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May 25, 2013, 1:16pm

Any Port in a Storm :: The Beacon :: Putting Down Roots :: Cacti and Succulents

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kimby
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #600 on Dec 31, 2011, 9:24pm »

Here's my poor specimen, what variety do you think it is?

[image]

The tips of the stems don't look too bad...

[image]

just don't look at the top of the plant

[image]

I don't think there's much hope for it.

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #601 on Jan 1, 2012, 4:31pm »

It is seriously struggling....

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #602 on Jan 1, 2012, 4:53pm »

Some lovely Sedums here-

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2631/

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tod2
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #603 on Jan 1, 2012, 5:50pm »

Kimby - WRONG!! Of course there is hope

but what have you tried in the past to revive it's growth?
Believe me I am NO person to consult when it comes to plants, but I took one look at your photo and maybe this is waaaaaaay off the mark hon, but I feel that in it's present position it is seriously lacking LIGHT from above the basket. (Just a dark ceiling looking down...) That seems to be where the growth has slowed down most - the ends look quite good near the window, so as I say again, maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree but I would move it to a position , maybe even lengthen the holding strands to lower it, then get hold of Bixa pronto and find out exactly the position of her beautiful specimen, soil its growing in etc etc.) and maybe try and give the patient the same intravenous!!

« Last Edit: Jan 1, 2012, 5:53pm by tod2 »

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bixaorellana
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #604 on Jan 1, 2012, 6:13pm »

I love Dave's Garden. One of the great things about it is looking up a particular plant. His readers send in pictures of their plants, which makes it easy to see how much a particular type might vary.

My feeling is that Kimby's plant is definitely S. morganianum.

Looking at the growth pattern on Kimby's & on how it's hung in the window, I think the big problem is lack of sufficient light. There are some sections that are semi-thickly leaved. Not thickly enough for a well-grown burro's tail, but enough to show that the plant was trying & was sometimes getting almost enough light. The top of the plant is getting no light, so all it can send out are spindly stalks with hardly any leaves. Further, any part of the plant on the side of the pot away from the window is heavily shaded.

Thus, that plant is not going to get better. However, there's tons of good material on it to be reclaimed. I don't think you need a pot as deep as the one you have. Take down that pot, draping the trailing growth across a table. Cut off everything all the way up to the top rim of the pot & set it aside.

Now lift out the plant from the pot. My suspicion is that the roots don't go very far down. You can set that growth & some of its dirt right on top of some fresh dirt in a shallower pot. Don't hang it, but set it somewhere where it will get nice bright light, preferably with some sunlight.

You can now root every scrap of what you cut off, or just concentrate on using the better pieces. Even with just the better bits, you'll have enough for more than one pot. Use hairpins or pieces of bent wire -- or even rocks -- to hold the stems down so they can root. Don't try to have too much trailing over the sides, either. You'll have to wait a bit for that effect. Again, put these pots where they'll get very bright light.

You'll have tons of loose leaves when you're done with all this. Toss some of them on top of each pot you make up, then sprinkle some on top of the dirt in other succulent plants if you wish. Keep an eye on them to remove the rooted ones before they take over.

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kimby
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #605 on Jan 2, 2012, 12:28am »

Thanks for the detailed assistance. The plant was full when I bought it (5 years or more ago?) and once thrived in that east-facing window, which is in a bathroom where the humidity is a bit higher than the very low levels elsewhere in the house. But as the stems got longer, I kept shortening the chain, inadvertently raising it so that light levels got very low on the top of the plant while the ends did get "almost enough" light. I also rotated it periodically so both sides get light now and then.

Sounds like I will have to almost start over to save it. As it cost only $20 new, I wonder if it is worth it. (I do have a very hard time euthanizing plants, however, so not to worry.)

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bixaorellana
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #606 on Jan 2, 2012, 3:11am »

Tod, it looks as though I ignored your post, but I honestly didn't see it until just now. I'd started my answer to Kimby, then got interrupted. Came back & finished it without noticing that you'd posted too.

Looks as though we came to the same conclusion, at any rate! :-*

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #607 on Jan 3, 2012, 10:44am »

Good advice from Bixa Kimby. Just give it as much light as you can find (put it outside in summer), keep it cool in winter so it doesn't try to grow and feed it occasionally (and try to make sure you either use rainwater or acidified tap water).

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tod2
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #608 on Jan 3, 2012, 11:46am »

Bixa, I knew would have a brilliant answer and I hope Kimby shows us the 'patient's' revival in the coming months!

