Cultivation of a Dioscorea Elephantipes.

[mikethecactusguy]

Hi Craig
Yes that is next on the list. To cover the south, east and top of the greenhouse before Spring arrives. Right now the sun is low enough and temps are controllable.
The damage happened while the plant was outside of the greenhouse under the Shade Sail on the side of my house.
Thanks
Mike M

[mikethecactusguy]

New Years Resolution. Learn How To Use my Nikon D-610 Camera I got for my Birthday in August. So here a few pictures with it.

DSC_0508.JPG (41.3 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

DSC_0509.JPG (67.83 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

DSC_0510.JPG (73.88 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

DSC_0511.JPG (69.04 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

DSC_0512.JPG (58.85 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

DSC_0513.JPG (104.07 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

DSC_0514.JPG (97.88 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

DSC_0515.JPG (98.94 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

[mikethecactusguy]

The Sylvatica Leaves

DSC_0507.JPG (60.2 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

[mikethecactusguy]

The Sylvatica just keeps growing. Some of the leaves are at least 3" wide.

PXL_20210107_205604132-001.jpg (82.36 KiB) Viewed 4515 times

PXL_20210107_205613739-001.jpg (84.57 KiB) Viewed 4515 times

PXL_20210107_205618178-001.jpg (129.6 KiB) Viewed 4515 times

PXL_20210107_205638133-001.jpg (80.2 KiB) Viewed 4515 times

The Mexicana is trying to open leaf buds that are down the vine. I'll get better pictures tomorrow.

[mikethecactusguy]

Lets discuss leaf shape. Initial leaf growth along the whole dioscorea collection appears all the same. As the leaves mature they change and each specific species does mature into a different shape. If I can keep my hands off the large mexicana I may get some leaves from it still. A few of the leaf buds are growing still down the vine.

Elephantipes

PXL_20210110_165530893.jpg (97.74 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

PXL_20210110_165512351.jpg (104.88 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

PXL_20210110_165517085.jpg (78.42 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

Hemicryptic

PXL_20210110_165523597.jpg (101.87 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

PXL_20210110_165527535.jpg (90.04 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

PXL_20210110_165544289.jpg (117.6 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

Mexicana

PXL_20210110_165558703.jpg (102.4 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

PXL_20210110_165622112.jpg (100.24 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

Sylvatica

PXL_20210110_165627091.jpg (86.83 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

PXL_20210110_165630930.jpg (123.19 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

PXL_20210110_165642026.jpg (98.4 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

Elphantipes

PXL_20210110_165717053.jpg (81.5 KiB) Viewed 4487 times

[mikethecactusguy]

Hi All
The Sylvatica continues to grow. The main vine has taken to growing back on itself and secondary vines are growing out.

20210113_072158.jpg (119.46 KiB) Viewed 4444 times

20210113_072202.jpg (79.86 KiB) Viewed 4444 times

[mikethecactusguy]

A few shots today of the sylvatica using the Nikon with a 50mm lens.
the leaf is 3 1/2" - 8.9cm wide

DSC_0599.JPG (103.5 KiB) Viewed 4406 times

DSC_0600.JPG (69.12 KiB) Viewed 4406 times

DSC_0601.JPG (64.23 KiB) Viewed 4406 times

DSC_0602.JPG (72.22 KiB) Viewed 4406 times

DSC_0603.JPG (79.44 KiB) Viewed 4406 times

[mikethecactusguy]

Hi All
some updates from today. The larger mexicana is still trying to grow. It has been working on this leaf bud for 4 weeks now.

20210203_163242.jpg (110.17 KiB) Viewed 4326 times

[mikethecactusguy]

The Small mexicana is going dormant as well as one of the hemicryptic.

20210203_163234.jpg (97.24 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163406.jpg (106.99 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163425.jpg (97.24 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

The Sylvatica continues to push new vines and the other elephantipes and hemicrytic are green.

20210203_163339.jpg (71.43 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163342.jpg (55.24 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163410.jpg (96.54 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163449.jpg (98.6 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163452.jpg (100.49 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163456.jpg (98.2 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163459.jpg (87.59 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163503.jpg (83.26 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

20210203_163507.jpg (79.31 KiB) Viewed 4325 times

[mikethecactusguy]

Hi All
I love surprised. My oldest Elephantipes has pushed up a new vine. This is while the current vine is still green. It did not go dormant first

20210216_150807.jpg (102.87 KiB) Viewed 4218 times

20210216_150816.jpg (123.85 KiB) Viewed 4218 times

20210216_150823.jpg (118.85 KiB) Viewed 4218 times

20210216_150917.jpg (108.18 KiB) Viewed 4218 times

I just saw this today. Lets see how its doing tomorrow. Also, taking this close ups, I now see how the caudex has expanded. The growth rings have increased.

[mikethecactusguy]

Update on the new vine . Not a very fast grower compared to the first vine.

20210219_133705.jpg (107.29 KiB) Viewed 4172 times

There has been no additional growth from any of the secondary vines or the primary vine. The growth tips on the existing vine have all dried up.
This may be the plant using some of it energy just because?
Also this is the Sylvatica today. 3" plus leaves and a vine weaving around the greenhouse that is at least 6ft long with a lot of secondary vines.

20210219_133818.jpg (98.93 KiB) Viewed 4172 times

20210219_133822.jpg (101.77 KiB) Viewed 4172 times

[mikethecactusguy]

Well, it looks like it has decided to grow. This has been in the past 24hrs. A nice normal spurt. Lets see where it goes.

20210225_112231.jpg (98.13 KiB) Viewed 4056 times

20210225_112235.jpg (94.76 KiB) Viewed 4056 times

20210225_112258.jpg (106.45 KiB) Viewed 4056 times

The base of the existing vine looks pinched and brown. It has been like that since it reached full length. The leaves and secondary vines continued to grow, so as far as I can tell it is not going into dormancy.

[Not_going_to_treehab]

Planted some seeds 1/3/2021, how long should I leave them in the baggie?

[mikethecactusguy]

Hi
They sprouted in a month? Wow! You have leaf growth yes. If so I would think they are ready to be roved from the bags already. The Caudex needs to stay buried for 3 to 4 years.

[Not_going_to_treehab]

I planted 5 seeds, the first one sprouted in about a month, 3 have sprouted so far but on looks like it didn’t make it.