Giant Kava Leaf

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Hi everyone, you know summer is almost here when you go out into the kava patch and you see kava leaves that are almost a foot in diameter.
The one in the picture is 10 inches wide and kava leaves are longer than they are wide so the long part of the leaf was at least 12 inches.
@Alia are you getting big leaves too? I am thinking the kava thinks summer is here already. Enjoy the picture. Aloha.

Chris

 

[kastom_lif]

That's a very big, green harvest you got there brah.

 

[Ricardo Piquant]

Big solar panel

 

[Alia]

Hi everyone, you know summer is almost here when you go out into the kava patch and you see kava leaves that are almost a foot in diameter.
The one in the picture is 10 inches wide and kava leaves are longer than they are wide so the long part of the leaf was at least 12 inches.
@Alia are you getting big leaves too? I am thinking the kava thinks summer is here already. Enjoy the picture. Aloha.

Chris
View attachment 10003

Hi everyone, you know summer is almost here when you go out into the kava patch and you see kava leaves that are almost a foot in diameter.
The one in the picture is 10 inches wide and kava leaves are longer than they are wide so the long part of the leaf was at least 12 inches.
@Alia are you getting big leaves too? I am thinking the kava thinks summer is here already. Enjoy the picture. Aloha.

Chris
View attachment 10003

I will go out and take a look, but that is a huge leaf. A friend who does ceramics went through my 'awa collection a few years ago and found a Nene leaf that she thought was large enough to use as a mold for a ceramic plate. Here is a picture but it is only about 8 1/2 .

 

[fait]

I will go out and take a look, but that is a huge leaf. A friend who does ceramics went through my 'awa collection a few years ago and found a Nene leaf that she thought was large enough to use as a mold for a ceramic plate. Here is a picture but it is only about 8 1/2 .

Oh man, I'd totally buy an 'awa leaf coaster for cups.

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

I will go out and take a look, but that is a huge leaf. A friend who does ceramics went through my 'awa collection a few years ago and found a Nene leaf that she thought was large enough to use as a mold for a ceramic plate. Here is a picture but it is only about 8 1/2 .

Nice plate, thanks for sharing the picture. Does your friend still make these? Aloha.

Chris

 

[The Kap'n]

I will go out and take a look, but that is a huge leaf. A friend who does ceramics went through my 'awa collection a few years ago and found a Nene leaf that she thought was large enough to use as a mold for a ceramic plate. Here is a picture but it is only about 8 1/2 .

That plate is absolutely beautiful. I love how how your things are intrinsically kava related. Even the bowl above it. You ever need any help making some kava disappear at Mahakea Rd, please let me know.

Also @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava that is the final boss of kava right there. Were the roots bigger on this plant or did it just have abnormally large leaves?

 

[ThePiper]

I have to ask is there any difference in kava effects or quality based on the time of year it is harvested?

 

[kasa_balavu]

Were the roots bigger on this plant or did it just have abnormally large leaves?

Massive leaf, but if I were to guess I'd say it's from a young plant between 8 and 12 months old. Am I wrong, @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava?

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Massive leaf, but if I were to guess I'd say it's from a young plant between 8 and 12 months old. Am I wrong, @Gourmet Hawaiian Kava?

Ah ha, so you can see my place on Google Earth! How did you know? You must be in Hawaii right now right. No that is just from one kava grower to another, yes it is only about 4 months old, it is about 2 feet or so tall and about 6-8 of the leaves on this plant are giant sized.
@Kapmcrunk , this is not a plant I harvested yet, it is still just a baby. A baby with giant leaves. .
Aloha.

Chris

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

I have to ask is there any difference in kava effects or quality based on the time of year it is harvested?

I would have to say yes. I like the winter harvest more because it seems more well rounded, there is also less new growth meaning that there is more mature root and stump. Aloha.

Chris

 

[kasa_balavu]

No that is just from one kava grower to another, yes it is only about 4 months old, it is about 2 feet or so tall and about 6-8 of the leaves on this plant are giant sized.

Lucky you! Where I'm planting right now (old farmland), four month old plants are half that size.

 

[Alia]

Nice plate, thanks for sharing the picture. Does your friend still make these? Aloha.

Chris

She made 3 of various sizes before passing away ... she was elderly. Chris- I think if you found a ceramic maker they could do some of these 'awa leaf plates and, likely, you could sell them on your website. She just pressed the leaf onto the not-quite-dry clay and then put in kiln to harden and then she painted it.

 

[ThePiper]

I would have to say yes. I like the winter harvest more because it seems more well rounded, there is also less new growth meaning that there is more mature root and stump. Aloha.

Chris

That's interesting. I feel like the best kava i have purchased was during the summer so that could have been spring harvest or summer.

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Lucky you! Where I'm planting right now (old farmland), four month old plants are half that size.

The weather I have been having is great for the kava and I have some real great composted soil I make and the kava loves that too, as you can see. Here is a picture of those plants. Aloha.

Chris

 

[kasa_balavu]

The weather I have been having is great for the kava and I have some real great composted soil I make and the kava loves that too, as you can see. Here is a picture of those plants. Aloha.

Chris
View attachment 10011

What's the Hawaiian name for that bracken-like brush growing behind the kava? We have it here but I've only ever seen it grow on marginal dry red soil where nothing else will grow, yet over there, it's growing on land where kava is obviously thriving.