Newbie! HELP! Am I doing something wrong?
Bridgett Gooden
7 years ago
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amaranthineglow
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Plate comapctor- am I doing something wrong?
Comments (7)There is the possibility that a commercial model is bigger and faster than the ones we've rented as DIYers, but we have rented from industrial rental places... and yes, they're hogs. My husband, who is the operator when we get one, does not recall them having speeds either. He more or less just scampers along behind them trying to get them to go in the direction he wants. I recall you do get little bulges of soil from it digging in as you turn and so on, but you make several passes and work those out: tamp, rake, check level, tamp, rake, check level, rake... We've never worked with the layer of crush that you'll probably be using in your zone, so I don't know how to handle that part....See Moream i doing something wrong?
Comments (5)Hello mate, I'm no expert but I have had quite a few nightmares with getting the potting mix correct. The mix is crucial! I don't know much about 511 or gritty mix but I'm going to check them out myself in a minute after writing this. As for my experience with the mix, I use a high quality potting soil and mix it with a soil conditioner (the soil conditioner is like small gravel made from terra cotta I believe), then I add a lot of perlite and a handful of orchid bark. I find this mix works pretty good, drainage is fast and it dries out quickly. The smell is probably from the water going anaerobic inside your container. Sounds like your soil is not drying out properly. It might be dry at the top but soaking wet at the bottom. Might be worth investing in a moisture meter that you can use to probe deeper to see what's going on down there. Also, a 20 gallon container sounds rather large for a 3year old tree. I'm guessing it is about 3 feet tall and probably a 5 gallon would be sufficient to start with. Anyone else feel the container maybe to large? Please tell us more about your potting mix? I suspect the smell has everything to do with this. Also, what is your source of wateri? Collected rain water, tap water etc ?...See MoreWrinkly Lithops, Am I doing something wrong?
Comments (2)Welcome to the forum. It is a great group of very enthusiastic growers of all kinds of succulents. Since you use the word cacti for every succulent, we really have no idea what kind of plant you are talking about. All cacti are succulents. Not all succulents are cacti. Lithops resorb the materials in the leaves during the fall and winter, while making new leaves for the next year. During this time NO water is required, and watering can lead to death. Wrinkling is normal, in fact, the leaves are going to completely disappear by spring. More succulents are killed by over-watering than under-watering. Research how to care for these, they can be tricky plants for inexperienced growers. As for the second 'cactus', I have no idea. Also, most succulents do not grow in sand. It is a very poor ingredient for soil mixes as it compacts and turns everything into cement. The proper kind of growing media will depend on your plants and their environment. Generally, a mix should be more than 50% inorganic materials like pumice, gravel, perlite, turface, etc. Avoid peat, it retains water far too long. Do not use sand. There are as many opinions about the 'ideal' soil mixture as there are growers. Research your plants. Ask questions here. You have some learning to do, but folks here will be happy to help you. If you can email photos, you can post them here. You need a free internet photo server like Photobucket to do this, or you can post in the Cacti Gallery here at GardenWeb. Again, welcome. I think you will find this place very helpful, but we have to know what you are growing in order to help. Brad...See MoreTOTAL beginner to indoor succulents- am I doing something wrong?
Comments (8)Actually " if " your plants are stressed then brighter, stronger, longer times of brightness of sun would be the least of the concerns A stressed plant isn't a growing plant, it's in surviaval mode it has no energy to grow and will continue to become worse if you attempt to grow it in growing conditions. Bright stronger sun with the higher warmth from the STRONGER longer lasting UV sun light is intended for plants that are healthy and able to grow. A healthy plant isn't a stressed plant Suggestions: ASAP get them out of what ever they are in and lay them on a damp napkin or some dry soil that you have on hand after you've cleaned as much of the unhealthy soil as you can ( all if possible) from the roots that remain before you post pics ( In my opinon what an experianced person(s) would want to see is what remains of the plant including it's roots not just a stressed or sickly potted plant ) Care while bare rooted and out of a pot: Not easy but some misting of the remaining plants would be reqiured as it may be out of a pot for a while. IE as you shop and find the better draining soil you discover or gritty mix ideas are being founde. Lighting indirect but bright temps can range from 58 F to 80 F Ventilation is relative and constant circulation if lower temps but more if warmer as plant tops also like to breath they need more air to breath if hotter What you should expect,as there is no gurantees and at worse case you may be better to find or buy new succulent plants or replace the ones you got ( the easier way to go IMO) A full recovery of at least one or more of what you already have will take time. How long it takes is a mytery for any plant in stress. Example: As little as three hours in the woods a plant can be stresed for a year, some can survive stress even longer before theybecome close to being ready to come out of the woods. Some don't every get out...See MoreMonica bf N. Carolina zone 7B
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