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Something Big 2

Started by jeff, April 10, 2001, 08:22:27 PM

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Jeff

This is the new thread for our paulonia seeds.

My plants are not good. They are only about 3/4 inchs tall, and the stem is like a thread. A few die everyday. I guess I have about 35 to 40 left.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

RavioliKid

I just went and measured my "babies".

The tallest of mine are about 1 inch to a little over - I guess I had overestimated before. (Note to self: rulers are useful)

The leaves are very small - the largest are less than 1/4 inch wide. They haven't developed any serrations along the edges yet.

The stems of mine are very thin and thread-like, too, but some of them seem vigorous.

I have unplugged the heat pad, and I leave the clear top on when I'm not around to spritz them.

Many of them have died, but you have got to figure that there must be a high mortality rate. I mean, look at all the seeds the tree produces. We'd be up to our ying-yangs in paulownia if even 5% of them survived, world-wide.


I'm still hopeful... ::)
RavioliKid

Jeff

I never thought of it that way. I bet survivability in the wild is way less then 1% probably a mere fraction of a percent.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Ron Wenrich

Survivability in natural settings is quite different than one using a more optimum setting.  Otherwise, farmers would sow much more seed than needed.
 
I have never grown trees from seed.  So, I can't be of much help here.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

RavioliKid

The "seedling-ettes" are still alive - and not doing any worse than they were before. I am still waiting for that growth spurt that Hugh predicted. All growth seems to be halted.

Could I be growing the "Bonsai" version?

 :D
RavioliKid

Jeff

exactly where my plants stand. I keep thinking about that growth spurt. My Tomatos are 6 inches tall now. planted the same day. Tomatoes ain't a tree though!  
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Jeff

Here is the latest on my Bonsai Paulonia.


The planting bed looks soggy, but its not. I had just watered them. Ron, or Hugh, or whoever, do you think I am correct in assuming that just because the seedlings are not growing, (as Hugh said would happen at first), that in actuality they are first developing a root system, before they start their visible growth?
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Bill Johnson

Jeff

That is probably a safe assumption to make. I would suppose that once a plant gets to certain size its existing root system cannot keep up with its growth.
It would then possibly stop putting on height and diameter in favour of developing a stronger root system.
After reading that Kim is experiencing the same slow down in visible growth with her crop it seems the most logical explanation.

But... this species of tree is way beyond what I'm used to so I could be mistaken in my assumption.

Bill
Bill

Hugh Darty

I don't know what the problem is, but must be lack of light and warmth. I haven't planted my new batch yet, but weather is getting right, with temperatures in the mid-eightys for several days until today, when it dropped to the fortys. Mayby the last cool spell of the spring here. I will plant mine in the next week outdoors, and hopefully will have plants in a couple weeks.
My Tomentosa and Elongoti trees are blooming, and I will have pictures in a few days.
Hugh

RavioliKid

We did a little "thinning" of the forest today - I pulled out a few and let the kids observe the root systems. We planted the seeds 40 days ago.

I just about have a roll of film finished, so I'll send some shots to Jeff to post.

I also moved a few of the seedlings to unoccupied cells. However, I don't know if that is the smartest thing to do. After all, the seeds I planted there didn't thrive. But, we'll see what happens.

I am starting to get a few leaves that look like leaves, and the root systems were more developed than I thought they would be.

And, the science fair is tomorrow! We didn't get as much done as I had hoped we would - but, then, we never do!


 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
RavioliKid

RavioliKid

I have become so attached to my Paulownia forest that I even went back to school last night at 9:30 to get it. I had forgotten to put the cover back on, and I figured that none of them would be left alive if I let it go like that until Monday without water.

So, I now have them in my bedroom, where they get nice, filtered sunlight, and I mist them several times a day. I put the cover back on at night (or when I'm not going to be there) and I have the heating pad plugged in.

The more vigorous seedlings have two sets of leaves and the top set is starting to get those serrated edges Hugh alluded to earlier.

RavioliKid

RavioliKid

Jeff,

I finally found the pictures and dropped them in the mail this morning. I hope you get them soon.

