Khat care (red vs white vs narrowleaf)

[sobriquet]

My narrowleaf khat is flowering for the first time. Two or three of the flowers have opened and I never expected them to be so tiny!

On Saturday I repotted and divided my plant into three plants. There were two self-layered branches, a smaller and a larger branch. The smaller one was straightforward to cut off and had some tenous roots of its own and seems to have taken well to being potted up.

The larger branch I just sawed off with its soil trying to get as much of it own root without disturbing the main plant. Within half an hour it started to wilt at the tips. I harvested most of the lower branch ends leaving only the growing tip area as an indicator of health.

It struggled for 2 days but looks better today with many of the terminal leaves becoming turgid again. I'm hoping it will survive. The main plant looks good in its new mix.

I used Searle's cactus and succulent mix, together with a block of coco-peat coir.

What I did was to wet the coir with a standard dilution of Seasol + Powerfeed. That way the coir contains nutrients ready to be used and is not just filler.

I'd also like to know whether the flowers are self fertile as I'm looking forward to some seed from these.

Finally I sampled the leaves I'd harvested from the divided plant and they were delicious. Chewed a good mouthful and found myself feeling great after 20-30 mins with a very gentle comedown. I've still got some leaf left but its beginning to dry and I'll make tea from them once they're fully dry just to try that too.

[Stonehenge]

How old were your plants when they flowered? I know people with plants a couple to 3 years old that have never flowered.

[Tripitaka]

>>does anyone know if Narrowleaf Khat self seeds after flowering??

Heavily and frequently!

[sobriquet]

My bush is three years young. It seems to do OK with neglect. I hadn't repotted it until this year and it looks after itself almost. I treat it to the dry side with a very sandy mix.

Tripitaka, that is VERY heavy inflorescence indeed! I noticed that my flowers were being visited by very small ~1mm red ants that went into the flower and probably helped pollinate it. They've disappeared since I repotted.

[sobriquet]

I've just examined my narrow leaf Khat and was quite surprised to find that its leaves which used to be like the one in yours Tripitaka, has become a sport or reverted to a broad leaf form!