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Post by richardw on Apr 29, 2013 21:23:47 GMT -5
That's interesting Richard. Your carrot has been through a genetic bottleneck but still looks pretty good. Have you mixed it with any other over the years? No only that one line Ray,back when i didnt know what the heck i was doing i would find it difficult to pick out enough good shaped carrots for seed,but in resent years the % keeps increasing,so i suppose thats a good sign. |
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Post by richardw on Dec 7, 2013 12:50:53 GMT -5
The 2013-14 Benhorn carrot seed crop is now starting to flower,my plans are to soon start looking for male sterility and pull out any which are found, then its a matter of throwing over the bird netting as the seed is forming,the glass bottles help protect the net.  |
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Post by richardw on Dec 7, 2013 13:08:55 GMT -5
Question- ive just had a look over the block and noticed there heaps of anthers but do they start off white and go brown as they age?
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Dec 7, 2013 15:32:13 GMT -5
Question- ive just had a look over the block and noticed there heaps of anthers but do they start off white and go brown as they age? There is a "brown shriveled anthers" type of cytoplasmic male sterility for carrots. I haven't seen that trait in the carrots that I grow. I see lots of the "no anthers" type of carrot CMS. Here's what a healthy male-fertile carrot flower looks like. Anthers start out white and turn brown as they age.  And what a male-sterile flower looks like.  It's easy to pick out the fertile flowers even at a distance.  Oh, and by the way RichardW... What's up with the bottles in the carrot patch? |
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Post by richardw on Dec 7, 2013 17:24:42 GMT -5
Thanks Joseph,i see in that first photo there's two white anthers bottom right,thats what mine are like,i'll see if i cant get a photo and show you.
These bottles are so the net doesn't get damaged
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Post by richardw on Dec 7, 2013 18:37:24 GMT -5
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Dec 7, 2013 20:27:11 GMT -5
RichardW: Those look like fully fertile carrot flowers to me. It looks like there are several pollinators on that bottom photo. Another great sign of fertility.
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Post by richardw on Dec 7, 2013 23:36:40 GMT -5
Thats good,though there are some that look like they will be male-sterile,just give them another week to make sure that the flower is fully open.
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Post by richardw on Dec 8, 2013 13:23:41 GMT -5
It looks like there are several pollinators on that bottom photo. Another great sign of fertility. I really enjoy studying all the different insects that are on the carrot or parsnip flowers,ive counted up to 20 different flies and five native bees |
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Post by richardw on Dec 8, 2013 13:39:30 GMT -5
I sowed this bed of Benhorn which will be for seed 2014-15 on about the shortest day,not because of any moon calendar thing but that i wanted to sow as early as i could so as to expose the early bolters,so far ive pulled about 30 out including the three that can be seen in the photo.The net is used to stop carrot fly which is so bad in my area that if i didn't have it i would loose 100% of the crop by the next winter.  |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Dec 8, 2013 14:08:26 GMT -5
I love watching pollinators also. I grew fennel for the first time this year... It was a wasp magnet. One species of wasp was represented by 10 to 20 large wasps ON EACH UMBEL!!!!  Creeped me out. Those things seem dangerous. They weren't flying, just sitting there. Guarding the flowers? Is that favas in the photo? My fava beans grew about 30 cm tall this summer. |
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Post by copse on Dec 8, 2013 18:43:21 GMT -5
I love watching pollinators also. I grew fennel for the first time this year... It was a wasp magnet. One species of wasp was represented by 10 to 20 large wasps ON EACH UMBEL!!!! Creeped me out. Those things seem dangerous. They weren't flying, just sitting there. Guarding the flowers? Is that favas in the photo? My fava beans grew about 30 cm tall this summer. Yeah, I thought they were fava, or broad beans, as we call them here, as well. Mine are about a meter tall, and are leaning over. The ones in the picture look much better, and seem to have survived all the recent winds well. |
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Post by richardw on Dec 8, 2013 21:18:56 GMT -5
Yes they are Fava'a which are about 1.5m tall,that variety handles wind really well,mind you they have taken a bit of a hiding from a our 1year old dog who sends all day chasing black birds through the beds.
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Post by steev on Dec 8, 2013 22:32:54 GMT -5
A new dog! Lucky you.
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Post by richardw on Dec 16, 2013 12:42:41 GMT -5
I've pulled a total of 4 plants that were male sterile,what's left now are all showing signs of brown anthers,so 4 out of 52 carrots replanted is quite good i think.
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Creeped me out. Those things seem dangerous. They weren't flying, just sitting there. Guarding the flowers?
