# What Plants Talk About



## gonewild (Oct 15, 2013)

I had not seen this documentary until today.

What Plants Talk About

It is very interesting. One section touches on communication between sibling plants. This would relate to planting deflasked orchid seedlings in community pots.

Warning! Vegans might not want to watch this program.


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## SlipperFan (Oct 15, 2013)

I saw this -- very interesting. 

Life is life...


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## Cheyenne (Oct 17, 2013)

I cannot see the video. Is this the one where at one point they put radioactive carbon gas in abag around the branch of a tree and follow the radiation as it goes to the other trees and seedlings in the forest. The one I saw the cconcluded that the larger trees help the seedlings to grow, all by being connected by mycorrizal fungi. I have sited it many times on this site. I also though this could be a reason why compots do better than individual plants.


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## gonewild (Oct 17, 2013)

Cheyenne said:


> I cannot see the video. Is this the one where at one point they put radioactive carbon gas in abag around the branch of a tree and follow the radiation as it goes to the other trees and seedlings in the forest. The one I saw the cconcluded that the larger trees help the seedlings to grow, all by being connected by mycorrizal fungi. I have sited it many times on this site. I also though this could be a reason why compots do better than individual plants.



I updated the link to this one
What Plants Talk About

Yes that is the program you describe.



> I also though this could be a reason why compots do better than individual plants.



It has a section that relates to this. And their results are interesting. They determined that sibling plants growing together individually grow slower because they sense their relation and don't compete for resources at the expense of their siblings. They grow slower as a group but more survive. This does not support the idea that the seedlings do better in compots as opposed to individual pots but it does have something to do with the concept.


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## Cheyenne (Oct 17, 2013)

Actually from my point of veiw it would support the theory. When I deflask I would be more interested in seeing the survial rate increase opposed to less surviving and a few growing fast. Then after they are big enough to pot individually you can determine which are the faster growers. If more die you could have lost the fastest growing seedlings right off the bat. 



gonewild said:


> I updated the link to this one
> What Plants Talk About
> 
> Yes that is the program you describe.
> ...


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## gonewild (Oct 17, 2013)

Cheyenne said:


> Actually from my point of veiw it would support the theory. When I deflask I would be more interested in seeing the survial rate increase opposed to less surviving and a few growing fast. Then after they are big enough to pot individually you can determine which are the faster growers. If more die you could have lost the fastest growing seedlings right off the bat.



Good point.

But... In their results the fast growers slow down so they don't compete with the slow growers.
By putting the plants in separate pots they all grow at their fastest possible rate.
The survival rate rate increased because the fast growers slow down.
That is unless the fast growers share their carbohydrates they produce.

You would not have lost the fastest growing plants right off the bat because they would out compete the slow plants.


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## Cheyenne (Oct 17, 2013)

No what I mean is, by there results the survial rate increased but they all grew at a more even pace in compot. If you potted individually the survial rate would decrease, meaning more died out of flask right away or soon after. When the die that quick you really don't know which ones are the fastest growers. They don't have time to out perform the sibs. You could have lost the best ones. But with more percentage alive you have more chance to find the fast ones. I have had some of the fastest out of flask not be very fast at first then after a year take off and put out new growths way before the ones i put aside as "fast or best". I would pick for them all to grow and grow slower at first. That's just me.


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