The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Trees and Shrubs => Topic started by: Alisdair on June 29, 2012, 08:30:07 AM
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Very nice ideas coming from Fleur. I will just add to the suggestions the caper bush (Capparis spinosa) if you would also like to go for a bush/creeper. Caper would be dormant until mid-spring when acanthus would be full bloomed, and it would gain ground in the summer, when acanthus disappears . In the winter its Caper's turn to die back, when Acanthus starts to grow, so the two plants have rather complementary cycles. And the caper bush wouldn't need a drop of water either.
This is just an idea of mine... I haven't seen in in any garden yet (But I am also new in this so there are many many gardens for me to see) :)
In the thread on Underplanting (http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=880.msg5765#msg5765), Bolanthus's suggestion of trying Capers has started a discussion of Capers more generally, which is better here as a new thread.
By the way most capparis are very difficult to germinate and transplant later on...
I'd say Oron's "very difficult" is an understatement! A 2009 scientific paper (http://www.journal-pop.org/References/Vol_9_1(35-38).pdf) referred to two dozen previous studies on caper germination, and since then there have been several more. Although various protocols have been suggested claiming varying degrees of success, no-one seems to have cracked the problem. I once carefully followed an Italian protocol which the authors had claimed gave quite a decent, if low, percentage germination, and got zero. I have had equally complete failure with various folk recommendations, too, including sowing the seed wrapped inside a fig, and with a hollow straw blowing fresh seed into likely crannies.
The infuriating thing is that left to itself self-sown seedlings crop up happily all over the place :'(
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An extract from MGS Newsletter “How to germinate Capparis spinosa”
Number of seeds per kg 80,000–160,000. Ripe berries are collected July – September, are dried, seeds are extracted, washed and dried for storage. Fully ripened seeds are usually dark brown.
Caper seeds have an impermeable seed coat that hinders moisture uptake. If they are mechanically scarified immediately after collection a moderate level of germination can be achieved. Chemical scarification with sulphuric acid is suggested. Or seeds are washed with water and soaked for 60-90 minutes in a solution of gibberellins. When this technique is employed germination percentages above 70% have been achieved. Scarification in hot water (55 to 85°C) proves to be generally ineffective. The partial or total removal of the seed coat performed by hand results in very high percentages of germination; this demonstrates the role of the seed coat in the caper’s germination.
After dormancy has been broken, germination is favoured by alternating temperatures, but good results have also been achieved with constant, and comparatively high, temperatures (+25°C) and a 12 hours photoperiod. Average germination is 70-95%.
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Well a better idea is to spot a capper bush in your location (or if you don’t have it in your region to ask a friend who does to do the job for you) and take cuttings from the plant in winter. One should use only the thick basal portions of stems with diameter more than 1cm and the cuttings should be around 10cm length. In the book "Αρωματικά και Φαρμακευτικά φυτά" του Θ. Κουτσού ("Aromatic and Medicinal plants", author Th. Koutsos) I have read that propagating caper in this way, directly in the field (for commercial use) has a 40% success which may reach 70% if a root hormone is also used.
I'm always fascinated by this plant. Amazing beauty and an "impossible" drought tolerance! In the photo below a caper is growing out of concrete in Piraeus, taken a week or so ago. Yesterday I was jogging around the place and I noticed this plant ...it got ever bigger and is still covered with flowers and flower buds in the growing stems.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JwS0nhSjqV4/T-1s9f1Yb8I/AAAAAAAAA1E/bl8akiw6D1A/s512/P6180087.JPG)
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Yes, it is an extraordinary and wonderful plant, I love it!
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Talking about Capparis, here is C. decidua, a very rare species growing near the Dead Sea . This tall shrub was in flower last March in Jordan at 390m under sea level.
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To see Hilary's picture identified by Oron as Capparis aegyptia click here (http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=132.0).
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I've managed to germinate them (Capparis orientalis?... syn. C.spinosa var. rupestris) by scarification with sand paper, then 600 ppm GA-3.
on moist filter paper over vermiculite in a petri dish.
then pick out the germinated seeds and put into a coarse gravelly mix in a small pot or tube.
plant out the following year.
I've also done the above process, but sown into pots directly rather than the petri dish.
