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May 21, 2013, 7:00am

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Message:	[quote author=kimby board=gardening thread=2180 post=126413 time=1325366661]Here's my poor specimen, what variety do you think it is? [img]http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/2269/1008212.jpg[/img] The tips of the stems don't look too bad... [img]http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/381/1008211t.jpg[/img] just don't look at the top of the plant [img]http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/5415/1008212copy.jpg[/img] I don't think there's much hope for it. :([/quote] Expand
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Topic Summary

Posted by kimby 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.

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 1, 2012, 4:31pm

It is seriously struggling....

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 1, 2012, 4:53pm

Some lovely Sedums here-

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

Posted by tod2 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!!

Posted by bixaorellana 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.

Posted by kimby 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.)

Posted by bixaorellana 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! :-*

Posted by mickthecactus 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).

Posted by tod2 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!

Posted by mickthecactus 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]

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 3, 2012, 1:04pm

Mouse nibbled Lithops-

[image]

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 3, 2012, 1:05pm

Recognise this Bixa?

[image]

Posted by bixaorellana 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!

Posted by mickthecactus 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.

Posted by onlymark 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........

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 4, 2012, 1:25pm

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

Posted by kerouac2 on Jan 4, 2012, 9:44pm

Are lithops delicious?

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 5, 2012, 9:06am

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

Posted by kimby 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?

Posted by bixaorellana 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.

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 11, 2012, 12:58pm

Fantastic 2012 seed list issued yesterday-

http://www.mesagarden.com/

Posted by mickthecactus 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]

Posted by tod2 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.

Posted by mickthecactus 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.

Posted by bixaorellana 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.

Posted by mickthecactus 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?

Posted by mickthecactus on Jan 12, 2012, 1:27pm

Ok - let's totally bore you - here's a few more.

[image]