Hi Toni,

Welcome back, been hoping you were OK.

I don't grow these but know folks who do; I did a quick search & did find listings for info. for Operculicarya, saw it at Desert-tropicals.com too.

The 2nd thing you're asking abt is I believe PERESKIA. While I don't grow this either, I've heard it regarded as the evolutionary grandparent (as it were) of modern day cacti. Yes, I see it has no thorns & has regular looking leaves. Some get lovely orangy-red coloring in good light. They've shown up sometimes at the Plant Sale Table of my Indoor Gardening Society.

Nice to see you back -- hope this gets you started.

(PG) Karen

Hi Toni -

I find O. Decaryi to be pretty tough, and easy to grow. Basically, I give mine two seasons - wet and dry. I grow mine in a very coarse soil mix, in a bonsai pot. When in growth, I water freely - allowing the mix to dry out between watering. Full sun, outdoors as soon as I can.

Mine is indoors right now under HPS lights in a sunroom - the increasing ambient light from outside is triggering some budding right now, so I have stepped up watering slightly.

During December and January, I water it once each month. That's it. It loses all of its foliage during this time. I keep mine relatively warm when dormant (60s to 70 day, 50 at night) but I think others on this forum keep theirs colder.

I have root pruned mine pretty aggressively to get it to fit in a bonsai pot, and it did not miss a beat. I did leave it out of the soil for about a week after the pruning to let it callous over before potting it up.

Hope that helps.

Tom

Tom, I hope you're here..an actual grower of this plant. :)

When you first got your OD, what size pot was it in? The reason I'm asking is, a bonsai pot sounds perfect.
But, would potting in a bonsai container slow growth? One would think this plant is slow-growing to begin. Maybe not? Wishful thinking..lol

Since mine is in a 4" pot, that means drastic root pruning, right? EWWWKKK..the thought is frightening. Also, isn't it necessary to prune leaves if roots are pruned? I read that somewhere, can't recal the source.

What about fertilizer? Obviously, none when dormant, especially since it's deciduous. Should fertilizer be applied when first leaves sprout? Also, what type and how often?
There's very little info on this plant. Tom, thanks so much, Toni

Toni,
Got a photo?

I'm a grower too ;o) and have at least 10 decaryi.

Growth speed is determined by conditions, these are actually fast under the right circumstances. For instance in 2001 I put one in the bed the diameter of a quarter, last year measurement was over 4in wide. In a bonsai pot you'll slow it to a crawl compared to a nursery pot. I'd keep in a nursery pot to get some size on it.

Hey Caudex..I've been looking for you..I have a couple questions about a few other plants, too..:)

Do you have a website? Or pics of mature or larger decaryi's? Such a beauty..

Here's a pic..

{{gwi:488084}}

Thanks Caudex

No website at this time, but got photos.

Seeing your plant there's a couple of things to do; bury the root in a 1gal nursery pot and let it fatten up or (in it was mine) cut off 4in of the tubers let dry and put back in the same pot then root the cuttings. It's too young to go into a bonsai pot now.

As for your other questions, start another thread that way others can learn from our banter.

10in shallow pot, I want to let the young branches develop before putting into a nice container.
{{gwi:488085}}

8in ceramic, pruned off all the twiggy growth last summer
{{gwi:488086}}

4in bonsai, this one was similar to yours 4yrs ago. I shortened the tubers significantly and placed in a shallow 3.5in pot.
{{gwi:488087}}

in 2001, staged and wired
{{gwi:488088}}

2005 the above plant rotted and it was placed in the growing bed
{{gwi:488090}}

last year I attempted to apply a jin technique to make it look like it was broken off
{{gwi:488092}}

{{gwi:488093}}

Checked it out today the new wood is starting grow over the gouged area.
{{gwi:488096}}

Great roots on that Oppie, Toni. Those roots will thicken up very quickly.

Caudex - I love that slant style. How the heck does it not tip over?

Toni - great advice from Caudex on the fattening. I was actually surprised by how quickly mine has grown - even in a bonsai pot!