I've also heard of , but not tried, scarification then stratification for a month or two.
Maybe I should try that too... I have about a cup full of seed from my plants to play with.
Cuttings are method i'd like to try.
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Having long admired this beautiful plant and never having success in establishing it I am thrilled to report that soon I shall be "inheriting" some mature specimins growing out of the old wall that bounds our new property. (Downsizing - age catching up with us :() My question is when should I prune them back if at all? I noticed them immediately last year, late summer, when we were viewing this property and then on a later visit saw that they had all been cut back to within a few inches of the wall leaving a mass of short mature stems. This year they grew well and flowered much to my relief - I thought perhaps the former owner was trying to eradicate them in an effort to be tidy ::) Perhaps this was the correct thing to do though? Any help on this will be most gratefully received.
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Off subject, but if you're moving to a garden with a wall around it Umbrian, does that mean no more large, spiky, marauders?
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:)Indeed it does Jill and I am very much looking forward to being able to have bulbs and iris, two of their favourite meals! Leaving an established garden is always sad but this is a definite plus for me and I always like to look on the positive side of things. :)
Only the other night they came marauding and dug two huge holes, scattering earth all over an adjacent gravel path, then it rained and I am left with a muddy mess to sort out once it dries out.
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PLEASE, can someone answer my question of 22nd November about how and when to cut back Capers? One of our experts must be able to help me...Oron, John,et al :-\
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Hello Carol
I have some small capers which I haven't pruned yet. However I have a friend here who has some very mature capers on seriously dry soil (they are never waterd) and I will ask him when he prunes them. So bear with me....
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Carol. I have had the answer!
He doesnt carefully prune it but chops it back at any time when it out grows its area. Perhaps not what you wanted to hear!
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Sounds like a luxury problems for those of us not being the lucky owners of a caper plant. Has anybody in Greece ever seen this for sale there?
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PLEASE, can someone answer my question of 22nd November about how and when to cut back Capers? One of our experts must be able to help me...Oron, John,et al :-\
Sorry Carole, i have missed that one!
Well, Capers doesnt seems to need any pruning, but if it looks really dry or not atractive just cut it down to the ground in early winter. It will start all over again with fresh stems. The only thing is that it might have only few flowers on its first seoson but it will certinally look fresh.
Down here, Caper shrubs look best after a fire, when burned to the ground, seems almost as if it encourages them.
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I only had one which I would top and tail with secateurs during the winter. Early spring would seem to be a sensible time which would allow new regrowth to cover pruning cuts. If your plant is really big and many of them are when hanging over walls simply cut them back with hedge clippers.
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I have bought caper plants on Paros, Jorun. See if you can find any small nurseries in your area that have an interest in indigenous plants. I think they are springing up since more and more people are asking for native plants.
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Many thanks for the flurry of replies, it would appear that, once established (the difficult bit), capers are quite resilient and not too fussy about when they are pruned/tidied up which is good to know. :) I would hate to kill it off during my first year of ownership ::)
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Won't you post some 'before' photos of your new garden, Carole? I really enjoy seeing before and after views, although not like poor Daisy's mealybug ones!
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Will do Fleur, did my first stint in the garden yesterday and the soil is to die for after what I have been contending with, black crumbly and an absolute joy to work with, very exciting :) Thought I might do a kind of "diary" of my progress on the Forum?
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Excellent idea. I wish I'd photographed the progress of my pond and its surrounding beds now.
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In the Waite Arboretum, Adelaide, we saw this native caper which as you can see from the group of people in the background of the second picture is actually a sizeable tree, from the outback.
We saw one or two common (or caper) white butterflies (Belenois java teutonia) already exploring it, arriving after migration from N Australia; it's the food plant of their caterpillars.
