the knack, they respond well to our companionship. I keep mine in a 5 gallon. They're about 3' tall and 4-5 years old. the attractive bark makes them look like a mini redwood forest. they're in the pot because my locale dips into the 20s, but I have noticed for those in colder climes that they can take 40s (F) nights with no problem.

[bullit]

most of my seeds grew dood ! i just sprinkled them on top of sum sand and mist sprayed them o yeah i forgot bout them after a week from planting them outside and they r growin good aye !! tough i say

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

very tough bullit!!! this season i over sowed my pots on purpose and haven't been watering for 2-3 weeks at a time. their in a greenhouse and Ive lost maybe 1/2 the seedlings but the ones that are growing, are really growing and i feel Ive already weeded out the weaker seedlings.

thanks PH for getting in RE cuttings. yes the new growth IME needs to be nice and green, "reaching upwards" with lots of vigor. I have successfully planted new growth on its side laying down with good results. In hindsight this method could be used for creating multiple plants for a single shoot as the stem, once rooted, can be cut at each node and each shoot separated. I haven't actually done this method except for the rooting a lateral cutting before...

d00d

[bullit]

just found this<> when the crazy weather hit here a couple of months ago and fuked shit loads of my plants i remember jamin sum broking old wood in a pot and sitting it misc outside

[planthelper]

I have at times run the mower over those plants, and they came back with even more strength!

not easy to take a small leaved plant's photo, with a green back round, but here is a heimia, in situ.

and here the fresh herb, with a better back round color.

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

I tipped my plants today and collected seed pods, this is to be used as a smoke mixture on my upcoming roadtrip. I've heard many of good things about smoking its leaves and seedpods...

And mine have also been whipper snippered back to the base and is now my mother plant ;)