Here was mine when I got it. I think it was in a 6 inch pot (spring 2007):

{{gwi:488099}}

Here it is after I potted and styled it the first time in a bonsai pot (June 2008):

{{gwi:488101}}

and here it is today. I just started watering it a bit because it is popping some leaves:

{{gwi:488103}}

It needs to be repotted already - notice how it is pushing itself out of the pot in about 8 months time!

T

OMG! Amazing..Both 'your' Opers are so-very-beautiful.
Caudex's rotted plant returning to life..how did you manage? Do you have healing powers? lol. Seriously, all are lovely. I'm embarrassed showing my puny plant..lol. Other than Ficus and Richardsiana Begonia, I haven't any idea on bonsai care..Eventually both will need, either potting in a non-bonsai pot, or pruning.
I notice new growth/leaves on your plants..Swollen roots are fasciating.
I guess, for the time being, a 1-gallon, shallow container it is.
Remember, I'm in IL. Will potting in such a big container, well, kill my plant? Toni...thanks for the pics..

They all can't be big, give it some time. It won't take long before it will be a great plant! I have small plants too, 4 seedlings and 4 or 5 from root cuttings.

It was nothing I did, it just stopped rotting for some reason.

It's not the container that will kill you plant, it will be water will temps are cool.

Caudex, I hope you're still here to answer.
What do you mean, "it's not the container that will kill your plant, it will be water will temps are cool?'

Are you saying if room is too cold and soil is wet, the plant will rot??? Or die?

Caudex, do you know anything about mini Azaleas? Thanks, Toni

What I meant is that it's not the deep container that will kill the plant, it's the bottom 1/4 of the soil in that deep pot that doesn't dry out before watering again. Water logged soil chokes of the roots and causes them to rot, more so when it's cold but it can also happen with warm temps.

Me...azaleas! You've got to be joking ;0)

Caudex, how deep do you suggest? Would a bonsai pot do? What about soil?
Do you grow any caudex indoors? If so, how often do you water? I know not to parrot your watering habits, every house differs, just curious...

Yeah you,,,lol. You stick to caudex plants exclusively? No tropicals, other sux, etc? Toni (guess I should have known by your screen name..lol.)

Standard 1gal nursery pot for a couple of years to gain some size, as for soil a fast draining gritty mix. While in leaf and warm water frequently, it will respond with rapid growth.

No caudex in the house, majority are dormant now anyway. Winter growers I bring in while in flower, as soon as the show is over back out they go.

I'd say 85% of my collection is caudex plants, but I do have a few Aloes, Cycads, a few semps and echeverias.

1 gallon? Wow, that sounds so big..lol..
Caudex, when I repot, plants go into containers 1-2 sizes larger. Even though soils are free-draining, I worry about rot. Tell me I'm over-reacting..:)
Operculicarya is in a 4", plastic pot..It hasn't been touched, yet.
Perhaps a one-gallon Azalea pot will do?

Caudex, I might have asked before, do you have a website w/pics?
Do winter bloomers flower every year? I'd love seeing the flowers. Toni

The reason I say 1gal container is that you have 3in of root above the 4in pot. You would bury all exposed root to where they attach to the trunk. In all actuality it's pretty hard to rot one of these to overwatering as long you observe their habits. If it's warm enough you can water and grow these year round, but if they start dropping foliage stop watering.

One of my large decaryi just about ready to push new foliage, once they're out I'll start watering again.

Winter grower flower every year, right now it's Othonna, Aloinopsis, Albuca, Sinningia and Jade, next will be Tylecodon, Pelargonium and maybe Pachycormis

photos here
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v24/weezR/

http://community.webshots.com/user/kweezr

caudex -

I have never had a Tylecodon or Pachycormis flower before - do they flower first, then get foliage - or vice versa? I always thought they flowered first...

My P. Triste and P. Cotelydonis are about to flower now, too.

T

Caudex...what can I say? I'm speechless, I'm without speech..lol..
Your plants are truly gorgeous, and well-cared for. How do you manage? Some are grown in tiny pots, yet huge! What's your secret?
Do you prune roots? Use a special potting medium? Fertilize with a secret solution? Superthrive?

I spent a little over an hour looking at your pics..just the first/top link. lol. I haven't yet started the second. There were questions I wrote down, but after plant number 100? I gave up..lol..I had no idea you had as many plants.

