A gift from AL and a few succulent plants in a gritty 1.1.1 mix!

13 years ago

I had a few minutes today and wanted to thank Al for two of these special plants and the time he took to help me be successful in this mix. I would never go back to bagged mixes for any of these plants, ever.

I also wanted to share how happy my plants have been through the winter thus far. Someday, I will learn the name of them and put a label for each one.

It use to be that just keeping them alive was my challange. Now that I have can keeping them alive and for more than one year, I am going to focus on learning their names.

Al: Do any of these look familiar? :-)

Please feel free to post any pics of plants that you are freely watering more than once a week , and still 'fertilizing' this time of the year. I would love to see your results too!

I will post more at another time. I need to take more pics.

Mike:-)

One ??? though. Does anyone know what the brown edges on the jade is just below this question on the yellow part? I received it like this and I am wondering if I should remove the leaves. Since I have had it, the baby new growth is developing with clean edges..Thank you. It was growing in a bagged mix until I transplanted it.

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haxuan

13 years ago

Many thanks to Al and Jodi. In fact, I have had a very happy new Year of the Cat (Rabbit to other Asians).

Here's to share a photo of my rose arch in full bloom during the new year.

Sorry to hi-jack your thread for my pic, Mike :-).

Xuan

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Comments (20)

jodik_gw
13 years ago
Most excellent, Mike! Very interesting collection of plant materials! And, oh look! There's that beautiful, durable, free draining mix again! You gotta love it... it does promote the most awesome root growth... which in turn, promotes healthy, vigorous plant growth!

Way to use that knowledge, Mike! You really show your skill, your attention to detail, and your love for plants! Thanks for sharing!

Hi, Mom! :-)
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
Good morning, Mike!

This was quite a nice tour to take.
You weren't kidding...your Jades have kept their color so well it's hard to believe! Lovely! ;-)
Mine are just now picking up red margins - and the yellow margin on my largest 'Hummel's Sunset' is
starting to creep further into the leaf. April ought to be quite colorful.

Your paper-whites are timed exactly to mine (outdoors).

Josh
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years ago
Yes - a few plants look pretty familiar to me for some reason. ;o) As always - great pics great job!

I think I mentioned that the jade you sent me, along with the leaves that fell off in transit and are now well-rooted, are doing just fine. I'll try to remember to document its progress.

Later.

Al
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Top of the morning to you all, well bottom of the afternoon...:-)

Thank you everyone. It really stinks when you have not got even one friend that is even interested in any of my plants here at home. I use to think it was such a waste to have all these colors and flowers, just to have them display themselves in the basement or in my plant room where I am the only one that goes in to see them.

Then my mother told me that she has been sneaking into these areas just to make her smile and that she is starting to have attachments to them. That's a start!
Not to say that she also said that if they are bringing me pleasure, no matter where they are, I carru them in my heart anyway.

I am working on a young kid in the neighborhood. I use to be a landscaper, so I go about it form that angle, so he will think it's a man thing to care for plants. It's working! He is interested in my citrus.
Since when did it not become a man thing with these young guys anyway? I can't see a young 17 year old guy telling his wrestling team that he grows flowers...When I did, I got made fun of. When I said I was a landscaper. or working for a nursery, well then, that changed everything.lol

I love the forums for this very good reason. It seems I make more plant friends here, and we get to show, help,learn about and give plants to one another since we have a different appreciation than most people I know. I love these forums and love all you guys!

Thanks for making my experience in growing plants an added bonus!

By the way, I am always happy to hear how well your plants are doing, especially your little jades. I guess I am a bit partial.:-)

By the way Josh, do your paper whites smell of urine?
My family had bee telling me they belong outside since the house has an unpleasant odor at time..lol

Mike
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
Hahaha...! Yep, they stink like urine.
It assaults my senses as I step out the front door in the morning.
All daffodils smell like urine to me, and I prefer to have them planted further out in the yard.
I get a headache if they're cut and on display indoors.

Josh
haxuan
13 years ago
Congrats on the awesome plants, Mike. They make my mouth water because of their "succulent"... bet they taste good :-)

I especially adore your Paperwhite blooms. Do you grow them in gritty mix, too?

I have a bowl of Chinese narcissus budding up. Will share photos with you when I have blooms.

Xuan

Oh, by the way, Happy New Lunar Year of the Cat from Vietnam.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years ago
Hello Xuan! Someone is waving "HI" to you!

{{gwi:3289}}

{{gwi:5839}} TO YOU TOO!

{{gwi:3241}}

Al
jodik_gw
13 years ago
Nice succulents, you guys! Happy New Year to you, Xuan!

That "tree" looks quite old, Al... it's lovely!
jodik_gw
13 years ago
Oh, Xuan! How beautiful! Do you know the variety name? It's positively lovely! I can almost smell the scent of roses... if I close my eyes and imagine I'm there, standing under the arch!
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi Xuan!!!! It always always a pleasure and sheer joy to see you, and especially when you show us your beautiful plants!
Hijack my thread? Never! I never consider anyone hijacking my thread, especially the honor of having friends like you share in them;-)
Thanks you for joing us as alwaysand for your kind comments! It means alot form you too.

Al: I just love your plants! And I am privledged to have you teach me to try and get mine look just as nice as yours, in which many cases, I think you already have.:-)
That succulent certainly has a lot of character!

Hi Jodik! That arch would certainly make for a great wedding ceromony anywhere, especially on the front lawn of Xuans for sure!

Josh!!!LOlol, I came home this am just to find them in the snow bank. My mom could not take the smell anymore.lol
I will never buy them again.lol

Hope you are all having a great day:-)

Mike
haxuan
13 years ago
Thank you, Mike, for your kindness and friendship.