I took one 3x3 set of cells out of the heated tray and put it in a high-domed glass casserole, just to see if it still needed the heat. The "tree-lettes" in the heated tray seem to be doing better, so I just might put them back.

You know, it is really interesting - to me, anyway - that the part of the tray now without soil in it has no condensation on the plastic cover. I guess this is kind of the effect that paving has on the environment, huh?

Doesn't take much to amuse me, folks!  :D
RavioliKid

Jeff

Rav! Here are two of your Paulonia Forest Pics for your commentary.






Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

RavioliKid

I took these pictures during the first week of April. That was during spring break, and I had them at home. They were in a corner with one window facing south and the other facing west. The southern window was heavily shaded by an evergreen shrub. That is the heated tray I used, and I kept the cover on most of the time. I'd take it off for a few hours a day, in an attempt to discourage mold and fungus.

I should really take some more pictures. They're growing!

RavioliKid

Jeff

Well, my experiment is over as of this morning. My last little Paulonia seedling died. :'(

I will try to plant some more seeds out of doors if the soil ever warms up up here! How's yours doing Rav?

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Gordon

Sorry to hear that the trees didn't make it. But you can always try another batch.

One thing is for sure I have no idea to tell you anything different when it comes to raising Paulonia. Time to get some expert help. Rav what did you do different than Jeff?

Any ideas what went wrong?
Gordon

Jeff

I think the difference is that Rav probably was a little more dilligent in her care. I frequently let my seedlings get a little to dry. (1 day without misting would kill several at a time!) Plus I don't have a very good source of natural light in my home. The Skylight was just to much. It would dry outplants between going to wokk and coming home.

I fully expect to plant some more seeds outside.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Don P

Hi folks, just checking in from a local library. Well drillers noise ran us off when we couldn't scream to each other at opposite ends of the rafters. On the trip out paulownia in the Kanawah valley around Charleston WV was in full bloom April 22 as was dogwood and redbud...a beautiful drive. There were not a few as I stated before but hundreds. Only saw three that were worth anything as I drove by, most were badly formed. On another note Locust is blooming here today along the Rock river in western IL, they are very full totally unlike ours. Anyone know why such a difference? these are happy trees ours are all dying out...lime based soil here?
My 1.5 finger typing has burned up the hour,TTFN looks like the boards been busy! 8)

L. Wakefield

   Well, I can't say I spotted any paulownia as I know but... I flew to Az, and did a road trip back trhu NM, CO, KA (then it gets a little foggy)- I think Ill, In, Oh Pa etc back to Maine..I waved toward the UP as I went by, wishing I could get up there. Saw a lot of apple, cherry, locust, (eucalyptus back down in Az!). Pastures belly high on the cows and first cutting going on in a few places. Then I came home. Our apples are in heavy bloom and the peas and asparagus are up!
   It was so intense to cover all that real estate! Bade farewell to the Saguaros in the desrt, went up over the Mogollan rim and right into the Ponderosa pines. I got to have me some of them! Any guesses how they'd do in Maine?        LW :) :)
L. Wakefield, owner and operator of the beastly truck Heretik, that refuses to stay between the lines when parking

Bill Johnson

Welcome back LW its been kind of quiet around here with you gone.

I was looking in my silvics manual, I would have to say on first glance that I don't think the Ponderosa Pine would do as well for you in Maine as it would do in its natural range.
It might start off okay, and go great guns for a few years but the literature seems to say that after that it would start to go down hill.
Now I could be wrong (have been before) but if you've brought some back with you or can get some then as long as you are not expecting great things to happen I would give it a shot just to learn something new.

Bill
Bill

RavioliKid

I just got back from a week out of town, and I virtually ran to check on my paulownia forest.

Well, okay...I hit the bathroom, patted the cat and unloaded the van, then I checked the trees.

Some of them didn't make it, but I still have quite a few of them going strong. Some of them even have a third pair of real leaves starting to grow!

