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Cultivation and Agronomy
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Many of the ipu hekes played by MELE are made by ipus incorporated.
ipus incorporated grows their own ipus on their own property.
The ipus are planted by utilizing the ancient Hawaiian lunar calendar
followed for generations by Hawaiian farmers.
The ground is carefully prepared during the fall and allowed to lie
fallow over the winter.
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In the spring the last generation of ipu hekes are evaluated for their
tonal quality, strength and beauty. Seeds are chosen from appropriate
ipus and planted in individual pots in the solarium. This allows them
to warm in the spring sun, yet protects them from the still cool spring
nights.
After a couple of weeks the land is prepared for planting.
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The ground is rototilled, moistened and the fences are raised to help
support the ipus and the vines.
On an appropriate planting evening, such as Ole-ku-kahi or Huna, we
chant a mele by the light of the moon and place the seedlings carefully
in the soil.
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The plants are closely monitored; watered, positioned and trimmed
while growing. When the plants start to fruit, the baby ipus are
judged and the imperfect ones are pinched off to allow the stronger
ipus a chance to grow and mature to their fullest potential.
As the ipus mature they are propped up by the fence to allow them to
grow uniformly. Bricks are placed beneath the ipus to flatten them
for standing upright.
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After the many months of the ipu growing season, the ipus are ready to
harvest when the stem connecting the ipu to the plant is brown and dead.
The ipus are cut from the vines, brought into the solarium and set on
wooden racks to dry over the winter. Throughout the winter and early
spring the ipus are lifted, rotated and checked for weak spots and
deterioration.
When they are fully dried in the spring they are cleaned, cured and
made into ipus incorporated signature ipu hekes.
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