A title and context is helpful.

"That's my biggest problem, I live in a condo with no garage, or any land for that matter to dig holes. Just one mid sized balcony and one small, Facing East and North respectively.

I might try a pot in pot setup - Put the pot w/ the Sedum growing in it, in a much larger pot filled w/ mulch as insulation."

I copied and pasted this from the overwintering sedum thread to put it into context.

I think that is a great idea putting your sedum into a larger pot filled with mulch. It should work equally well for your Ice plant and Sempervivum as well.

in my z5 MI .... water accumulation .. in a pot that is frozen solid ... is the main reason for failure ...

and it usually occurs in very late winter.. around snow thaw ... when it thaws.. might rain ... etc ... but the pot itself is still an ice cube ...

its a variable you have not addressed ...

the variable you did address... is keeping the pot itself.. out of sun ... where .. even in the dead of winter ... sun on a pot.. can thaw the media ... and when roots go in and out of dormancy ... you may end up with root rots ... basically .. your pot in pot... has put the smaller pot.. in full shade ...

there are tons of post about wintering over pots..; in the hosta forum ... try using the search engine specific to that forum ...

the variables remain the same... on a primary level .... needing ... usually .. only tweaking for specific plants ...

a third variable would be the media in the pot ... and how it reacts to water retention ... and the other variables...

ken

Just heard a scream of dismay from the kitchen.

My SO had wandered into the computer study to ask me why there was a bag of coffee grounds on the kitchen island, and then to agree to save them for up to a week for garden use. A certain Labrador used the few seconds of inattention to snag part of her tunafish sandwich.

You've got to be on your toes in this household.

Delosperma is only cold hardy in dry conditions. Mine gets a bit ragged looking in the ground but pulls through. According to what I learned when dealing with cold hardy cactus, Colorado, although covered in snow all winter doesn't have the problem with freeze/thaw like other places do so roots don't rot in the ground like they do elsewhere and the plants will endure a lot of cold as a result. I guess what all this amounts to is keeping the soil reasonably dry for succulents just as you would with cold hardy cactus. I grow all three of these, along with several varieties of cold hardy cactus fine here in the ground in Oklahoma where its not as xeric. A patio is different-- if it was me, I'd winter them over outside on your patio if the pots will stay dry but if not, I'd winter them indoors in bright light and then set them back out in spring, especially the Delosperma. It would be safer than taking a chance outside in a pot unless they are under an eave or roof.

Well, I've decide to split the variety. The ones that have become fully established in their pots over the Summer will be the ones left out, the weaker ones will spend the Winter indoors along with some cuttings.

I tried growing one Ice Plant indoors last year, but it didn't make it. I'm just not sure whether or not, these plants absolutely need this cold dormancy period.

The soil I use has very steep drainage, and I'm under another balcony which blocks a lot of the snow.

Rob

Thanks, those are some cool pics. Have you ever been to Timberline Gardens? (A little East of 58th & Ward Rd)

Why can't you post photos directly?

Rob

wow Skybird, those are some nice ones. I can't do Chicks n hens here so well unless its a spot shady most of the day, especially afternoon, they fry to crispy, stickery things in summer but sometimes a wet spring will get them. I'm down to that real common green type, the ones like everyone used to grow in the sides of barrels in small towns, farms and places like that, seemed like everyone's grandma or aunt had them. My original hen dates back a long long time but its borne hundreds of chicks since.

Those cobwebby ones and fancy smancy ones.......forget it. I don't see how people grow them on roof gardens, it definitely would not work around here.

Hi Halo,

Yeah, I've been to Timberline! It closed--for good--in October! Kelly Grummons, part owner, was my boss when I first started at Paulino's--until he bought Timberline. Timberline--and Kelly, are going to be sadly missed in retail here in Denver! Nothing's certain at this point, but he may be working with a grower here in Denver who grows "High Country Gardens type stuff!" Can't imagine him not being involved with perennials somehow--especially xeric stuff. When he was at Paulino's, he was the one who "found" Delosperma basuticum 'White Nugget'. It was a sport of 'Gold Nugget' which had been around for a while! 'White Nugget' is now patented, but since he was "working for" Paulino's at the time, THEY got the patent, not him!

