Share The Seeds
Gardening Area => Growing questions and answers => Topic started by: intezam on September 01, 2014, 04:12:21 PM
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Hi, we have have a question about canary seed (phalaris canariensis sp. brachystachys) and in this regard about the bird food variety (not the trademarked "silica free" pureza variety). Can this grass revert to it's wild form (phalaris brachystachys sp) if left to struggle in the wild? If yes, how many generations would it take? How would growing it together with the wild form affect this? How would one proceed to hybridize the two? We have no idea. Anyone knows?
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I would expect them to hybridize, also a path you would put outside would stay genetically exactly the same patch, this is due to the rhizomes staying in the ground when the grass dies back. It would take a long time - if it was possible at all - to get anywhere near a natural form, because against common believe it will take the plant a long time to really grow big and healthy if started from seed. The hybrid seeds wpuld be scattered over large areas and the resulting plants would be hard to tell from the native plants.
If there is a wild form around I would simple generously dig a patch up, put it in the sink amd water it to flush all dirt. This leaves you with all kinds of rhizomes roots ... Now you would have to identify the phalaris rhizome and carefully seperate pieces as large as possible. You can then plant those rhizomes in a pot or tray or outside and they will quickly recover and make a nice adult natural form Phalaris plant. Here I simply assumed you want to have a natural Phalaris (?)
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It would most likely take a few seasons for any noticeable change. I have been thinking my canariensis patch has hybridized with lolium spp recently but wouldn't be certain.
Also applying ammonium sulfate patch would get your p. Canariensis closer to brachystachys quality.
An idea is if you bred brachystachys with aquatics or stenoptera you'd have an easier time surviving all the plants in tact through winter
Also would hybridizing lower the nutrient content unique to canariensis seeds(alpiste)?