Conditions of Volcanic Out Gassing (VOG) continue around the south side of Big Island. The worst, so far, for us in Ocean View was overnight and morning of the 15th and 16th. That morning the civil defense trucks came by with loudspeakers suggesting voluntary evacuation due to high sulfur dioxide levels. The "danger" was gone by 10am, when the wind blew it all back out to sea, but the damage to the Protea plants had been done. When we went out to pick flowers 24 hours later, we found a whole field of burnt plants.

Sulfur Dioxide, when mixed with water, forms sulfuric acid. While we could treat and use the water, any rain now would be very acidic. However, the sulfur dioxide as a gas, when present in high quantities, is taken into the bodies of living plants and animals through standard respiration (breathing) where it meets water in the cells, again forming sulfuric acid, burning from the inside.

Kilauea volcano has been producing 8-10 times the normal background rate of sulfur dioxide daily. The vog consists of this sulfur dioxide, volcanic ash, and dust. We have better days, but mostly it is hazy now and we seldom can see the coastline. We are having a particularly bad day today.

The Protea plants are still alive. No plant seems to have actually died. However, on many plants, much of the actively respiring tissue has been killed, and another episode like last week could finish them off. Older leaves, at the base of a branch, were often spared, as well as the newest, soft growth (new tissue that may have not yet begun respiration.) This produces a plant that looks burnt in the middle, yet growing from the tips.) There are differing levels of damage on different Proteaceae species, and cultivars within the species. Australian Proteaceae seem to have sustained the least damage, although we have seen some effects on Banksia Prionotes and Grandis seedlings. The King Protea, with the waxiest of leaves, seems to have faired well, as have most of the leucadendron varieties (Safari Sunset.) The mink and Queen Proteas, and a majority of the Hawaiian leucospermum (pincushion) varieties, have taken the worst damage, varying by parentage. Showing the worst damage amongst the Protea was Pink Mink (Protea neriifolia.) Our leucospermums (pincushions) took a lot of damage; many of which were flush with new growth at the end of their flowering season. Pincushion varieties with glabrum, cuneiforme, or conocarpodendron parentage seem to have the most tolerance though still took damage, while those with cordifolium, tottem or reflexum parentage look so bad, it makes me want to cry. Leucospermum lineare, patersonii, and vestitium varieties, which are also common in Hawaiian pincushion, showed moderate damage, relative to the others.

The pictures don't do the damage justice; when you visit the field, what gets you first is the smell of dead vegetation. Each leaf, on many of the plants, is 75-90% dead. Two effect have been hard on the leaves: the extra particulate matter in the air, often the density of talc, sucks the moisture out of the tissue, leaving the leaves scorched on the tips and edges as though a very hot day after a period of water stress, dried them; then secondly the sulfuric acid effect, that appears almost like a chemical burn on the leaf, at first, then the burned tissue desiccates. The non-transpirant parts of the plants, very new tissue, stems, and leaf buds, do not seem effected. The plants, disregarding the damage, look very healthy, in fact the undamaged tissue has actually grown remarkably since the incident, as though the plants now have extra energy even as we deny them water.

We are also seeing damage to some pincushion flowers, and the bracts (the colorful parts that surround, and are often mistaken for, the flowers) of the mink and Queen Protea varieties. In the pincushion flowers we have seen whole flower heads of shrivelled pins. In the Protea the damage appears as a bronzing of the colorful bracts surrounding the flower head. On some varieties this is more destructive to the look of the flower than in others.

Next steps: wait, wait and more wait. Some of the growers on the hill met with the government people, of course this has never happened before, so they can only help us test some theories of what might help, should it ever happen in the future. We are trying a couple of chemicals, in standard, controlled, tests on several varieties along with the other growers, but we know that its not really a viable way to grow the flowers. Even if a chemical could prove useful, could it possibly be worth the cost of applying it. Instead, we will hopefully determine what Proteacea can tolerate the conditions supplied by the volcano. We haven't heard how the Macadamia trees are doing yet. They were also at the end of their flowering cycle. Macadamia is a Proteacae too, from Tasmania, but like the other Australian Proteacae, it may tolerate the bad air more than the South African Protea and Leucospermum. We will have to wait, at least a season, before we remove anything from the ground that doesn't just die. It is important that we determine if the plants can recover, and what the long term effects will be.

Labels: Flowers, Hawaii

link | posted by Reese at 10:43 AM
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Tolver's yellow rocket seedlings and clones are now all in the ground. We will get flowers from the clones inside a year, but will have to wait up to 3 years to get flowers from the seedlings. He will then be able to embark on his breeding program. Tolver wants to try and put some color into the yellow rockets and come up with a new commercially viable cultivar before dad dies so that he can name it after him while he is still alive to appreciate it.

He is too modest to say he wants a plant named after him, but he has done so much for us, and is already a doctor of horticulture, so we think he deserves one. It is the best honorarium that we can give him.

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 6:25 PM
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This Leucadendron Argenteum, also known as Silver Tree, is female (leucadedrons are usually sexed) has been polinated and is setting seed. The 'cone' is approximately 2.5 inches in diameter.

Now that's a happy puppy!

Labels: Flowers, Our Queer Family

link | posted by Reese at 11:33 PM
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First we got that last external wall finished, although Tolver had to take some of the siding back down, when the sliding glass door arrived. The slider came with an unexpected fin, like for a window installation, so it had to be installed under the siding.

