Kava Botany Relationship between kava age and quality
- Thread starter Skywalker
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The concentration of kavalactones tend to increase as the plant ages and grows.
ApéroNoble
The d'Artagnan forum 4th Kavateer
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Deleted User01
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I though Chris had posted earlier that some of his plants actually lost Kavalactones (in some cases) over time. He has access to some good labs in Hawaii that do that kind of stuff at a reasonable price. I have yet to see research that suggests that the Kavalactone percentage increases after 24 months. I guess the Farmer from the Private Island would have to show proof of that. Test results every year beginning with year 2. He is the only one who would know the final answer.
What is the percent of Kavalactones in this Kava Root? It may be potent in spite of its age. Perhaps it is just well filtered which helps potency per pound.
Infraredz, do you know anything about this? Has Lebot studied the growth patterns of Kava? I'm making plans to take cuttings from my plants at 18 months and harvest some root at 24 months but that is based on what I have read so far.
As a Kava Grower (2 little Moi Mois), I have read up on this and the book (Views of an EthnoBotanical Treasure by Ed Johnson and Helen Rogers) says that the Kavalactones max out after 18 to 24 months. The grower lets them grow for more years so it can yield more poundage but not more potency. Also, the bigger older Kava Plants are used as mother plants. The Farmer takes Cuttings and plants them in small pots to make more Kava Plants. Kava Plants do not produce seed and cutting are the only way to propagate them.
I though Chris had posted earlier that some of his plants actually lost Kavalactones (in some cases) over time. He has access to some good labs in Hawaii that do that kind of stuff at a reasonable price. I have yet to see research that suggests that the Kavalactone percentage increases after 24 months. I guess the Farmer from the Private Island would have to show proof of that. Test results every year beginning with year 2. He is the only one who would know the final answer.
What is the percent of Kavalactones in this Kava Root? It may be potent in spite of its age. Perhaps it is just well filtered which helps potency per pound.
Infraredz, do you know anything about this? Has Lebot studied the growth patterns of Kava? I'm making plans to take cuttings from my plants at 18 months and harvest some root at 24 months but that is based on what I have read so far.
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Deleted User01
The 'Awa Production Guide from Hilo Hawaii in December 1999, on page 13, and under the heading Plant height and yield, states:
"It's important to note that 'Awa plants develop their full kavalactone percentage between 18 and 24 months of age. Most growers plan to leave their plants in the ground longer than 18 months so that higher yields can be obtained."
Bulabuck and Kavadude, did you get copies of this from Chris? He states in his Website that they are available to anyone who wants them. He did say he had a limited qty though. It has great info on how to prune Kava, tip Kava, and take cuttings. Also that Lebot did prove that sunlight increased Kavalactone production in the stump and roots. Good reading for the amateur Kava Grower.
"It's important to note that 'Awa plants develop their full kavalactone percentage between 18 and 24 months of age. Most growers plan to leave their plants in the ground longer than 18 months so that higher yields can be obtained."
Bulabuck and Kavadude, did you get copies of this from Chris? He states in his Website that they are available to anyone who wants them. He did say he had a limited qty though. It has great info on how to prune Kava, tip Kava, and take cuttings. Also that Lebot did prove that sunlight increased Kavalactone production in the stump and roots. Good reading for the amateur Kava Grower.
infraredz
BULA!
Growth patterns, not really though it might depend on what you mean by growth patterns.
Being a geneticist, he is more concerned with the genetic aspect of kava plants such as cultivars, creating distinctions between them, genetic qualities of a given cultivar, etc.
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Deleted User01
Yeah, I was just reading a big article by Lebot (Is the Quality of Kava Responsible for Diff Geographical Patterns) and he was more concerned with the types of Kavas within geographical areas. He didn't say anything about the relationship between Age and percent of Kavalactones. I think the Hawaiian Farmers who have the testing Labs available to them are more concerned about that. In fact, the Hawaiians may be the only ones using good old American Technology to find out what makes Kava tick. It's nice to know your Kava has been thoroughly tested before you start horsing it down.
And on the topic of testing and USDA and so on. Please be sure you buy Freshly Ground Beef for your Memorial Day BBQ. Do not buy prepackaged ground beef. There have been too many problems with contaminated PrePackaged Ground Beef and there is no Acetone test to warn you of this danger. When you see your buddy puking and screaming in pain, that is your Acetone test. Just be careful with where you buy your beef.
And on the topic of testing and USDA and so on. Please be sure you buy Freshly Ground Beef for your Memorial Day BBQ. Do not buy prepackaged ground beef. There have been too many problems with contaminated PrePackaged Ground Beef and there is no Acetone test to warn you of this danger. When you see your buddy puking and screaming in pain, that is your Acetone test. Just be careful with where you buy your beef.
ApéroNoble
The d'Artagnan forum 4th Kavateer
Wow I didn't know you had triplets Bulabuck two identical twins and one that went rouge those must have been some labor pains
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Deleted User01
Wow, you also have 2 Kavas. Nice going Bulabuck! They both look in tip top shape too. FYI, I forget what the other plant is name but it runs rampant in our back yard. We dig it up and give it away and people love it because it spreads.
