Growing Cattails

The seedbeds are especially lush this year. Favorable weather including rain just when we needed in mid-August has been a wonderful boost to all of our plantings. After 2 rain episodes we are now expecting more next week. Here is a look at growth in our emergent species plantings, as of August 21.

In the background of this image is our cattail row. Here we can see growth achieved  typical if this crop in a good year. This is a close view of this production row taken same day.

Hmmm, not bad considering this image was                                             taken of the same seedbed on June 17  
Not every year is growth and seedling survival as nice as this. This year however is interesting because by some 'accidents' of our production cycle we have a row with typical good crop year production and another showing dieback or a self thinning process that happens some seasons. This year we realize this condition is linked to timing of application of fertilizer, proving that this aquatic plant, growing in a strange place for the species in drip irrigated sandy loan really depends on available nitrogen and not only that with strategically in the growing cycle to the point that later growth is inhibited even with supplements.I mention this because of the temptation to use our specialized propagation method as a cookie cutter formula to accomplish whatever else we might want to accomplish. A new application in different soil, climate zone and purpose may very well need to be designed with a clean piece of paper.

Here is another species, Scirpus acutus, or bulrush,  growing in the same field. Here too is a species adapted to rapid utilization of available nitrogen and the rapid accumulation of biomass. Image also taken on August 21, and the seedbed planted early June Hmmm And this leads to another posting about the giant bulrush of South America