Thank you, Jodi, for sharing my joy in the rose arch.

Thanks everyone for being great friends. :-)

Xuan

BTW, Mike, you did not share tips about those paperwhite plants. Mine Chinese Sacred Lily has open the first few blooms. But it looks like I have too many leaves. I wonder if I can trim those leaves so that the blooming stalks can be more visible? Do you have any ideas? TIA.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
Happy New Year, Xuan!

It is very good to see you, as always.

Josh
jodik_gw
13 years ago
Honestly, I would leave the plant alone and not trim anything, Xuan... it might open further as time passes, and the leaves may spread out more allowing the blooms to show. My take on it is that the plant will need all those leaves to gather energy for the next bloom cycle... sort of like our Hippeastrum bulbs do. But that's just my opinion. Maybe someone else has a different idea?
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Great morning everyone!

I don't know a thing about bulbs! If anyone does it's our friend Jodi and would take her advice in a heart beat!
This I do know. They certainly do GREAT in the gritty mix Xuan.

Hi Josh:-)

Have a great day you all and thanks again for adding so much flavor here.

By the way, my mom is sending her hello to you all, and tells you Jodi, to not over work yourself because she wants you to save your energy for getting all your beautiful roses ready for an early spring. Early spring, I laughed.;_0)
She also loves your flowers Xuan and the scenery, and that blue frog Al waving hello.

Mike:-)
jodik_gw
13 years ago
I'm trying hard to take it easy, Mike. Don't worry... I have a great chiropractor and masseuse! :-)

Well, Mike... I don't know everything about bulbs... but I do know what I'd do if it were my bulb. I'd wait and see what Mother Nature decided... I think the leaves will spread out a little more with time... I could be wrong, though. I'd have to see a picture of the bulb to really make a decision.

I'm champing at the bit to get out there and begin spring cleaning in the gardens, get the roses pruned, get the greenhouse ready for cuttings, and all the other chores related to gardening! I keep looking at all this snow, and thinking that spring will never get here!

The good news is... the seed displays are beginning to show up at all the stores, catalogs have been coming left and right, and the days are getting a little bit longer... so spring is on its way!

Hi, Mom! (waving!)
haxuan
13 years ago
Thanks for the tips, Jodi and Mike.

Actually, these Chinese narcissus is a once-off thing; many forums have stated "the bulb is un-salvageable after blooming". So I was curious if I could just cut off some of the leaves to help show off the blooms :-)

How're your hippeastrum bulbs doing, Jodi? Mine are doing very well.

Hello, Josh. Happy New Year to you, too. (Or is it already "old" since it's Feb... :-)

Xuan
jodik_gw
13 years ago
I wouldn't give up on it, Xuan... I'd plant it in the garden and see what happens, or allow the leaves to recharge the bulb over summer, then give it a winter dormancy in a fridge, and see what happens. It might surprise you... that's if you want to save it, of course.

Don't forget... a lot of people toss Hippies in the trash after blooming, too... they don't know you can save them, or don't want to bother with aftercare.

Narcissus and other potted spring blooming bulbs are treated like that here, too... people buy them as novelties, enjoy the flowers, then throw it all away. What a waste! It's up to you, of course... but I'm betting you could get it to bloom again if you wanted to.
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes. THANK GOODNESS IS RIGHT JODI!

I was just at HD lastnight when I noticed all knds of bulbs, seeds, and many spring items coming in!

Guess what I saw surrounding all the seeds and bulbs like the great wall of China?

Big bags of Miracle Grow...lol Yup. Somebody is making tons of money on that stuff. Not from me anyway.

By the way, I also saw tons of houseplants, mostly all of them left for dead! All were so dehydrated, including the beautiful Hoya's they had just gotten two weeks ago.
The mix in those pots was peat based and hard as a rock!
They were also infested with mites! My goodness, I will never take a plant home from them this time of year.

We are happy you are watching yourself and not pushing anymore huge piles in wheel barrows. Lets's bring in the warm temps. Suppose to be in the 50's by next weeks end and finally, just maybe I can finally draw some fresh water from my 30 gallon barrel that has been frozen since December. I can't even see any of my bushes or shrubs under all this snow. I can't wait just to see the ground again.:-)

Xuan: I would love to see some pics of your flowering bulbs. I would also like to say to you that I am so happy to see that you are no longer getting any snow..lol

-3 degrees this am with temps in my popup at 40. I hope to God that my Hoya's make it ok since I forgot to bring them in. It should be warmer from here on out, thank God.

Have a happy Friday everyone!

Mike
jodik_gw
13 years ago
Wheelbarrow season isn't for another couple of months again, Mike... but I've slipped on the ice twice this week and bruised my rear end! Where there's heavy work involved, or ice, I can be counted on to be a little clumsy! :-)

I love Xuan's arch of roses, and I'm now debating whether I should keep the Wysteria I have in a container, or whether I should give it an arch to climb... like Xuan's roses. I was originally thinking of making it into a sort of bonsai type of planting... but now I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better off growing naturally, in the ground, with something to climb? It bears some thinking...

We haven't gotten to the stores yet to see the offerings for early spring. There will be some summer blooming bulbs I'll be watching for, and of course, I need to get seeds for the vegetable garden.

We're supposed to get warmer temperatures, too... I'm really looking forward to that! I'm so tired of the frigid weather we've been having! I think today will be around 35 degrees... much better than the last few days! It's supposed to steadily rise from there. Come on, Spring! :-)

A gift from AL and a few succulent plants in a gritty 1.1.1 mix!

haxuan

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A gift from AL and a few succulent plants in a gritty 1.1.1 mix!

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