grass tree live or die

[Nigel Fear]

I seem to remember hearing that this species relies on a symbiotic relationship with the native soil it grows in, containing beneficial bacteria or fungus.
This could be one of the reasons they don't seem to survive for long over here.

Anyone else heard that?

[DiCasS]

Nigel, I was looking for an article I'd kept about a chap in Australia giving his grass tree brown sugar, but couldn't find it but came across another article which mentions brown sugar. Might be useful for you Mike with your seedlings.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5037855_raise-g ... seeds.html

Darren, that one is one beautiful plant

Di

[khaskings]

Thanks Di I shall give it a go.

Those Ehow tips can be quite useful, but I've seen one or two that really over simplify matters, a bit like "to get to the moon, point your rocket at the moon, count down from 10 and press the 'launch' button"

[redsquirrel]

Nigel, I was looking for an article I'd kept about a chap in Australia giving his grass tree brown sugar, but couldn't find it but came across another article which mentions brown sugar. Might be useful for you Mike with your seedlings.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5037855_raise-g ... seeds.html

Darren, that one is one beautiful plant

Di

i think it might be grahams di,i remember him buying a stonker years ago after chelsea.
is this the article you want???
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1574835.htm

[DiCasS]

Thanks Darren that's the one. .

I think Graham was having trouble putting pics up, keeping us all in suspense

Di

[redsquirrel]

be good to see a screenshot of his page after uploading the pics,i posted that from Grahams photobucket account without any problems

[zgardner]

About one month ago,i have remove old dry leaves that where remaining in the trunck, i have burn them and put the ashes in the in the xhanto soil,and gess what she is growing now.



ps.his that bad

[DiCasS]

So what you going to do with it Z, are you going to let it grow

Di

[zgardner]

So what you going to do with it Z, are you going to let it grow

Di

well di,now with the nigth temperatures going to -1,-2c,she doesn't have shown any growth, ,hope the spring comes soon,she is starting divid into four heads.

[Alexander]

Well in Porto it will be fine I guess, but in the UK, uneless under glass, I doubt that with this cold!

Alexander

[redsquirrel]

i know a brave man in loughbrough planted one out this year and knocked up a shelter over it.im keeping everything crossed for Kev as i did get one through last winter in an unheated polytunnel -9 -10 but it doesnt look great. someone else on here suffered some serious casualties outside,again covered but not heated

[zgardner]

Some pictures of the head.

[becky]

we have had ours for about 3 years now, the first year we kept it inside as it needed treating for scale, but the last 2 years it has been outside either in my shed or under the car port, i bring it under cover early to allow it to dry out before frost, its probebly the only thing that looks ok

[DiCasS]

she is starting divid into four heads.

Aaah Z, I thought you were going to say it was throwing up a flower spike.
Why does the head suddenly divide?

Di

[greg]

Hi Graham
I remember taking on the phone to you a few years back (Denise) about my sickly looking grass tree. I sourced some soluble endomiccrorhizza from the States and applied via watering the roots. We planted it out along with a few others we had acquired and some seedlings I had grown from the original plant. In the winter a cover was put over the top to protect them. They all survived well, including the original one which had put out loads of new leaves. Unfortunately last winter we lost it. If you do a search, you'll find the picture I posted as the outside came away from centre.Somehow the top had started to rot but we have no idea why. The other 3 were fine, along with the 'seedlings' (now several years old). I have my fingers crossed for this year but who knows, all looked fine last year during the winter, it was only afterwards the devastation occurred!! I have left the original stem after the rot was cut away as I met someone nearby whose Xanthorrhoea was sprouting from the base but nothing has happened so far. Hopefully my others will survive, they have a cover over them and I have put some fleece round where it has been possible. How is your beauty from Chelsea faring?