When To Harvest Gemmae

[Daniel G]

Well, it's a simple enough question. When should I harvest the Gemmae from my Grandiflora?

Thanks,

Dan

[jesse]

Well, it's a simple enough question. When should I harvest the Gemmae from my Grandiflora?

For me (Northwest Germany) it works best harvesting the gemmae after the winters main frost period.

February or early March each year.

Just before the mother plants start growing again.

I think the gemmae is better growing during the frost-free periods during winter while still being connected to the mother plant. So you have more and bigger gemmae when leaving undisturbed until most of the winter frost is over.

[ada]

sound advice from jesse.

Dan, i poke them off anytime i have a spare few minutes,mainly so i don't forget to do it.

ada

[Daniel G]

Thanks!

[kisscool_38]

I think the gemmae is better growing during the frost-free periods during winter while still being connected to the mother plant. So you have more and bigger gemmae when leaving undisturbed until most of the winter frost is over.

My feeling is the reverse. You'll get more gemmae when you harvest the gemmae in autumn. They are smaller, that's right, but they will grow rapidly during spring. The other point is that the mother plant tends to rot when it is surrounded by too much plantlets/gemmae (I got this problem and I read that several time on this forum), so that's better in my opinion to harvest gemmae quite quickly.

[Daniel G]

Thanks as well!

[epbb]

_{I prefer also removing the gemmae lately before frost are too high because ice can remove the gemmae from mother plants and winter rains can then spreads gemmae sometime everywhere.}

_{I then put the gemmae inside a greenhouse to keep an eye on it during winter and allow few more week of growing in early spring comparatively to plants still resting outside.}

[billynomates666]

I just leave my Grandiflora in the ground till spring, after all that is what would happen naturally, isnt it? and remove them, or not, as the main plant starts to grow. I have had no problems using this method and have had few losses, however, how many, if any,I lmay have lost to frost etc over winter of course I dont know, but you do get literally hundreds of them after a couple of years, enough to make a slimey green carpet to fill in between plants

Cheers

Steve

[Daniel G]

Thanks Eric and Steve