I have sold an occasional one; mostly I make them for friends and special occasions.

I just googled how to make Ti leaf leis and came across a U Tube video on how to make Ti leaf "roses". They were using them like the plumeria flowers and sticking them in the leis. They used the same green Ti leaves but I was thinking how pretty the roses would be if the more colorful Ti leaves were used.

Hetty, do you think the colorful leaves like Scott's Hawaiian Flag would be pliable enough to work with? In all the videos I saw they were only using the long green leaves. Also, do you iron, steam or freeze your leaves first?

Yes, any Ti leaves work for this, and I always freeze mine. It's so easy because that way I harvest them when I can and keep them in the freezer, ready for when I want to make a lei.

Thank you. Weatherwise we are on the upswing here and I can't wait for my plants to start putting on new growth, I do want to try at least the roses if not the leis.

Be sure to post pictures when you do!

Keep an eye out, Alice. It's supposed to be lows in the 40's here for 3 or 4 nights this week starting Thursday! Argh. Let's hope this is the last really "cold" front that gets to us!

I have some NoID pink/green ones out front that have made a lot of seeds. Just wondering if the seeds are viable at this red stage or do I have to wait for them to brown and drop? The birds or someone is eating the greenish ones but not the red ones.

Here's the plant. It normally has more light green striping as well as the pink.

Elaine, If those bright red fruit on the seed cluster in your photo are soft to a squeeze between your fingers the fruit are ripe and seed mature for planting. The Cordyline looks like 'Maria' and is always a good heavy seed producer for me.

Thanks, Scot. I'll give them a squeeze and see.

The weather is crazy Elaine. We have a forecast of 39 for a couple of nights later this week. We have had 2 or 3 colder nights this winter but so far no real damage. The Ti's in the ground seem fine although smaller than normal and the ones in containers are still on the deck, in a lee corner, out of the wind.

Here is a example of plants grown from seed off of 'Kiwi':

Wow, what an amazing variety! Lovely! Are they always so varied?

I picked 8 'berries' this morning, and am wondering if I need to just plant or open them and remove the pulp around the seeds? I only have the one type, (except for my new baby plants from Hawaii which have so far been indoors) so we'll see what I get?

I think if you get seeds from a hybrid, the babies can show characteristics of either of the grandparent plants, or they can look like the parent. You only get exact replicas for sure if you start plants from cuttings.

Mind you, I'll bet in Scott's garden there's a lot of cross-pollinating going on, too. Those are all gorgeous, Scott.

Elaine I planted some 'berries' whole a while ago; they did germinate but were pretty slow. I now have a pot full of tiny baby seedlings.
Scott that is a wonderful selection of offspring!

Thanks, Hetty. I was curious so went out and picked a few more berries, brought them in then cut them in half to see what the seeds look like. They have nice white pulp inside the red skin, and black seeds, a good size, the biggest about the size of a flax seed.

I planted the halved berries in one side of the 4 little pots that I had put the whole berries in. Now we shall see which ones get going first! Can't help but think those berries must be appetizing to some critter or bird - and some seeds actually need to pass through the digestive system of a critter to become viable. Just like some need to be chilled, some scarified, and some even germinate better if they've fermented a bit . . .

I brought seeds back from HI and planted them whole and they germinated just fine. No fussing necessary.

dyzzypyxxy said:I picked 8 'berries' this morning, and am wondering if I need to just plant or open them and remove the pulp around the seeds? I only have the one type, (except for my new baby plants from Hawaii which have so far been indoors) so we'll see what I get?

I think if you get seeds from a hybrid, the babies can show characteristics of either of the grandparent plants, or they can look like the parent. You only get exact replicas for sure if you start plants from cuttings.

Mind you, I'll bet in Scott's garden there's a lot of cross-pollinating going on, too. Those are all gorgeous, Scott.

I did a little controlled pollinating this year on a few of my favorites Ti in hopes they get the best from both parents.
No need to open the fruit and clean the pulp from the seed. The seed germinate fine from the whole berries. I use to do it the hard way and spent the time removing the seed, but cut corners and now just sow the whole berries in the outdoor garden beds. The plants seem to move along faster in the outdoor beds as you do not get the transplant shock repotting the little seedlings.

I have my "grow op" set up in the living room right now for tomatoes and peppers so I figured they'd for sure germinate better there than outside with the nights falling into the 40's . . . But there are lots of berries falling on the ground under these plants. Somebody must be eating them because I don't have any seedlings, and they made berries last year, too.

At the Dole Pineapple Plantation, Wahiawa, Oahu, HI

Around my garden today...

Scott, I wish I could see your gardens in person. The photos are magnificent as it is.