Psychotria carthaginensis leaf cutting and other pics (Image heavy)

[gerbil]

I put down a single leaf cutting of P. carthaginensis on 30/6/05.

It was in a mix of CSS and potting mix.

I gently snapped the petiole/stem along the part that I placed beneath the surface a good few times, being

sure not to break that little cord inside.

I was top watering and occasionally bottom watering, very erratic, but kept it relatively moist at all times,

allowing it to dry out to an extent in between. Once or twice it received a dynamic lifter/seasol liquid feeding

for kicks whilst soaking cacti seedlings. This was a solution of about 20-30ml dyn lifter and a good splash of seasol in 9L h20, a very dilute mixture.

During the time it was in shade, but was in a lightly lit area. A few times the top of the leaf starting to brown and die as they do, occasionaly getting a little fuzzy mould on the dead bits from top watering with a spray bottle.

Every now and then these bits were trimmed with sterile snips. At the moment it's dieing back some more though i'm leaving it be this time, no fuzz present.

The other day 27/1/06 two little sprouts emerged from the soil, hugging the leaf cutting. I'm very happy about that

Have some pics to upload but I've got no drivers for my card reader (bloody XP is hopeless) and am waiting for the company to reply, will hopefully get them up within the week.

The mature plants have nearly finished flowering and no signs of fruit yet but fingers crossed they are just being a little slow and not reverting solely back to veg growth.

Also have some other shots for you Darcy and Mandragora of some of your babies who are growing up really well, maidenii, carths and some others, thanks again for such top quality plants, I absolutely adore the Psychotrias, such beautiful plants.

Anyhoo sorry for the tease, photos shouldn't be too far off.

[SaBReT00tH]

Yes, the EXACT things have happened to me with my two rooted cuttings. When the leaves are regrowing be sure to keep them in a semi-shaded position as from my personal experience the sun can easily damage, burn and destroy the tender fragile leaf shoots. This is especially devastating considering Carthaginensis seems to grow reeeeally slowly, at least during its first leaf stage anyway!!

[gerbil]

Small bushy red catha edulis

Banisteriopsis caapi, just recently heavy sun hardened

Theo, T. scop finally pupping.

Acacia maidenii

(non-hsticks)

williamsii graft pachanoi

[gerbil]

Yes, the EXACT things have happened to me with my two rooted cuttings. When the leaves are regrowing be sure to keep them in a semi-shaded position as from my personal experience the sun can easily damage, burn and destroy the tender fragile leaf shoots. This is especially devastating considering Carthaginensis seems to grow reeeeally slowly, at least during its first leaf stage anyway!!

My plants are almost always in a semi shaded position, occasionally move them a little further out for a bit more sun everynow and then but it's still only partially. They need repotting before the end of the growing season, as when it gets too hot or too much sun hits them the root system can't support the foliage mass.

It's too much stress for me keeping them in lots of sun atm as you have to check on them constantly throughout the day to make sure water levels are kept up and I'd be devastated to lose them.

I'm wanting to do a detailed flower pictorial soon, might wait till next year.

[Pisgah]

P carthaginensis is the most forgiving of the ayahuasca psychotrias IME. Mine has survived light frost, dehydration, cat pee and hurracane winds. Alba comes next, with viridis the least tolerant.

I can't wait to get my TLC report done in the spring!

[hebrew]

nice photos gerbil

you have an good garden

[mescalito]

Wow nice work there Gerbs I especially like the loph graft.When I get the guts I'll graft my little fellar too I think.

I have a seed grown caapi from T's seed and a viridis grown from seed from Planthelper and I'm blown away how even in this dry area they've adapted well beyond my expectations...plenty of pics when I gets me a new-fangled camera I promise

[kakti]

Awesome pictures Your plants look very happy

[gerbil]

Fantastic, look forward to your results Pisgah.

mesc, the loph was grafted on 3/5/05. It was already a decent size, one of those $25 specimens from the cactus man in Vic, 1 ordered 4 one day, started off grafting the tiny pups, most took but I eventually killed them or they were devoured by snails/slugs/caterpillars. Then I decided to graft the main crown of one to a spachanius stock leaving the loph rootsock (which is pupping but again being eaten by slugs!), that grew to a little bit smaller than that pic, then I watered it in winter and it went full on rot from inside out.

