Good news, bad news

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fredgpops
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Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Bad news = Chusquea culeou llaima is flowering Good news = prodigious seed production. More good news = Havahart easy set squirrel traps have worked extremely good. Caught 15 later part of last year and 5 so far this year.
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by needmore »

Fred, given that reports of C gigantea flowering are coming in this is interesting...
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

I was in Argentina in 2011 when culeou flowered. It was a staggering sight with plants dying over hundreds of miles. My c. gigantia grove is a favorite of mine. I'll really miss it if it flowers.
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

The mother plant located in the Seattle area shows no sign of flowering. Checked on it yesterday. Added a photo of my plant to the photo archives. Rgds
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Llaima update - although flowering, it just sent up a new shoot. Many attachments to seeds. I have seen this before and as I recall seeds morph into leaves and branches. Is the attachment a stylus? Check new photos submitted.
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Llaima flowering observation update: Seeds are still maturing, the new shoot is still developing, only 4 of 13 culms are flowering, no sign that the plant as a whole is dying off, the culms that are flowering are developing a massive amount of seeds. Seems similar to the C, pallens that I had flower a few years ago.
It took another year for all culms to develop seeds, for the whole plant to die off, and for mature seeds to develop. Tried to send info to ABS re flowering. The email to provide or accept new flowering info does not work.
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Plant is now about 10 weeks from when flowering was noted. Almost all the anthers have dropped. Most seeds are hugging the branches but some seeds are showing a slight separation. The seeds are securely held - no release to a slight tug by hand. Recent high temps may have a impact on the seed maturation
process.
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Abt 6 seeds dropped off the plant today. Spread canvas under the plant to catch seeds. Mother plant in Seattle has not shown signs of flowering. The Seattle grower says his canna prieta is flowering. Rgds
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by needmore »

needmore wrote:Fred, given that reports of C gigantea flowering are coming in this is interesting...

Sort of makes one wonder does it not?
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Plant dropped abt 15-20 seeds this week. Not even 1% of seeds that will be dropped in total. Planted all the dropped seeds today. Not sure seeds planted are fully mature. Any body know what the importance of seed maturity impacts in the process (generating seedlings?). Got a couple of requests for seeds. Please send requests via email in 3 weeks when I anticipate volume seeds are available. Pls include address. Thx
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Comparison of seed development in early stages vs current status of seeds. Photos taken 4/14 and 5/29.
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001abc.jpg
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Comparison continued - photo 6/29
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006abcd.jpg
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Photo of seeds dropped 6/29. Note fantail on some. My guess is that it helps seeds utilize the wind to help distribute the seeds longer distances. Furthest distance noted 6/29 is 6 feet from mother plant. Volume of dropped seeds is small compared to seeds still on the plant.
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010ab.jpg (74.63 KiB) Viewed 8570 times
fredgpops
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

West Coast Bamboo Nursery said their Lliama is flowering too. I can move up requests for seeds to next week. Send address with request. Rgds
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Re: Good news, bad news

Post by fredgpops »

Bamboo Garden in Oregon has Cana Prieta and Gigantea in bloom. RGds
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