first year plant questions

[Spartan300man]

I found a nursery that sells a lot of unusual plants and I bought a Cascade from them last year. It grew well, I got cones the first year, and triple that amount this year. I bought 2 more this spring, got them into the ground in a different area of the yard with a lot of sun. They have only grown to 5-7 feet tall. I don't see any blossoms/cones on either plant. They are just leaves and vines. Is it possible I got male plants? What can I do at this point?

 

[porterpounder]

First year plants need a lot of water. Maybe the drainage in the new area is an issue. Most plants don't really produce in the first year. Male plants would still flower, it's just a different flower. When they die off, trim them down and see what happens next Spring. You can also dig up the rhizome and see if it established and grew and then replant if it's healthy.

 

[B-Hoppy]

As long as they're growing and don't look stressed, don't worry about it. You had an average or above average year last year. This year your experience is a little less than what you saw last year. This could be caused by a number of reasons that are too varied to mention. Males and females can show equal amounts of vigor so there's always a possibility you have a male, but conclusions shouldn't be based on vigor. Long story short, the first year is an extremely busy year (way more intense for rhizomes than crowns/plants) being that they have to make top growth, root growth, try to make cones etc. with only the energy they have stored inside the rhizome. The second year is a game changer in that they have a root system so any energy they have stored can be used almost exclusively for top growth with the added benefit of being able to draw nutrition from the soil. Again, if they don't look stressed, you're most likely good to go.

 

[Spartan300man]

Thanks for the fast replies. I meant to emphasize that I never got any buds, flowers, and sign of the prickly looking spikes that come before the cones start to form. Even if they didn't have enough energy to produce viable cones, I understand that isn't going the first year. But I saw nothing that even indicated a blossom/flower/cone was even trying to form. just small leaves and vines.

 

[JimmyC-BYOB]

Did you purchase a plant or a rhizome?
If it was a plant, it's possible it was well taken care of and your transplant did little to disturb the roots.
If it was a rhizome you never know what the deal is until the first year. Sometimes it just wasn't handled right or it was stressed to the point where recovery is measured in years.

 

[Spartan300man]

The two new ones were plants, about 8 inches tall with a nifty little plastic trellis. The ground I put them in is relatively moist, it is towards the bottom of the sloping area of my yard that is the last area to fully dry out, although the top 4-8 inches dry out relatively quickly. I added some other dirt and compost to mix in with the soil.

 

[brewcat]

At only 5-7 feet they would produce few cones or none. Cones tend to start forming higher up. Since they are first year, just wait and see next year.