Your Caudiforms are amazing. I'm green w/envy..lol. I wish you included names.

Is that you carrying a 'tree trunk?' It looks like a trunk. You The Hulk? lol
Also, where did you find an Oscar Meyer truck? it's so funny.

Hope you don't mind but I would like to ask about your Ipomoea. For one, what's its age? How long did it take for its trunk to thicken?
The same questions for Pelagoniums.

Caudex, did you find your plants locally? The plant you won the award for was well-deserved.
Thanks for the pics and your help..Toni

PS..Forgot about your last post. Guess I'm not without speech afterall. So, my Operculincarya should be potted to cover roots? Really? I thought they were potted that way to display character..lol. Now I see why you said to pot in a gallon container. I'll have to find one, most of my pots are 4-8", a few 10-14". Toni

Hey Toni,
Your too kind. If you only saw how I treated my plants, in one word...NEGLECT. I don't feed, don't water often enough, underpot, overpot, in raised beds all with poor soil. I rarely buy new potting mix, I recycle the old stuff when I repot. The only thing I do regularly is repot, remove all the soil, thin out the roots and place back in the same pot every couple of years. This regimen keeps everything tight, with slow growth all plants stay compact.

That is me holding the 100lb Cyphostemma, grown is from a 3in pot nearly 20yrs ago and it was is what started my caudex obsession.

The Ipomoea is about 15yrs old, it was kept buried most of the time to add girth then lifted to show. The Pelargoniums I got big like that, they are monsters! They have to 20+yrs old.

About 2/3 of my collection is purchased locally, the rest online or trades across the country and even Europe and Asia periodically.

I was totally shocked when I won 1st place with that Fouquieria fasciculata last year, you should have seen some of the plants in my classification, some real beauties. Got it from an estate sale years ago, was in a 15gal pot buried, cover in in weeds and other succulents but I could see from the foliage that there was something big down in there.

Now back to the topic at hand. Correct the roots are raised to display, in my opinion there is not much character yet. That is why I suggest burying them, in time you will build character. The roots will fatten faster under ground rather than above. In 2-5yrs it will be a different plant.

Caudex, neglect? lol..Of course, not entirely..
When you wire branches, is the wire left on indefinately?
I've seen wired bonsais..the wire was so tight-fitting, I didn't see how it could be removed w/o injuring branches.

100 lb trunk? Am I talking to Rambo? lol. You look to be a big guy, well-built, Caudex, but that's a lot of plant to haul around. Then again, you said the pic was taken 20 yrs ago, 20 yrs ago, we were all infallible, so we think..:)
Wait, I reread your comment..The plant was in a 3" pot?? You're joking, right? Was the pot made of iron? lol..What material pot would hold 100lb plant? Maybe you meant 3'?

Did you get a chance to check out Shoal Creek Succulent site? If so, what do you think?

Caudex, I trust your judgement, but I'm terribly afraid to pot the roots of operculicarya. Living in Il is unlike CA..Plants take much much longer to grow.
In summer, when plants go outdoors, especially when I conjure the nerve to plant directly in the garden, plants grow wild..Not all, but many..
For example, I planted 2 Musa/bananas in the garden..Both were babies..about 7"...by autumn, they grew 9'+ tall, 4-5' diameters. Caudex, if they were grown indoors, there is no way they'd have grown half that size within a 3-4 month period. The sad thing is, they weren't hardy, and because of their size, (no room) I left them out to die..:) So, other than the short time plants can go outside, approximately 4 months, most plants take forever to grow. Do you see where I'm coming from? the reason I fear potting roots?
I can't neglect plants, other than holding off water, and shh, fertilizing..lol. Heck, we don't even hang curtains, every window if filled w/plants. Plus artificial lights. I try my best parroting a plants natural habitat, which is difficult because my collection consists of sux and tropicals..But, even w/artificial lights, plants halt growth, especially during fall and winter.
Then there's a watering issue. How dry should soil get? Which soil is best? When to fertilize. Which fertilizers to use. The list is endless.

What did you mean when you said, you got your Fouquieria at an estate sale, 'it was in a 15gal pot buried?' The plant was in someone's garden? You dug it up? Huh? lol. However, you found a beautiful plant, and again, deserved to win. I'd love to have see others' plants.

