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I need help! This plant was bought as a seedling, and it has always thrived. It is now six feet tall and
even thought my Gossypium hirsut are much shorter, growing in the same bed, already have big pods, this Barbadense has continued to grow tall, make leaves, and no flowers and no pods. What is going on? Are these male and female? I hope someone can advise me how to get flowers and pods, as I was so happy with this plant since it is a perennial cotton, and want a production of seeds for this variety. thank you so much!
You do realize that your C-GB plant is extremely susceptible to frost damage as it is a tropical. It is more of a very tender perennial here and not as hardy as the CGhirsut. It also requires full sun, high humidity and regular rainfall and is really picky about fertilizer. Unfortunately there isn't much more I can tell you about it as I have never grown pima cotton.
Thank you so much! Maybe I am using the wrong fertilizer and that is giving me a big plant with no flowers or pods ...I will try some other fertilizer. Also, I knew it was from the Caribbean so I will try to bring it into the greenhouse for the winter. We have had good rainfall this summer, and my other cotton variety is blooming so I know there is enough sunlight, and our humidity is very high. I appreciate your reply. Let me know if you would like some seeds if I can get it to bloom.
From reading, it would seem that the plant does best with Potassium, zinc and phosphorus based fertilizers rather than a high nitrogen fertilizer. I am including a link, lot of technical junk, but some good info. Also found that it takes 7 months from planting to harvest for the CG barbadense.
All cotton is perennial if you have a place where it won't get killed by winter freeze. My uncle was test plot foreman at Mississippi Experiment Station for years. Used to go to their greenhouse and look at the plants when I was a kid. Had a plant in there that was probably 30 years old when I was a boy. Would have to take a chain saw and cut it back every once and a while. They use to grow all different colors of cotton. I remember seeing red, blue,green and others. Pretty interesting stuff.
It was experimental to see if it would be cheaper to raise cotton already with color than to have to dye it. It didn't pan out as it never made it to market as a commericial crop.
Thanks again, themoonhowl, and the rest of you folks with your great information. I am going out to the plant now to use the fertilizers you recommended. Also will try to root a cutting to see if I can make more plants from this one. How can I stay in touch with you to get some seeds to you, (and to the other folks, too), when it blooms? I think you are right- it is the fertilizer-too much nitrogen as you suggested. Glad to know- many thanks agin' to the moonhowl!
seedemom...to get ahold of anyone in DG simply click on their name in the thread and it gives you a list of options...dmail, read thier journal, see their blog, see their trade list and so forth...try it...go to the littl box next to this post and click on my name and check things out
