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Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:35 pm
by Donweather
Braithy has his mango theory and I have my Agave theory. One of my older Agave's is flowering. Never seen this before but have also noticed it quite common on other agaves around the traps at present. Just wondering if this relates to the current onset of the predicted strong El Nino?

Anyone else know if these plants did similar in 1997 (our last big El Nino)?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/6811482839/

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:04 pm
by alakaboo
As a matter of fact, 2 agave plants near me last flowered in 1997. But they've been cut down now so I can't validate. And obviously they died, I meant the other ones in the clump.

But I thought they needed rain and fertiliser to flower.
They take 5-40 years to flower depending on species, are you in a place where the plants were all put in about the same time?

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 6:00 pm
by steve shearer
could this be the missing link to understanding the ENSO cycle?

not really a cycle, it's an oscillation but you get the drift.

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:18 am
by Donweather
alakaboo wrote:As a matter of fact, 2 agave plants near me last flowered in 1997. But they've been cut down now so I can't validate. And obviously they died, I meant the other ones in the clump.

But I thought they needed rain and fertiliser to flower.
They take 5-40 years to flower depending on species, are you in a place where the plants were all put in about the same time?
The one that is flowering at my place is one of the first ones we planted and we haven't removed any pups from her. The mother is flowering and the mother will die at the end of the flowering. My observations are that alot of other Agave's around Brisbane are also flowering at the moment. Something that I've not certainly seen or noticed before occuring on a regular basis. We have not fertilised it nor watered it for a very long time.

These plants thrive on drought conditions. Any wet feet and they die quickly. So my guess is if they're flowering now, these plants are under the impression that we're in for a long, dry hot spring/summer....which would by far be the best conditions for their new plants to commence growing in.

Nice to see that 1997 also had these plants flowering!!!

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 10:29 am
by crabmeat thompson
long hot/ dry winter, spring and summer ... this means we're back to hardly any swell too, eh?

All i remember in the last drought was I hardly ever surfed anything other than beachies.

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:04 pm
by black duck
Sth Coast around Ulladulla currently solid 5-6ft and clean.
Why am I at work...

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:30 pm
by crabmeat thompson
black duck wrote:Sth Coast around Ulladulla currently solid 5-6ft and clean.
Why am I at work...

Because Joe Hockey said you needed to do the heavy lifting. For the nation.

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:47 pm
by black duck
Braithy wrote:
black duck wrote:Sth Coast around Ulladulla currently solid 5-6ft and clean.
Why am I at work...

Because Joe Hockey said you needed to do the heavy lifting. For the nation.
Well, young joe can go suck one...because.... fcuk the nation I've just decided to go down the coast. Be mixing it with the all too numerous hordes on school holidays no doubt but I don't care. It's a mid year thing. joe will understand. If rockin can go skiing then bugger it, I'm going for a surf. Next couple of days should be ok to catch something of the current swell that's around. Hear that sound Braithy.... that's the sound of me not doing any heavy lifting.

Re: Autumn fourteen

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 7:36 pm
by crabmeat thompson
well done black duck. we need more soldiers like you, son.