Calamus subinermis

Cultivation Details

Most species in this genus are more or less vigorous climbing plants in rainforests. Leaves of young plants are normally damaged if exposed to too much light, though leaves of older plants will usually tolerate full sun. In general, plants are likely to grow best with their roots in the shade but with enough gap in the canopy to encourage their stems to grow up towards the light. They are also likely to grow best in a humus-rich soil^[PFAF]. Many of the species require fairly moist conditions for good growth, in fact several of them grow in wet soils or in areas with seasonal inundation - where we have the information it will be included under the plant’s habitat. Overhead shade should be manipulated at about 6-monthly intervals for the first 2 - 3 years of a young plant’s life to ensure they receive sufficient light to grow vigorously. About 40 - 50% light penetration is generally considered to be ideal for promoting stem growth. Little care is needed once the seedlings are established. It is important, however, to weed the area surrounding the seedlings occasionally until the plants are more than 2 metres tall. After germination, forked leaflets are produced, followed by leaves with regularly arranged leaflets. By the third year an aerial stem may be produced. If clustering, leafy suckers normally remain dormant, rarely 2 - 3 stems elongate at the same time^[1]. First flowering takes place about the 6th year after sowing^[1]. Scattered clumps with spineless leaf-sheaths occur among normal clumps with spiny sheaths. These should be selected for plantations for ease of harvesting canes. Some plants are single-stemmed throughout their life, whereas others produce several suckers^[1]. Young plants may be planted under rubber trees or in secondary forest at a spacing of 2 metres x 10 metres or wider. In secondary forest, lanes 3 metres wide are cut and staked before planting. Canopy manipulation is carried out so that sufficient light reaches the seedlings to stimulate early stem elongation^[1]. When harvesting, the cane is cut at the base and pulled. Only the length reachable by the harvester is extracted and the rest left behind to rot. The leaf-sheaths are removed and the cane is then cut into 350cm long poles^[1]. There is a scarcity of high quality large-diameter canes throughout South-East Asia, due to extensive and intensive harvesting^[1]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.