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Post by lloyd on Jul 9, 2015 16:17:02 GMT -5
Only a small bump. I'm waiting for something more impressive.
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Post by lloyd on Dec 17, 2015 0:33:15 GMT -5
Viscum minimum slowly growing on two Euphorbia. Maybe flowers next year.
After years of trying three species of Berkheya, I've finally got Berkheya purpurea growing. It took scarification and sequential soaks in kinetin, GA3 and hydroxyurea and still only two plants out of 50 seeds so far. When they get bigger, I'll add the Harveya speciosa seeds.
Also after years of trying, I have 2 actively growing Buttonia superba on Euphorbia tirucalli (Thanks Ian aka Hal for the E. tirucalli cuttings).
A promising lead this winter for Tristerix aphyllus seeds from Chile (only flowers in El Nino years) for my Trichocereus chiloensis.
Some Castlleja seeds stratifying for my wildflower pot in the spring.
Hopefully Mistletoe seeds for my apple tree in the spring.
Trying to grow parasitic plants is a long term effort.
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Post by hal on Dec 17, 2015 9:03:53 GMT -5
Glad to hear the E. tirucalli are working out for you, Lloyd. Also glad to be the recipient of the hosts from some unsuccessful experiments with Euphorbias.
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Post by partisangardener on Dec 17, 2015 12:59:08 GMT -5
If you have fresh seed in March maybe weeks earlier, squeeze the little green embryo onto a twig or small branch of a suitable tree with very young smooth bark. For the species which grows here on leaf trees the following trees are suitable, there is another species which grows on fir or pine it won’t grow on leaf trees. Apple poplar linden and willow species, not as good is robinia, birch and oak takes very rarely. After squeezing swaddle some of the sticky snotty stuff which will stick to your finger and the berry around the twig, sometimes you must smear it on. This holds the little embryo in place. Branches with thicker bark won’t take because the tree has to grow over the little Sucker (sometimes two) which will come out in the first year. If it has two suckers it looks like a little dark green heart. The seed is in fact a little embryo which needs light for photosynthesis all the time even in the berry. In the second year will appear the first pair of leafs. The little suckers are now linked to the sap flow of the tree und you wont loose it easily. Every year there is another doubled set of two leafs at the end of each pair, with a little green stick in between. After seven sets you might expect the first flower. Which is in fact quite easy overlooked. If it’s a female plant you will see developing berries in the summer. The growing cycle will show you the age of the plant easily. I did it quite often and have always some success. If you do it now, the rate of taking is much lower, than in February /March. But you will loose two third of the little embryos on average in normal conditions. If you have branches with berries keep them outside in the sun and cold. Some netting will be advisable or the birds will do the work. Usually the birds will start to feed on this berries in February March. This is the optimum time for seeding. Keeping them outside in the cold and sun they will store easily till this time. I have not tried to deep freeze them it might work but I doubt it. Sorry I am no native speaker and could not do it better.
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Post by lloyd on Jan 5, 2016 13:26:30 GMT -5
Lots of Castilleja seeds of 3 species moist stratifying and some miniata in the host pot outside for the winter.
Only 2 of 100 Berkheya purpurea seeds germinated and grew to viable seedlings after scarification/kinetin/thiourea/GA3+epibrassinolide, the first ones ever after 3+ years of trying and 100's of seeds and 3 Berkheya species. I've got lots of Harveya speciosa seeds old and new to plant with them as I repot soon.
After also 3+ years of trying and 100's of seeds of Exocarpus spartaeus later and the same treatments as above + smoke-success! I finally gave up and scattered 3/4 of the last (untreated) seeds (actually a fresh batch, a few months old-probably freshness was critical). I scratched the surface of my Acacia acuminata pot, scattered the seeds and covered with a cm. of soil. Typical fall Toronto temp's. for a couple of months, took the pot inside when the night-time lows were below 5C and voila, seedlings! One is two inches high with cotyledons. So probably seed freshness, and a period of cool, moist stratification were the reasons for success.
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Post by Apoplast on Jan 5, 2016 23:20:51 GMT -5
Hi Lloyd - Congrats on the success with the Exocarpus spartaeus! Now if you can get a Santalum acuminatum into the mix, you'll be on your way to starting Canada's first Australian bush tucker restaurant. I'm a little surprised that you've had so much trouble with germinating Berkheya purpurea, given that it gets used as an ornamental and has become a bit invasive in a few places. I've never tried to grow this group, so I have no experience. I was just surprised. Glad it's working though! As an aside, I wouldn't mind seeing some of the hosts even. Some of those plants are cool in their own right.
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Post by lloyd on Jul 12, 2016 20:21:39 GMT -5
I bought some Osyris compressa seeds to fill out a Silverhill order, parasitic of course. I couldn't get the seeds to do anything so I just stuck them in the Bay Leaf pot and forgot about them. 7 months later and what are these? Then I remembered. I stuck two seedlings in the Acacia acuminata pot in case my wife gets annoyed. She's already hates the Berkheya purpurea which is incredibly prickly. I hope the Harvey speciosa flower soon.
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