Jo is another with lovely plants..you guys are so lucky. Actually, there are many here who have beautys. Pug, Tom, Josh, etc.

O-key-doke. As soon as it warms up, I'll hunt for a gallon pot. BTW, what size diameter is a gallon pot? lol. Would it be 10 or 12" diameter. What about height? Does height matter? Shallow or tall?
Caudex, I am going to name my Oper after you..also, hold you responsible..lol..j/k..Thanks for the info and photos. Take care, Toni

Hi Toni -

I just read your 'My Page' and noticed that your home demographics are quite similar to mine.

I am 'owned' by a 6 year old bullmastiff named Brody (I love English Mastiffs, noticed you have one...), and we also have a Bearded dragon and a Leopard gecko (sorry, no birds yet!).

How old is your mastiff?

T

Hey Tom,

You are owned by, lolol..Isn't that the truth?
After reading your entry, I checked your 'My Page' but it's blank..lol..

What color is Brody?
Sam, our Mastiff turned 9-yrs Jan 31. He was born, Jan 31, 2000. We adopted him, April 1, 2000. At 12 wks, he was big..much larger than other 12 wk old puppy I'd ever seen.
Sam is big, huge head, gigantic paws, but not as large as some English Mastiffs..last time he was weighed, 172lbs.
Before getting Sam, I found a breeder in a neighboring burb. When I rang the bell, I was standing one step lower, and eye level with two huge English Mastiffs..Because I do not fear dogs, (they sense fright) we hit it off immediately..But I will NEVER forget ringing that bell, and meeting two gigantic, beautiful faces..lol
It's a long story, but the breeder had just sold his last pup to a person in Chicago who swore they owned a house. The breeder was serious about adopting out pups to ppl who had no yard..So, he investigated. He found the ppl who bought his last pup, lived in an appartment, no yard..the poor pup was 'tied' and locked in their dirty basement!!! Because this breeder makes ppl sign a contract, and because the buyer lied breeching the contract, he gave them their money back, and took the pup. All legal.
In the meantime, we found another breeder, which is how we ended up adopting Sam. Sure enough, an hour after bringing Sam home, the first breeder phoned, telling me the pup was available..Sam is a wonderful friend, great personality, size, but if we had the room and $$, we'd have two Mastiffs..Sam is fawn color. Sheds 365 days a year..lol..needs daily brushing..
Unlike Coco, our Shih tzu, Sam cannot be lifted and set in the sink for a shower..lol..

Bearded Dragons are very unique. And beautiful! Do you keep the BD and Gecko together? What's their ages?
The only gecko I've seen is the one on the insurance commercial..lol..do they get big?

The iguana, Iggy, is actually our sons. Iguana number 3..It seems their average life is 4 yrs. His last two were females..the first, Rocky, actually a female, laid 74+ eggs within a wk, but no male to fertilize, thankfully. lol..Eggs were everywhere, Tom. They look like mushy marshmellows. lol.
Iggy is a baby, only weeks old. He/she is growing fast though. Last measurement, from head to end of tail, 15". But his/her body is about 7".

Anyway, Mastiffs are wonderful breeds..big but playful. I once wanted a Neopolotin, but at the time, the only way to get one was by having the poor pup flown in from Italy..Another breed we discusses was Irish Wolfhound..Very nice, very tall.. 7' when standing on hind legs..lol.

I might add to our family..Although I do not care for rodents, a local pet store had long haired hamsters. lol. We'll see, I have to think seriously before adding another pet.

IF you ever get a bird, which type would you like? Toni

Toni,
Wire stays on for a few months(jades) or up to a year and some times longer. I apply the wire loose and as the branch increase diameter it tightens up. Take lots of practice to do it without damaging anything, Pachycormis has got to be the hardest, the branches are so brittle.

On the 100 pounder. I've grown it for 20yrs from a seed grown plant in 3in pot. I made a pot for it last year, the walls and bottom are 1in thick so it's plenty strong.

I've ordered from Shoalcreek. in 2007 I purchased 50plants all arrived in good condition and most are still alive today.

