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Viola Status Update

The Viola propagation tub Team Echinacea installed this past summer was designed with a few goals in mind. First of all, we wanted the tub to produce Viola pedatifida seed that could be used to help seed this important spring native throughout our remnants and experimental plots. We have already seen a pretty good return on our investment from the seed production end, just this fall 10 ripe pods have been harvested each containing between 20 and 30 seeds so this season around 250 seeds have been collected. Additionally, 9 Immature pods were collected before winterizing the plot, so hopefully, some good seeds will come from those as well. The second big goal we wanted to explore with this setup is learning more about small-scale production plots. Several other species have been known to grow well in beds like violets and hopefully, through managing this violet plot, we can learn more about what to expect. Other notable species that may go into future production plots are Ranunculus rhomboideus, Fragaria virginiana, Geum triflorum, and many others. Other good data to collect may come from the survivability of plants directly transferred from remnants and data on germination and survivability of seedlings.

Plot Layout and Plant Data

The plot is laid out below with the corresponding position numbers. The left spreadsheet lays out the ID and source for each plant, and the right contains data on pods collected so far.

Collecting Pods

Throughout the fall, 2 pods were followed from flowering to splitting of the pod. Pictures were taken each day along the entire course each morning before lunch. each pod took 17 days from flower to splitting open. Photos here will be arranged in inverse chronological order starting with pod splitting and then counting backwards. Moving forward we would like to learn what the exact features are of a pod that is ready to harvest. So far these photos have shown 2 likely indicators. 1) the pod starts very green and small and slowly turns a pale cream color and fills out as it matures. 2) The pod stem transitions from a bent gooseneck shape into a more upright position while lightening in color. When a pod is ready the stem tends to be fairly straight or has a soft curvature.

Violet 8

Violet 11

Tucking in for Winter

Oct 24 2024 the violets seed production was slowing down and with winter weather on its way it was decided that we should tuck the violets in and cover them. Firstly litter and any seeds visible on the surface of the tub. Next, a 4-inch mulch of Straw cut from P1 was applied across the entire surface of the tub, being sure to cover all green stems from the violas. Lastly, a Sheet of hardware cloth was cut to the length of the tub to prevent the intrusion of digging animals. This sheet was bent around the edges of the tub and then weighed down by several stones. Afterwards, the violas should be safe until next summer.

Spring 2025

A few things will definitely be on the docket for next spring. First off after the snow recedes the wire and mulch should be removed as soon as possible to ensure the soil warms and the volets get enough sunlight. As soon as the soil is removed an inch or so of compost should be applied across the entire bed. Once the violets emerge then the mulch can be reapplied to prevent weed development. Flowers should develop quickly and the job of picking ripe pods will almost certainly last all summer.

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