Does anyone have seeds available for swap or sase? Check my swap page, let me know what you're interested in. I often have more available than is listed there. Stapeliads, etc. Thanks, --Rick in CT

Hi, Tracy, I have a stapelia, but I don't know if it is the one you are looking for. I don't know how to post a picture here, but I can email you a picture if you want me to. It grows similar to a rattail cactus and has a small maroon bloom. It is very pretty. I also have hardy cactus that has a very pretty bright orange bloom, it is in bloom now if you want me to send a picture. I am very very interested in getting a trade of your hen & chicks Kalinda and Ruby Heart. If you don't like the plants I have listed here, PLEASE look at my trade list and see if anything there interests you. Kathie

B, What you're suffering from sounds like an issue many growers here have encountered before. The good news is that you there are ways to fix this. First though, could you tell us what kind of pots you're using? And this may seem a bit unnecessary to ask but, do your pots have drainage holes or some way that the water can drain away? My first thought upon reading your soil recipe is that it is very high in fine-particled, organic matter. Altogether you've got almost a 2:1 ratio of organic material:inorganic material. What this means is that water is going to hang around in the pot for an amount of time that will have a negative effect on the root zone. In the summer, I suspect that your plants are rotting due to a combination of moist conditions in the lower parts of the pot offering a lush breeding ground for the bacteria+fungi associated with root rot and the plants being already slightly stressed (potentially due to drought stress or potentially due to the roots not being able to perform the level of gas exchange that would be optimal). One way to correct this is to use a more inorganic based mix and water more frequently. Another way would be to use a wick or even a ballast. I'd suggest checking out the writings of our own Al (@tapla) over on the container gardening forum for more information on how to decide on a course of action. Best of luck.

I used the scotch tape metod, they releave more or less like a Dandylion, a tiny parachute the seed on the end about the size of lettuce seeds or smaller. I'ts fun to watch and wait. How long, well again it depends on how dry the air is where it is growing. Watering may also make a difference on how fast the fruit will open. this I don't know. I have very tiny rubber bands which I have alsod use to keep them closed. I have put the plant into a strainer, and then put it into a bag so when they start to open they will fall down into the strainer, which is in the bag or box. You will come up with something that will work for you. Norma