I can't post actual pics anymore because the html codes don't work on houzz. I used to be able to paste my html code in and when I "submitted" it you could see the pic. Unless it's changed--I haven't tried it again since houzz took over--the only way to post actual pics now is to "download" them into the houzz system, and even if I could find the "right ones" in my folders with thousands and thousands of pics, I'd lose all the editing, cropping, straightening, etc., and I'd lose all the captions that tell what's in the pictures. I used to post a lot of pics on the olde GW, and was really bummed when I found out I couldn't do it anymore. Not many folks are gonna take the time to click on the links!

Here's a pic of the yellow D. basuticum that I just put in WebAlbums when I was doing some other pics for over on RMG. This one is identical to 'Gold Nugget', but it's named 'Peakay'. I believe that stands for P. K., as in Panayoti Kelaidis from DBG--who works closely with Kelly. I suspect Panayoti "developed" a new strain so he could patent it, but I don't know that for sure! If you find 'Gold Nugget, it'll look just like this! For a yellow iceplant, it's WAY superior to the old D. nubigenum!

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3CsLgneV9AypZd9HA1jx4qdtHZHTh5d06Slth8pk5yQ?feat=directlink

I replied to you over in my "normal" stomping grounds, Ranger! And I posted a link to an old hen & chicks thread I started. I sure don't see why you can't grow them! We'll discuss it "over there!"

Skybird

Wow, that's too bad. I just found out about Timberline this last summer, they sure had a great selection; I had only been there twice.:-(

Thanks again for all the great pics and info.

Rob

Skybird Welcome - It's great to see you here and have your contributions! It's always sad when a great nursery closes, and I imagine that finding nurseries that sell plants appropriate to CO may be a bit of a challenge at times.

Though Houzz doesn't accept HTML code any more, you can use the icon/button at the bottom of the box on each thread that just says Photo to add photos. Click on the Photo button and then navigate on your hard drive to wherever you have photos stored. Click on the photo your want, and then click Choose at the bottom of the screen (or alternatively, just double click on the photo you want) and it will upload. I would only use the Houzz Photo option if I wanted to use the same photo more than once in different threads.

Sb - I'm sorry, I assumed that you had tried the provided "Photo" option below the comment box. (Maybe you have.)

I usually use the "Photo" icon, however recently it has malfunctioned from time to time and I have had to use the "houzz Photo" icon. It work's a bit differently but get's the job done. I think posting pics is half the fun. If you have any questions; I'm sure someone here can help you out.:-)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Rob

I usually find that if a photo won't post for me, I can do the post without, submit it, and then add the photo in an edit right away.

My photo files are large and Houz usually chokes on them so I do a email out of my photo program with them in a reduced "large" setting and then drag and drop them into the Houz photo square thing that comes up after I click house photo. It sounds complicated but it takes gobs less time. What I am confused by is that sometimes it comes in large like the turkey above and sometimes it comes in small and one has to click on the photo to enlarge it. An ephedra that I took cuttings off of.

Looks like the Grand Canyon.

Rob

I can only upload a one photo per post now, that started about 4 weeks ago, previously I could upload several. Also, I have to upload the photo first because if I do it after I type in my message uploading the photo last erases my entire message. That can be very irritating.

And...its the same way with adding a link. Must do the link first, cannot have a link + a photo because to add a link will erase the photo (along with the type if I forgot and did that first). When houzz first started I didn't have any of these troubles.

I have to use the 'Houzz Photo' button to upload my single picture per post. The one that says 'Photo' does nothing, no box or anything else comes up, nothing happens, its basically a dead button.

I'm on a mac computer if that has anything to do with it, heck if I know but obviously they've done something different recently.

There do seem to be issues from time to time. When I post a pic it always takes at least a minute and a half usually two minutes. I am technically challenged but perhaps if I reduced the size of my pics it would take less time (if I knew how).

Within the last few weeks I have seen some time glitches. I will post then later when I come back to the post there will be a post above mine that had not been there previously. Once it said the post had been there 47 minutes ago. Not for me.

Double posts for every response showed up a few weeks ago and a few minutes later it was normal.

I won't pretend to understand any of it but I do wish I could post pics quicker. I am on a PC.

Yeah, there have been some problems lately, and losing everything you've typed is VERY irritating! (To say the least.)

Rob

Especially when brevity is nowhere in evidence for us twitter non-scriptus types...who write a rambling essay rather than a few pithy sentences.

Campanula - That's good, couldn't have said it better myself!! Nicely done; I'm going to bookmark that one.

Rob

Eye halve knot bin hap pee whiff the knew system. Wot ever changed is knot rite and is shore uh PITB (Payne inn the but). House that four yew?