Salvia Contest Idea

[SexyMattTheCat]

I think it would be a cool idea if we had a 2-3 month contest where we each tried to grow the biggest Salvia plant. The start of the contest we would each have to take a certain size cutting and grow it to the end. Have all pictures time stamped for proof. Judging the plants would have to be scored by stem size, thickness of stem, and leaf size and how many leaves. Just an idea I think would be cool.

[Paradoxic]

Damn, that is a badass idea. There wouldnt really be a need to timestamp (thats easy to fake anyway) we would just need to see pictures posted at certain time intervals, say every week. To measure at the end people would have to hold a ruler up to the plant and take a picture. We could also have a criteria for bushiness.
 
But yeah man, thats such a good idea...I think I will definitely set that up very soon. Genius+

[SexyMattTheCat]

Thanks! I was thinking if we get enough people we could have two contests, one for Hydroponics and one for just soil...

[JDogHerman]

I think that would be very fun...

I would participate in it but what about maybe the biggest grower? (like biggest looser) taking a cutting and then trying to get it to grow the fastest. the winner is the one who can get it to grow the biggest proportionately.

[Sea Mac]

But I live in Sun Diego: I have an unfair advantage over you guys. I get some Intense light levels even under the tarp!

Yeah: I'd start with a 12" cutting same as you guys: But My Cutting would start off at about 3/8 inch (or thicker!) and there's that edge again ...

Check out the 'Stems' on these 2 Parent plants:



There's got to be a cutting somewhere downstream of that with a 1/2 inch barrel on it ...

I'll grow some anyway! When do you want to start this?

[spindrifter]

I have a feeling I know who is going to win this one already.

[penumbra]

some people are insecure about length and thickness. There should be guidelines and handicaps.
The contest should start with a cutting. On a certain day, at a certain time, everyone with a plant will take a cutting (lets say 9'' long, 1/4'' to 1/2'' thick) and, to the best of their abilities, try to root this cutting and turn it into as big of a plant as possible in the prescribed amount of time. The width of the original cutting's stem can be taken into consideration during the judging (judging cant really be objective) and a vote can be held at the end of the contest.
Contestants should be limited to taking one cutting to prevent growers with plants big enough to yield multiple cuttings from having an unfair advantage over the average grower. SeaMac, for example, could theoretically produce 200 cuttings, root them all, and only document the growth of the most vigorous cutting. With a one cutting rule, if a contestant's single branch dies before it roots, he or she will immediately be out of the contest.
A plants aesthetic appeal should also be taken into account. A 3 foot mass of yellow and brown disease should not beat a slightly shorter but much healthier plant. Height and bushiness should be regarded equally.
A contest like this will lead to the documentation of the most successful growing techniques as well as a great deal of trial and error. Each contestant should keep a grow log to document the progress of his or her plant and thus keep track of what works and what doesnt. New techniques will emerge if the span of this contest encompasses a large enough segment of the salvia growing community and in the long run salvia's sensitive nature will be better understood.

[Sea Mac]

LOL!

200 IS Within my reach but realistically I only make 2 - 3 Dozen at a time.

I planned to do so tomorrow as a Matter of Fact!   

You raise good Points. But I haven't lost a cutting in a while ...


Which Branch shall I harvest?  Decisions, Decisions ...

LOL!   

The Contest should run at LEAST 3 Months: Through the Summer!

Have everyone take their Plant ON the Solstice and Judge on the Equinox.

[penumbra]

Ok, so seamac has to mail everyone an unrooted cutting. from there the contest will begin

[Sea Mac]

Ok, so seamac has to mail everyone an unrooted cutting. from there the contest will begin

Oh, Now you're JUST ASKING for me to win!

LOL!

You JUST KNOW the one I keep is going to be the prettiest/longest/fattest one of ALL. By just a SLIM Margin ... at first.

One of you smart guys should buy my Triad of baby plants and take a "Cutting" just above the lowest node ... 

I'd have a run for for your money on my hands: It'd be Tough to compete against some of my own stock!

The Postal rates just went up so YOU must pay postage for ALL those Cuttings: seeing as how it was YOU that volunteered My garden for a pruning!

(But - Ha-Ha - Joke's on YOU because I'd really mail out cuttings if you'd pay the postage! But they wilt and Die in the mail anyways. What I tend to ship has a yard of roots already and can survive a day in a box - I frown on wasting plant by shipping 'cuttings' and hoping the recipient can revive and root them. )

You're better off Making your own ...

[spindrifter]

O.K. I will take a cutting on the summer solstice as Sea Mac suggests and consider it entered This year, the solstice falls on 6/20 at 12:59 UTC. The fall equinox falls on 9/22 at 15:44 UTC. I'll post weekly photos. Just be sure to post official rules so I know what I'm shooting for.

[Sea Mac]

Paradoxic? Does that time frame sound right? Solstice to Equinox?

You all get to provide your OWN Cuttings ....

Well, what are the official rules?

[SexyMattTheCat]

I would have never imagined my idea would take off, thanks guys.

[penumbra]

what sort of prize would suit this contest?
The winner will already have a healthy salvia plant and a reliable source of dried leaves (the healthy salvia plant) so what else could he/she want? When are the tee shirts and mugs going to be printed up? what sort of non-ingestible salvia memorabilia already exists?
ooo, i know:
the winners of the contest (top 3 maybe?) should have the choice of selling the winning plant on this site. By the end of the contest his/her plant will have become well known and desired by those who visit salviasource. The establishment of a temporary ebay style auction to sell the winnng cutting should be offered to the winner (but certainly not made mandatory) and the winner should receive all of the auction's proceeds. this will give each contestant more of an incentive to produce the largest, healthiest, prettiest salvia plant.
If the auction is held on ebay rather than on SS.org, the inclusion of Salviasource's URL in the auction information may increase traffic to this site.

[SexyMattTheCat]

what sort of prize would suit this contest?
The winner will already have a healthy salvia plant and a reliable source of dried leaves (the healthy salvia plant) so what else could he/she want? When are the tee shirts and mugs going to be printed up? what sort of non-ingestible salvia memorabilia already exists?
ooo, i know:
the winners of the contest (top 3 maybe?) should have the choice of selling the winning plant on this site. By the end of the contest his/her plant will have become well known and desired by those who visit salviasource. The establishment of a temporary ebay style auction to sell the winnng cutting should be offered to the winner (but certainly not made mandatory) and the winner should receive all of the auction's proceeds. this will give each contestant more of an incentive to produce the largest, healthiest, prettiest salvia plant.
If the auction is held on ebay rather than on SS.org, the inclusion of Salviasource's URL in the auction information may increase traffic to this site.

I love your idea