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #609 on Jan 3, 2012, 1:03pm »

Here's my morganianum which I think looks different. Incidentally, morganianum has never been found in the wild. It was discovered in a Mexican garden.

[image]

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #610 on Jan 3, 2012, 1:04pm »

Mouse nibbled Lithops-

[image]

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #611 on Jan 3, 2012, 1:05pm »

Recognise this Bixa?

[image]

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bixaorellana
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #612 on Jan 4, 2012, 12:37am »

Your S. morganianum does look different from mine & from Kimby's! A color difference could be explained all kinds of ways, but the leaves on yours are much pointier. Maybe you have the real deal & we do have some other Sedum. That's a fantastic picture, at any rate, & a very happy looking plant.

I hope you get a really mean cat to set on those mice! >:(

And another, very appropriate emoticon for the last picture:

That little guy really fell in clover when he arrived at your house!

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #613 on Jan 4, 2012, 8:59am »

I've caught one mouse so far and it looks as if it might be the only one.

Yes, the Senecio has really made itself at home. I read an article about it yesterday which suggested planting it with Aloe ciliaris and letting it climb into the branches. I have quite a sizeable ciliaris and I think I'll try planting them together in spring.

I do think my morganianum is the right one and yours and Kimby's are crosses - there are quite a few on the market. The leaves on mine are bluer than they show here because of low winter light. That was photo'd on my back wall last weekend after taking it out of the greenhouse where it hangs in rather a shady position.

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onlymark
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #614 on Jan 4, 2012, 11:14am »

Jan 4, 2012, 8:59am, mickthecactus wrote:

I have quite a sizeable ciliaris......

I'm certainly not going to say how I read that........

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #615 on Jan 4, 2012, 1:25pm »

Good job I wasn't talking about Dicksonia then........

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kerouac2
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #616 on Jan 4, 2012, 9:44pm »

Are lithops delicious?

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #617 on Jan 5, 2012, 9:06am »

To mice they are apparently...........

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kimby
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #618 on Jan 9, 2012, 8:20pm »

Jan 1, 2012, 6:13pm, bixaorellana wrote:

I don't think you need a pot as deep as the one you have. Take down that pot, draping the trailing growth across a table. Cut off everything all the way up to the top rim of the pot & set it aside.

Now lift out the plant from the pot. My suspicion is that the roots don't go very far down. You can set that growth & some of its dirt right on top of some fresh dirt in a shallower pot. Don't hang it, but set it somewhere where it will get nice bright light, preferably with some sunlight.

BTW, the pot is smaller than it looks. Only about 4 inches deep, and maybe 6 inches across. How deep a pot do you think it requires?

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bixaorellana
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #619 on Jan 9, 2012, 10:30pm »

Good grief -- it looks huge in the picture!

Kimby, that sounds fine, unless you want to find something wider & shallower. When you take it out of the pot, look at the roots, then decide.

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #620 on Jan 11, 2012, 12:58pm »

Fantastic 2012 seed list issued yesterday-

http://www.mesagarden.com/

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #621 on Jan 11, 2012, 1:16pm »

One of the first succulents that I grew were Gasterias. I loved their big chunky leaves and I still have a very soft spot for them. I have built a nice little collection of them, mostly through cuttings from Kew Gardens.

Here's a selection -

[image]

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tod2
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #622 on Jan 11, 2012, 2:02pm »

Quick question Mick - Is the plant called "Mother-in-Laws Tongue" of the same Gasteria family? It looks a bit like your third photo - the one with the long leaves.

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #623 on Jan 11, 2012, 2:38pm »

Tod, although they do look similar they are totally different families. Gasterias are very close to Aloe and Haworthias - Sansevieria aren't.

The one you refer to is Gasteria pulchra and the picture doesn't really show it but the front one is only half the size of the back one although they are same age, just different forms.

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bixaorellana
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #624 on Jan 11, 2012, 4:06pm »

Yeah, I was struck by that Gasteria's resemblance to the mother-in-law's tongue, too. Incidentally, I always get a laugh here when I tell Mexicans the common English name for that plant.

Absolutely gorgeous group of Gasterias, Mick. I've never seen most of them.

I wish I had not see that seed list! ****desire**** What a fabulous selection & really good prices.

« Last Edit: Jan 11, 2012, 4:07pm by bixaorellana »

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mickthecactus
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Re: Cacti and Succulents
« Reply #625 on Jan 11, 2012, 4:30pm »

I thought you'd all be bored by them so I only posted half.

The seed list germination quality is really good too and the guy (Steve Brack) is so helpful. When I enquired after an Agave that wasn't on the list he actually sent me a cutting from his own plant free of charge. How about that for customer service?

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