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I've begun work on a new website (proteadirect.com) for auctioning the flowers. We're hoping that rare protea, like the Aristata which is practically unknown in flower biz, may bring a higher price for its novelty.

Labels: building, Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 6:50 PM
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Not much exciting going on since the birthday. We're still dealing with the draught, but the little moths seem just about gone. Our first Protea Aristata flower bloomed this week. The Aristata are very slow growing plants for us; almost five years from the time that it went in the ground to its first flower. The plant stands only about 28 inches tall, but the flowerhead is nearly 5 inches in diameter.



You can see a second bloom, not yet open, in the back ground of the second picture. We're thinking of just keeping it for ourselves, and leaving it on the plant, since we won't get more than about $1 for it wholesale. I guess we could auction it off on ebay...

Still working on the room. Tolver has gotten most of the electrical wiring done, and the sliding glass door arrives on Saturday.

I'm adding a list of links to other blogs that I visit. I find other blogger's lists very useful for finding other, like-minded individuals. It should show up under the advertisements on the right.

Labels: building, Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 12:52 PM
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includes: Banksia "Raspberry Frost" (banksia menzesii), Leucadendron "Silver Tree" folliage (leucadendron argentium), Leucadendron "Inca Gold" (leucoadendron cultivar), and leucadendron eucalyptifolum.

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 1:32 PM
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Well, Tolver's thumb injury is healing, and even though he's been to the dentist three times in the last two weeks, and had at least that many teeth pulled, he's been going crazy to get back to work. So we made another trip to Homo Despot, and we've made some more progress on the new room.


Add a coat of paint, and things start to really look like they are coming together.

Now we have to wait for delivery of the sliding glass door to finish the final exterior wall. In the mean time, we'll get the wiring done.



Nice Tush!

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Today though, we got sidetracked by BUGS! More precisely, a yet to be identified moth has been laying eggs all over the pincushion flower buds. It does not seem to be the Apple Moth that has restricted the export of plants from the island (another pest that we have to be on the look out for) but it will probably be another problem at the point of inspection (we allready have to watch out for ants.)

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And, thanks to God of Biscuits (who has linked to us since the Blog was called "Tolver's Mind"), I (Reese) was directed to the "Which Tarot Card Are You" internet quiz...

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Labels: building, Faeries, Flowers, Hawaii

link | posted by Reese at 6:08 PM
3 comments

The arrangement includes a couple White (green) Ice Protea Repens, a Mint Julep Banksia with kelly green, rick-rack leaves, a High Gold Leucospermum pincushion, and several different green Leucodendrons.

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 1:55 PM
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I am thankful for Hawaii; I am thankful for the family that I have found here. I am thankful for DJ Tiesto because he fits my mood today.

But, I realized this morning, that this will be the first Thanksgiving away from the family that I had in San Francisco. We attended Marty's Thanksgiving Day gathering every year that we were acquainted with the House of the Golden Bull. I guess that would be 8 years in a row. My thanks go out to my family there... Thank you for you, Marty, Mickey, and Rory!

And everybody else that I am missing this year, thank you for being there in my memory. That makes me thankful for the life that I have had, and the joy that each of you have brought to it.

Have a Happy Holiday!

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 12:02 PM
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Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 12:21 PM
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Leucospermum Reflexum
We love red "rockets". The leaves are bluish-grey, the stems are lavender, and the flowers fire-engine red. The flower heads 'reflex' back until all of the styles are pointing down, like the flames from a bottle rocket.



The Protea are a long term commitment. These newly planted won't start flowering for about 3 years.



Tolver's secret garden.

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 9:48 AM
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So I looked at my blog this morning and realized that another 15 days had gone by since I wrote anything here... sigh... then I noticed the google ad at the side of the page :



"Don't go to Hawaii?! It will stifle your online persona!

For some reason I seem to be much more "into" working the flower farm than sitting at the computer... yeah!

On Thursday we pick flowers for market... then we head out for the beach! O yeah, thats another reason to be away from the computer! hee hee heee

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 11:38 AM
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The bottle brush, or red swamp Banskia's pollen presenters are deep red, to maroon. After you pick them and they dry, they turn deep royal purple.

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 8:32 PM
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Pruning the plants has become one of my major jobs around the farm. With over a thousand plants in the ground, and another 1800 holes coming, there are a lot of plants that have to be inspected and pruned. Seems like you just get through the fields once, and the plants back where you started are needing it again. We prune for several reasons, and prune differently for different results: we prune a plant that is, or will be soon, producing flowers to cause the plants to put more energy into the flower's stem, thus elongating it; we prune away disease; we prune to shape the plant and promote growth in specific directions; and, we prune to encourage growth in younger plants.

In pruning, I have found my own understanding of the green thumb. When you look at a plant you can either see its energy, or you cannot. When you can see a plant's energy it becomes very obvious what to prune. When a plant is pruned correctly you can see the energy coming up from the earth, through the plant, and shooting out the top into the sky. Prior to pruning, you can look at a plant and see where it's energy is confused, corrupted, or just discombobulated; it is the same sort of empathy that lets you detect when a person is ill.

I guess "seeing" isn't really the right word for it, although sight is as close to the sensation as any other, like smell. It registers as a sensation, a feeling. And, it is very difficult to describe to someone who cannot "see" it.

Labels: Flowers

link | posted by Reese at 8:41 PM
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