I don’t understand the growth problems with WR.
I haven't seen any, and Margie and I have similar
climates.
Similar climate but not quite the same. During the Summer Monsoon
Season - (I living 100 miles south of Phoenix and just off the
foothills of the mountains) this area tends to have higher humidity and
more rain than the Phoenix area. It also becomes colder in the
winter - as low as 19 degrees (more often down to 22-25
or so each year) which much of the Phoenix area doesn't usually experience).
I have few that die from year to year, but when they are well
cared for and still die as WR did - I believe it has more to do
with it's genetics (particularly it's growth capabilities in relation
to the tolerance range it can survive under in wide and
varying weather conditions). WR died a slow (over 2 years)
death.
Let me also propose this (at the risk of sounding like I'm losing
my marbles) Sometimes (I'm beginning to question what if or think) that
rhizomes can arrive at your home or become ill. We know about
soft rot, bacterial rot, and other certain death caused by fertilizers;
too much nitrogen or rain; animals or insects. But what if these rhizomes
can "catch a cold" so to speak, or a "flu bug" that is able
to weaken their overall health. Then possibly once
in this weakened conditioned they can either recover and once again
become healthy and grow well, or slowly die. (They die no matter all the
care, fertilizer, or new growing medium you give them).
Conditions that may cause them to become ill could be (lets just
speculate here) air borne mold spores that finds it way in through an
injury, or an "infection" due to something hostile in the
water, or an illness due to a sharp injury while being dug
/or thrown hard against the ground/or stepped on, etc.
Then let's take it a step further. Lets' say while these rhizomes are
in this weakened state due to an "infection / illness" and is dug up
during that time /and the increases are separated up and shipped out -
will these rhizomes then only be able to perform only as well as it's
currents' mother health permits (no matter what great conditions now
exist around them) and therefore not able to live up to it's full DNA
potential?? Yet at the same time - due to their "new found location"
either become once again healthy/well or possibly continue to slowly die
because the illness has overpowered those
particular rhizomes?
Another question - - If an injury is serious enough can it cause a
slight difference in the DNA?
Just thoughts.
~
Margie