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That's interesting Alisdair. I missed seeing our native caper; I was at home prepping for our home-hosted dinner for our o/seas MGS guests while the arboretum tour was held. I do grow three plants of the culinary caper. They are planted in Long Tom type pots with the merest suggestion of potting mix and lots of scoria pebbles plus a quantity of manufactured terracotta 'pebbles' which were at one time favoured by orchid growers. They are slowly getting established but we are a way off any harvest yet. In the rain-shadow area E of the Mt Lofty Ranges dry-land farmers have diversified into commercial caper cropping and several successful businesses have been established in the last 10 yrs. (I imagine they are more in demand than JoJoba berries which were supposed to be a great crop 25yrs ago.) tn
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Further to Trevor's comment about commercial caper growers in Australia and earlier queries about pruning, this grower has some interesting remarks about cultivation: http://www.caperplants.com/Growing%20in%20Australia.htm
I thought it was interesting that they cut them right down in winter. I have several plants in a coastal garden and have never done this so I shall try it this coming winter.
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Many thanks for the flurry of replies, it would appear that, once established (the difficult bit), capers are quite resilient and not too fussy about when they are pruned/tidied up which is good to know. :) I would hate to kill it off during my first year of ownership ::)
I've only just come across this thread and can confirm that in my experience mature capers are tough. I am lucky enough to have three in my Greek garden (all self seeded) and I just cut back as and when to keep them within bounds. I aim to do this in winter but pruning later in the year has not been detrimental. I noticed a new baby caper growing near by biggest specimen when I was last there and I would like to transplant it - any tips anyone?
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I have tried to transplant a few times with no luck, they seed here too but always in the wrong places!
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Great plant, but also a great challenge to get it established. I have grown them from seed but germination rates are thin. Fresh seed from a local plant seems to be easiest.
We have just cut our caper back to a low skeleton of branches and the new shoots come through from the base of the old wood. Perhaps this is why the cuttings of the thicker stems work, I have rooted cuttings this way but not managed to bring them through the summer.
Keep trying, our local agriculture station has germinated a good number of capers from their own plant and we hope to have some for sale at the Conference weekend. Getting anything to grow from seed is so exciting, well worth having a go if you have local plants.
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Has anyone tried sowing really fresh, green seed? Possibly harvested before the pods are ready to split? Could be worth a try to avoid the low rate of germination of the dry brown seed. tn.
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Does anyone know where I can source caper plants in Greece?
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Sorry, no idea where you can get them Janet but if you'd like fresh seed I'm happy to send you some later in the year. Just send me your details.
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I am now the lucky owner of a small caper plant which is presently in a pot on my windowsill in Norway, I bought in Portugal a month ago. On Monday I am going to Greece, and I will bring the caper with me. The question is, can you give me some advice on where the best place to plant it would be, and should I try to add some special soil? Our soil is mainly poor, hard clay with plenty of rocks. Anything that may improve my chances of establishing this plant is welcome, I am afraid of loosing it!
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Poor soil and rocks sounds about right, and go easy on the watering, they hate too much water.
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Thank you, Sandra. So you would not recommend any watering even in the beginning?
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Well, I'm not an expert as mine established themselves in my garden but I do know that too much summer water can be fatal. Personally, I'd give it a little water to help establish it but after that leave it to nature to do the watering.
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Definitely water it in to settle the roots! And while it's in very active growth in late spring you could give it a little water to encourage it. But once rains have stopped in your area, stop watering it.
Seedlings set themselves in our very hot dry Greek garden in the most unlikely parched spots, in rock crannies and masonry cracks - wherever tired-out ants have dropped them - and survive blistering full southerly sun.
In commercial caper plantations in Italy and Israel they do irrigate, but I think it's safer to follow the natural route!
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Sounds reasonable, Sandra and Alisdair, I'll watch it the first few weeks and make sure it does not dry out too much.
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We have a caper plant that suddenly appeared one year at the top of our field and now returns afresh each spring without any intervention from us. This year, despite our extremely dry winter, it has come up as lush as ever. This is its first flower of the season.
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How's your Caper doing Jorun - has it survived? They are notoriously difficult to establish I know from experience which is why I was so thrilled to inherit some at our new house. Those, growing out of an old wall are in full bloom at the moment and I noticed some growing more or less at ground level from an old wall in an adjacent street the other day - watered by dogs no doubt but looking vigorous and healthy!
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Sorry, no luck.
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After a number of attempts to establish caper plants we have just celebrated the first birthday of one in our garden. It was bought from a local nursery (the owner grows a lot in pots) and surprisingly made it though last summer. We do irrigate weekly in summer, as no small plants survive without water in our conditions.