colored cotton seeds and sugar cane "clones"

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I am trying to locate seeds for planting colored cotton...all the different shades I can find. I am searching the internet and locally, but cannot seem to find a lead that is recent. Also, I am interested in finding some "rootings" ("clones") for sugar cane. I inderstand that sugar cane grows better from the pieces of cane than actual seed. I have heard that ribbon cane is great for sugar. I am also interested in growing for cane juice and chewing. I have a small farm and am very "green" at homesteading. I have never tried sugar cane or cotton of any kind before...but I think it would be very interesting to try to work with these two crops. I suppose organice seeds for these two crops would be really hard to find? I would be appreciative of any hlep you can give me on this matter.

-- Evelyn T. Flesher (etflesher@netexas.com), January 19, 2002

Answers

Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California had a student raising colored cotton. I don't know who you would contact about it, though.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), January 19, 2002.

Hi, In regard to the colored cotton; I got some seed for green cotton last year from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. They also have tan color. However, my green cotton turned out white. The seeds had cotton clinging to them and it was green. Not sure what happened. Their address is: P.O. Box 460, Mineral, VA 23117. They have a website "gardens@southernexposure.com The number is (540) 894- 9480. Hope this helps. Rita

-- Rita in TN (felfoot@twlakes.net), January 19, 2002.

Check with your extension office before planting cotton. In some areas where cotton still provides a major economic base, you have to have testing done (basically yellow sticky traps that are checked over time) to make sure that you're not contributing to a boll weavil epidemic or some such. In some places, it's only if you grow x amount. In others, it may well be that you can't grow any without a certified check system. This is a lot like the Med. Fruitfly outbreak fears. If the weavils get a leg up they can wipe out crops for miles around in no time.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), January 19, 2002.

You gotta have a stalk of cane. Don't remove the leaves. plant it in a high row about 6" deep. I don't know where your located but in the south we plant either in August/September or wait until February/March. Let it grow until there is a danger of heavy frost or freeze(November here). Cut and "strip" what you want to chew or make juice from. Cut and do not strip what you intend to plant again. Cover the "seed cane" with hay or stray. Deep enough that it wont freeze. Make sure that you keep the "big" end of the stalk where it can get moisture while it's waiting for planting season.

-- Red Neck (Secesh@CSA.com), January 19, 2002.

I just saw colored cotton seeds in a catalog today. I think it was Peaceful Valley in California. They do have a website. Good Luck.

-- Georg in TN (dgkotarski@bledsoe.net), January 19, 2002.


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