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Showing posts from December, 2021
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 Layering chilean hazelnut (gevuina avellana). I already did this successfully last year. This method works very well and i think that one can multiply and grow almost any plant on its own roots this way. Young gevuina avellana tree. To begin i choose a low growing side branch on my plant and trim away the leaves in the middle. A small side branch growing close to the ground like this is ideal. I cut off the leaves in the mid section. Using a sharp knife i carefully open the stem with a long cut. I try not to cut further up than half of the thickness of the stem. Apply rooting hormone to the wound (it probably works without hormone too, but i like to use it). It's very important to wedge one or two small bits of matchstick into the cut to force the wound to stay open. I cut a plastic pot leaving two holes at the correct height to accommodate the branch passing through. Put the pot in place, taking care that the cut is roughly in the middle and that the bits of matchstick stay in pl
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 Mauka (mirabilis expansa). My mauka roja plant is starting to flower. My two varieties, blanca and roja, are growing in two large pots in my polytunnel. I dug those two pots into the ground to make it easier for me to build a mini tunnel over them for frost protection. Mauka blanca on the left and mauka roja on the right. Mauka begins to flower when the days start to get longer again after the winter solstice. Mauka roja is beginning to show flowers. Mauka seeds grow true to the parent type so i need to cross the two if i want to breed a new variety. The plants need to be protected from frost during flowering and seed set. Mauka roja beginning to flower. Difficult to see, but i think mauka blanca will start flowering also. And another picture of mauka blanca starting to grow flower buds. Now i will have to figure out how to cross them. According to William Whitson from www.cultivariable.com i should try and hand pollinate. William knows a lot about south american root crops and has su