The Road to Self Sustainment -Illinois Bundleflower Project

[Ice House]

Spring is almost uppon us in SWWA. I am ready to begin a multi year project that I will attempt to doccument here. I just purchased .25 lbs of Desmanthus ilinoensus seeds aka Illinois Bundleflower. I picked em up from a company called Native American Seed I believe they were about 9$ a .25 lb, shipped very quick.

I will begin to germinate them soon and grow them in small pots indoors until the weather is good enough to transplant outdoors. I plan on planting several hundred of them. With any luck, I'll have a few specimens mature enough to harvest in a couple of years.

I own a small farm with about 8 acres of land 5 acres of it is pasture the rest is wooded. about 300 yards of the pasture and woods is stream frontage. Though I'm located in the PNW I feel I have a very good habitat for them to grow well in. I'll post more pics as the project progresses.

 

[jamie]

i have a bunch going indoors in a shelved greenhouse and im in vancouver BC..Il be putting them outside soon..hopefully they grow well..

They are very easy to germinate and get going as well.

 

[Ice House]

I understand they are a perenial? Any idea on how many years it takes to get a root system big enough to harvest?

 

[jamie]

Im not sure, im prob gunna keep them in pots and water from the bottom to try to get the roots to spread out as much as possible and move them back in for the winter if they are still too small at the end of summer.

Ive been filling my freezer with wild arundinacea in the last 2 weeks as well and have some going in my greenhouse so il be experimenting with that a bit too.

 

[dtabbler]

being in the garden industry, i'm buying a few from one of our wholesalers that has them available for 2.75, they're about 12" tall in 6" pots. plan on putting them in the backyard of my house as theyre an attractive plant! yes they are perennial hardy zones 3-9 (most of the country shouldnt have a problem growing them!) full grown about 3-5', i would think the root system should be ready in 3 years or so but i cant tell you for certain. They actually grow wildly nearby where i live so i'm debating cutting some roots and seeing what happens this summer. i've found seeds as low as $27/lb.

good luck with your project!

 

[ragabr]

Oh man, definitely getting in on this project!

 

[pinche]

Any tips on growing conditions/medium? I got a few going last year but the heat was to much i think.They may require shade in 90+ temps. Is it necesary to nick them for germination? If broadcasting seed over a large area should the soil be tilled before or after? Or at all?