Whoo-hoo!  8) 8) 8)


RavioliKid

etat

So hows the trees, any of em survive?  More than just a little curious. When I was a kid we had some of these growin out near the road in the old house we lived in.  You know the one where if you jumped out of bed in a hurry on a cold mornin trying to head into the next room by the fire that your parents had already got up and got started, you had to be careful of getting a big ole splinter in yer foot off them old rough wood floors.  (well, that wasn't a good memory).  Anyways, these bushes, bought all they amounted to because dad kept em mowed down mostly, had big ole fuzzy leaves.  I remember because I used to play out there in a big ole wash close to where they grew, and I liked to pull the leaves off of them.  

Skip to years later.  I was roofing a lawyers  house and across the road he had a bunch of odd lookin trees planted.  I walked over to where these were planted and discovered the same leaves that I remembered.  These trees were about 10 or 12  or 16 foot tall and heavily pruned.  He was out of town at the time so I never asked him what kind of tree they was, and nobody else I asked new.

About a year later there was this story in the paper about these trees.  Explained what kind they was, why they were so valuable, and the method he was using to grow them.  Said for the first three years (I think that"s right) he'd cut em back to a stalk.  Then after that he'd prune them every year so they'd grow straight up in a tree. This was about 8 or 9 years ago.  

A few months ago, right before they started bad mouthin non perfossionals over yonder Doc was wantin somebody to send him samples of some strange soundin trees.  Some kind a reason or article or somethin.  Guy's pretty smart, but he jest can't relate to ordinary folk.   If it ain't been proved and certified on paper, ah heck let's jest say the guy ain't got no imagination.  My version of smart is ya gotta have a lots of imagination and not be afraid to go out on a limb. Now I'm not knocking him too bad because if he wasn't at least book smart he couldn't a got where he is. Anyways, I hounded em and described these trees until I found out what I wanted.  Said they was Royal Paulownia and they got over here years ago from asia or some such place becaused they was used in packing.  Told how the trees would grow guick into a shade.  Now that part kinda got my attention cause I wouldn't mind havin a couple of quick shades here close to the house I'm buildin.  Only trees close is a couple a sasfrass papa planted on each side of the old barn (The site where my house is if I can ever get it finished).  That's where I just come in from a bit ago, was spreadin a little sheetrock mud.  Gonna still take me a while but don't worry, I'll keep hammerin at her, me and the wife and kids and one of these days we are a gonna move in.  

Again, anyways right after that I did a little searching and found that you could actually buy seeds, and seedlings.  Since I had so much other stuff going on I ain't actually ever got around to doing it.  Now I'm sittin around here too tired to go to sleep jest yet, any of yall ever had that problem?, and decided to look at some of the older posts.  And here I find some people who actually decided to plant some of these.  And it's been long enough ago that some of these trees either outa be growin good, or they're all dead by now.  So now I'm a askin.  Anybody make a go of it with those Royal Alabamy Palowana trees, would it be worth plantin a few of these for shade and sentimental reasons, or would I jest be a wasting my time?

Oh yeah, jest one more thing.  Can ye kindly sometime tell me jest how this forum got started.  Seems to be jest about the smartest, friendliest, most perfessional and most interesting bunch of down home folks I've ever come across all in one place.
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

woodmills1

Aw shucks!  I ainta got no paulina trees but ifin ya needs some acorns or beechnuts let me know. :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Tom

Paulownia has just about gotten out of hand and is a weed in areas of N.C. and Virginia.

The best way to grow Paulownia is vegetatively.  If you can get a piece of bark or a twig or a slab from a sawmill, it will grow.  There are several sites on the web that sell Paulownia. It is being experimented with as a pulp tree and as a lumber tree because of its quick rotation.  The problem is that it requires such intense labor. Folks I've talked to say that it is about as bad as suckering tobacco. You have to pull suckers off every few days.

I sawed a three year old tree a few years ago and got 1x6's out of it.  That's a big tree for  3 years.

www.paulownia.com
www.paulownia.org
www.paulowniatrees.org

A google search will locate lots of sites on Paulownia.

RavioliKid

Well, my surviving paulownia has been cut down for the winter. Next year will be its fouth year, and we'll see how it does. I have a feeling that this particular paulownia is just a little bit too frail for Kalamazoo, but we'll give it another year and see what happens.

RavioliKid

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