This time I took a similar sized large head and put it on a pachanoi stock, which I very occasionally water and it's doing well. I think I found some rot on it today where it splits up the side, but am not too sure.

Anyway it's been mainly shaded, gave it some full sun these last few days and it's gone bezerk. The only worrying bit now is that the stock is a little large and the loph is pupping underneath the main crown right near the core which will eventually push it off the stock or at least cause a hell of a mess in there. I'm procrastinating as I really don't want to cut it to it's own roots. I guess if i lose it then i'll get over it and start again hey lol. Those side buttons are all around it and are starting to really take shape.

I have found large buttons take very easily when grafted. I'm not sure, but i think the trick is to make the stock smaller than the graft in a way so you don't get those rot/pupping issues, whilst still having a thick enough stock to power the graft on as much as possible. I'm not positive, but the way i'm trying for next time is not being able to see any of the cut stock surface so the graft sits like this

 

[____!___!_____] (graft middle bit being the ring to overlap the core,graft overhanging)	 ---------	 (stock cut level = ----)	 !  ! V!  !	 !  ! V!  ! (V=core to graft to with the very outside !=the edge of stock and inside ! = edge of stock ring) (this section is it running further down in scion for explanation sake)

 

If that pic makes any sense.

Damn still can't get the pic to work without it wrapping itself, eh i give up.

thanks hebrew and kakti!

Look forward to the pics mesc

[SaBReT00tH]

I'm wondering, do carthaginensis like to be in well drained soil like Viridis or can the hack regular potting mix?? I have mine in a full mix of organic peat at the moment.

[Pisgah]

I use a potting mix that has some soil conditioner, composted pine bark in it. Provides more aeration than potting soil alone.

[mescalito]

So how are the leaf cuttings and grafts going gerbil?

[gerbil]

sorry mescalito, I must have missed your post...I just searched this thread to update you and found your post

The large Psychotria are pretty sick at the moment, they were dying back in the leaf and I didn't know why, it looked like it needed some nutrient so I added some blood and bone a few weeks back...BIG mistake, the leaves started to burn all through the plant from the tip inward...if the blood and bone did cause it, i've given them quite a hefty nutrient burn, but i've flushed, cut back and they are slowly stabilising (i think...and hope)

Anyway the leaf cutting is still tiny but is still going. My setup is far from ideal, so growth is very slow and not very healthy but they will make it and i'll get them to be some very healthy plants in time. I seem to achieve things over extended periods, but I eventually get there.

Anyway enough of that, I wanted to update the graft for you...spring has hit and you can really see the plant breaking the semi-dormancy. It is still splitting quite heavily and deep up one side, so water is always kept at a minimum. The pups in the picture are much larger than they appear.

The orange looking infection in the split and on the side don't seem to be spreding or causing any harm. It is dry and is not progessing.

Edited September 1, 2006 by gerbil

[gerbil]

Quick update picture of the main graft, the splitting has slowed or stopped for the time being, i'll be doing some surgery in the next couple of months to start some new grafts, keeping this one as a mother plant for the time being.

Has never flowered which is a shame...will be grafting some 2-3 year old straight L. williamsii seedlings soonish though, so that should give some nice genetics to cross pollinate with, they appear to flower a lot more readily than the ceaspitosa (?).

Current practice for this specimen is to put the plant in full sun for most of the day, load it with water once or twice a week, then bring it up onto an elevated verandah with shelter at night times.

I don't let it get rained on at all, yet the one in the background is grafted to a small pachanoi stock and has been hard grown, it sits on the ground in full sun for most of the day (at least it gets the most intense parts of the day) and is open to all environmental effects, handles it very well and it very healthy and quite large, main head is prob. about a 50cent piece and is quite high due to being massacred to caterpillar early on in it's growth, lots of healthy pups bursting out.

Edited January 22, 2007 by gerbil

[Ace]

My god that graft is a BEAUTY!!! I can only hope the graft I made on Saturday goes with as much grunt as yours Gerbil!! If you ever want to dispose of any of those little pups, I'd really appreciate one or two sent my way! I'd love to start a few more grafts - especially if they are as unbelievable as yours!! 3 thumbs up!! (yes, I had to borrow a hand for that - I'm not as well equipped as your graft lol)

Ace