ApéroNoble
The d'Artagnan forum 4th Kavateer
I don't know. Kind of looks like monkey grass but that thing to the far right looks a little iffy. I would make sure it doesn't get to close to the twins.
BULABUCK
ROOTLYFE.
Haha thx guys. Yea, that other one on the right is an old man andes cactus and purivian old lady told my wife that was us they both are very hard to love like us pain to plant literally.
. Also yea monkey grass I found it in a cup so I put it in a pot. It is a very resilient plant.
. Also yea monkey grass I found it in a cup so I put it in a pot. It is a very resilient plant.
Hi everyone, I wanted to clear things up a bit with the idea that a 10 year old kava is going to be so much more potent than a kava that is 4 or 5 years old.
There have been a few dozen studies that were preformed over here in Hawaii and in other kava growing areas over the past 15 years or so, and the studies show without a doubt that the kavalactones will decrease when a plant gets that old, especially if the plant is just out there growing and not being cultivated and taken care of..
They may very well be taking good care of the kava in Fiji, but we also know from tests that have been done on Fijian kava that the total kavalactone content has never been more than 10%. Most of them tested at about 5-8% total kavalactone content. Fiji is also known for having kava that is higher in the double bonded kavalactones DHK and DHM and this is why a lot of people get nausea when they drink Fijian kava. Not all, but most are like this. The Lawena or stump is less likely to cause this, but the Waka or roots will have more of a chance to give you the nausea when it comes to Fijian kava.
I know this from all the tests that have been done on Kava around the Pacific area. As President of the Hawaii Awa Council I have put on numerous Kava symposiums. The last one we had the Awa Council paid to have Dr. Lebot and Chris Kilham come and be the Keynote speakers. At the same time, we have representatives from the other kava growing communities come and share there research. In fact, this next year we will be hosting the 2015 International Kava Conference. I always have the cutting edge and most current information on all aspects of kava, thanks to all the help from my friends from all around the kava growing areas.
This is a post I made earlier about kavalactone content and age of the plant----
The kavalactone content does reach its max in about 2 years. There are so many tests that have proven this that you can write a book with all of them. By waiting longer you will get more kava because the bulk will increase, but the tests confirms that the potency will not get very much stronger than it was when it was only 2 years old.
There are some tests that have shown that the total kavalactone content actually dropped in the older plant. I had a kava plant that was tested at 24 months and it came to 18% kavalactone content.
I had one of my mother plants that I harvested and tested and this kava was about 13 years old, it tested at 8.85% total kavalactones and since this was a mother plant I had several other clones from the mother plant in various ages. I tested one at 15 months and it was 9.71% total kavalactones, then I tested one at 24 months and it was 13.2% total kavalactones, then I tested one at 4 years of age and it tested at 15.65% total kavalactones, I tested another one at 6 years and it tested at 12% so it would seem that somewhere after a certain age the kavalactones actually will decrease. In fact all of the kava plants we tested here in Hawaii that were over 20 years old consistently tested at 5-10% total kavalactones.
I let this plant grow longer, and at 45 months it was tested at 14% kavalactone content. This is not uncommon and a lot of the tests show this same thing. As a kava farmer I find no reason to wait if you want to harvest your kava in 2 years. All my kava I harvest in about 4-5 years and that is so I get a bigger kava plant, and the best kavalactone content and stronger potency. I do have some kava plants that are 10 years and older but these are my mother plants and I take cuttings from them. I hope this truth about kava helps people to understand a bit more about the kavalactones and what might make more of them in the kava plant. Aloha.
Chris
I also wanted to add that I am only pointing out that when the kava gets to a certain age the kavalactones actually start to diminish.
I am in no way saying that this new kava that Judd is going to be offering is not a good potent kava, the only way to know is to try it. Judd sells a lot of good kava so I would think that this new kava will be no different. I am thinking of buying some to try out too, I am always looking for a good kava.
Aloha.
Chris
I am in no way saying that this new kava that Judd is going to be offering is not a good potent kava, the only way to know is to try it. Judd sells a lot of good kava so I would think that this new kava will be no different. I am thinking of buying some to try out too, I am always looking for a good kava.
Aloha.
Chris
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Deleted User01
Thanks Chris. I know the Hawaiians have done a lot of research on Kava Growing because they are looking for that to be a cash crop in Hawaii in the future. We just needed your expertise to clear up some misconceptions. It is very hard searching for this kind of information on the internet because very few people know that much about Kava. I'm hoping this will change in the future. We asked a question and you answered it. Nuff said.
endwatcher
Is there death before life?
Ive read about this a bit ago, with age/potency.
But...I still like me some Fijian, and it was the first Kava that brought my wife to the bright side, lol
I like the creeper tingly head effect it gives.
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Deleted User01
If I could get a Kava that would "turn" my wife, then I would buy it too. But it ain't gonna happen. Endwatcher, you a lucky guy. 
HeadHodge
Bula To Eternity
Hi,
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