Ok, here's another option for your Oppie. Leave it in the container it's in. Get some heavy gauge plastic screen and make a 3in tall collar around the roots and fill with soil. Come the late spring when it's time to put outdoors bury the pot in native soil leave the collar above ground. What this will do is speed up the growth for the short growing season. The soil will keep roots cool and moist, you won't have to worry about watering so often. The feeder roots will wonder out of the pot and into the native soil, when this happen you see the plant explode into growth with no feeding needed. Come the fall dig it up trim the root that have escaped the pot and store as usual.

The Fouquieria was purchased from deceased collector, it was potted and over grown with weeds and volunteer succulents. The sellers had no idea what it was and got got it for a ridiculous price.

The iguana, Iggy, is actually our sons. Iguana number 3..It seems their average life is 4 yrs.

Toni, I think you and your son need to revisit iguana care. A quick google search shows that properly cared for iguanas can reach at least 15 years of age. Whatever your earlier pets died from, chances are it's preventable and your son can enjoy his iguana for much longer than four years.

Caudex, before I forget. On your web page, there are pics of a Siamese cat..Is he/she yours?
He/she is a beauty! Siamese are my favorite. I had a Siamese, Simon, a little over 17 yrs..Seal Point..Is the cat on your site Seal Point or Chocolate. Beautiful!!!!
I bet 'kitty' was thrilled posing, wearing a Santa hat..lol

To shape my Jade, tree-like, does it need wiring?

Caudex, I still think it's amazing a 3" pot will hold 100 lb plant..lol..I'm not saying I don't believe you..I do, I do..but I've never ever seen anything like it.

In 2007, Shoalcreek had a different owner..I too ordered plants from him..All but two are alive.

Caudex, great idea for my Operculicarya. What about sun? Direct? Shade? Should I amend garden soil? Add Perlite, sand, peat, etc etc? I'm sooo excited..lol..You make is sound like Oper is fast-growing...is it? Thanks!

Citosa, you are absolutely right..Iguanas should live longer than 4 yrs..Rocky, Kit, and now Iggy is our son's pet. Citosa, our son is in his 20's.
Instead of picking up a book, he listened to friends who have iguanas..Rocky and Kit lived on Romaine lettuce, some spinach, and fast-food..(junk food) I make 'my' birds beans/veggies, daily, (and other healthy foods) so every so often, Rocky and Kit got a portion.
This time around, I researched proper diets for iguanas..I wrote out (no printer) a list of foods iguanas need. As far as the environment, Rocky and Kit had the necessary lights, heating pads, etc..
Their deaths were due to poor diets, I'm sure..Six or so months after Rocky laid eggs, her legs look deformed, swollen..after researching, it looks to be a bone problem..from improper diet.
Mike (son) took her to the vet..problem is, avian or exotic animal vets are rare in Il. Actually, there's only one, Midwest Bird and Exotic Animals, in this part of Il. They know how to take money, 74.00 to walk in, before exam or tests, but know jack when it comes to 'doctoring.'
So far, Mike is following instructions. Let's hope this guy/gal lasts a longer than 4 years..Toni

That's good to hear, that Iggy's getting properly cared for :-) Hopefully he's a he, so you won't have to worry about eggs; I know in birds egg-laying is quite taxing and I can't imagine it's any different for reptiles.

Citosa, I've bred cockatiels the last ten years. (Not a business) Now that my male, Mystic is getting older, he's a little over 12 yrs, yet quite interested in mating, females do whatever their hubbys want to do, no matter how stressful it might be. lol. (Ever see male and female bettas/Siamese Fighting Fish mate?) WOW!
Like any female, giving birth is taxing..lol
Iggy's eating healthy foods, and well-loved..I'm not saying our son didn't love Rocky and Kit. Their passing upset him terribly..Take care, Toni

Toni,
One more time...The 100lb plant I am holding is "now" in a 20in pot, I purchased 20yrs ago in a 3in pot. Not even I could fit a 100 pounder in a 3in container :0)

The siamese cat is "Pedro", my wife found him 4yrs ago abandoned under a porch at a mexican restaurant (why he a hispanic name). He weighed ounces and near death, he could fit in the palm of your he was so small. She nursed back to health and then some! He's quite large now, 18lbs! you should see the size of his feet!

