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(Alchemilla mollis)
Introduction
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 This plant has been grown in the gardens of New Zealand for many years. It produces attractive green foliage and lime-green flowers with a feathery appearance. In the Southern Regions of New Zealand the plant flowers twice per year. The initial flowering occurs in late November and then again in early March.
Lady's Mantle plants can be grown from seed or it is easily divided. Two varieties are available, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Robustica’. At the time of writing both appear suitable as cut flowers. It is thought that ‘Thriller’ may have a longer stem length but this has not been proven. Plants need to be lifted and split every 3 years or they tend to crowd each other out. Market responses to this flower have been mixed. Because of the ease of propagation, volume in the market has rapidly increased. This lead to reduced prices and some difficulty in getting rid of stock.
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Growing Lady's Mantle
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Propagation:
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Plants can be obtained by growing from seed or by division.
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Training/Pruning:
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Cut back in winter
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Time of flowering:
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December for the main flowering, another occurs in Southland in April-May if summer conditions have been hot enough.
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Soil type:
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Seems to grow well in most soil types
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Fertilisers:
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Does not need high levels of fertility
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Pest/Diseases:
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Nothing obvious at the time of writing. Watch for slugs when the plants are small and spittle bug near harvest.
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Harvesting:
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Harvesting during the cooler parts of the day is recommended. Stems are cut when 90% of the flowers are open. Grades are based on length of stem.
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Marketing:
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There is an emerging export market for Lady's Mantle. However, this seems to be easily over-supplied. Check with your exporter before making extensive commercial plantings.
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Further Info:
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Look on the Commercial Returns page of this website for a Diary of Operations and a Gross Margin for Lady's Mantle.
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Related Topics
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