I don't wire mine but know plenty who do, I prune and wedge branches into position. Wire if left too tightly too long will scar the plant.

For the Oppie, acclimate it too full sun. As long as the soil drains quickly I would not amend, it's not going to be out long so it won't be a problem. Under our conditions it is quite fast, in habitat not so. It's all about water, if they got it they grow, if not they don't.

Caudex, OHHHH, 20 yrs ago it was in a 3"er..That makes sense..lol.. I apologize.

Oh Lord, I hate hearing/seeing starving strays. Thank God your wife took him in, nursed him back to health. 18lbs is a good-sized kitty-kat. My Simon was 17lbs, but I can't recall his feet size. lol. You and your wife lucked out, so did Pedro..

I'm confused about watering Oppie. The last two summers, we've had serious rain, flooding. If the Oppie's in the garden, will constant rain cause rot?
Our soil differs depending on location..Some is clay, some peaty. It's all over the place. As for acclimating, I think I'll set it outdoors in its pot..gradually increase light until it adapts to full sun. Then in the garden it'll go. Thanks again for your help..

Heya, Toni!
Can you build a mound or raised bed?
I think Caudex and a few others grow in raised beds.

If you can afford it, dump a couple big bags of perlite into your beds.

I'm going to experiment with in-ground growing this summer, as well.

Josh

Hey Josh,
Actually, there's a guy a few towns away who sells huge bags of Perlite @ incredble prices..
Found him on Craigslist.
At first I was skeptical about his Perlite, but after talking to an African Violet specialist, he reassured me the size was ideal.

As for raised bed, no can do. With two rambunctious dogs, (most plants in the back yard are potted trops & sucs,) they, especially the younger, would pluck and drag plants out of the ground..lol.
It wouldn't work in front either, but there's enough room to plant 'x' amount of house plants in the front garden, (flat) but can't do the beds. I wish..
Have you ever read anything by James Underwood Crockett, the original host of the tv show, Victory Garden? He loved plants of all types, and author several plant books.

Anyway, he and his wife lived on the east coast. In early spring he'd dig a trench throughout his property. When temps warmed up, he'd set house plants inside the trench, then cover with, I believe Peat Moss.
I really miss Mr. Crockett..I learned a lot about plants via his books and weekly tv show.
He dedicated his house plant book, Crockett's Indoor Garden, to his wife Margaret. He and his wife went to a plant show. She won the door prize..A Haworthia. He mentioned how she had placed the plant on their kitchen window, rarely watered, yet it would bloom.
One thing I love about Crockett's Indoor Garden book is, instead of chapters, he discusses care on a montly basis, starting from Jan through Dec.
Since 1978, at the end of the month, I read the following months guide to plants. I LOVE his book! if you saw its condition, you would understand..it looks very very read.
Okay, Josh, now you know the history of Mr Crockett..lolol

There's still a few months, well, 3-4, before plants can go outdoors.

Josh, I thought you had plants growing in the ground? Didn't you have Sedum planted in-ground? Toni

Yeah, I have a patch of Dragon's Blood Sedum, but it's only a ground-cover. And it ain't lookin' so hot right now...after the deer munched it last summer/fall. It'll be back this summer, though!

Oh, and I loved the Victory Garden program.
Thanks for the history! ;)

Josh

Josh, yep, that's the plant, Dragon's Blood Sedum. Its color was deep red when you posted on that old thread.
Did the deer eat more since?

Do you watch the old/original Victory Garden with James Crockett or the new series? Do you know if the old VG shows are still aired?

Few questions:
I do grow one Opercularia for about 4-5 years now.
Do they multiply by cut of branches at all (or root cuttings)?
Every year I trim branches off and wondering if they could be rooted some how. What are the conditions for rooting those branch cuttings? Fog system in spring?
If you place root cutting (tuber) in soil mix, showing up the tip - will it start growing as individual plant?
I branch cutting will root and start growing - will it have tuber (fatten roots) in the future? I have read somewhere that some tuberous plants creating tubers only if seed grown. Mine never gave seeds yet.
Do you need to have like male and female plants for pollination? And at what age they start to flower?

Hello, I have seeds. They germinate very easily when a warm area. Let's trade.

Looking to trade seeds…. :). So Cal Area.