Echeveria Lilacina is struggling ... Advice please?
bunkfree_4a_canada
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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bunkfree_4a_canada
7 years agoRelated Discussions
My Succulent Collection Needs Expert Advice
Comments (15)I can totally understand the confusion!! I actually started out looking for that form of DE, but could only find the powder format first. Most of my plants seem to retain the DE rather well. I have a few older cacti where I have added more to the soil (below a top layer of scoria) when I water, and because of the small size it sinks into the soil with successive waterings. In my organic mixes, the powdered DE stays much easier, and acts as a soil dryness indicator for me as well. I've always been afraid of handling pesticides, especially around rarer species. Stapeliads that maintain a "jumping stem" growth form in culture need finer soils a lot of the time. For instance, I recently purchased a Stapelianthus madagascariensis that needs fine soil around the fine, small roots it grows at its various rooting points. Typical large particle gritty soils will dry out its roots and kill it. In my opinion, the trick to having a good finer gritty mix is maintaining a diverse particle size range. For instance, the finer mix version I use still has 60-80 percent larger particle sizes that are traditionally found in gritty mixes. The fatter Pseudolithos species arent that picky about growing media in my experience. As long as 70-80% of the media is porous lava material of some kind, the rest can be almost anything that isn't too rich or wet. I have used finer inorganics, DE, coir, and even mechanically minced/small particle sphagnum peat moss, and the only rot I have encountered so far has been from errant sprinkler water kicking normal topsoil mud onto a part of one of my cubiformis plants, but that was it. And the main body of that plant was unharmed and continues to thrive in ~40% fine, gritty soil. However, I do live in Florida, which has the highest average UV index in the US as well intense heat and humidity for 6 or 8 months out of the year, compared to most other US states. For instance, it consistently hits 90 to 100 here with 100% humidity from May to September. The more south you go in FL, the larger this range gets. In my hometown 150 miles further south, it's very hot and humid from about March to the end of September. I also live in an area with great wind exposure and by a lake, so I have a constant humid breeze. As such, I haven't had a problem with drying out due to clogged soil pores or lower levels of absorbent material, but rotting due to standing water in fine mix has been a concern of mine. However, maintaining a diverse particle size range helps alleviate this problem by maintaining excellent drainage....See MoreDormancy advice
Comments (15)Thank you so much! I think that is mostly due to all the help and advice from this forum and being lucky enough to have a very sunny bedroom :) And you know, I think I am going to leave them all. I saw my new room today and isn't very bright in comparison so i'm not sure it'd do them much good. Plus I don't want people accidentally knocking them over. My flat mate has brought a cactus and it's in the wrong soil and pot size; i'm dying to steal it and repot it... The larger planter I did about 3 months ago. I've noticed the crassula does seem to shrivel every few weeks due to dehydration, I am quite bad at remembering to water. The other plants seem okay though, the aloe has got some small new pups :) And yeah I drilled holes in the bottom of it I just take it outside to water. And the second one I bought reduced about a week ago. It was all glued with no drainage, so I re-did it and replanted them together again as I wanted to keep them in a separate room for a while in case they have any diseases. Weirdly the large plant at the back (aloe/haworthia?) was completely brown when I bought it - now it's rapidly turning green! Not sure why. This also has another pot with drainage inside, you can't see in this picture though. In terms of my cache pots I water most of my plants from the top then after about 10 mins drain them, then check again in a hour or so and drain them again :) It's a bit of a faff but I only water them every few weeks so I don't mind :) I only water one of my echeverias from the bottom which isn't ideal but I can't get in to water from the top and I can't put it in a bigger pot as it's root system is pretty small....See MorePlease help ID these succulents
Comments (17)Here are (hopefully) clearer pictures of 1 and 3, for those of you who asked: 1. I think 3 is indeed an Aloe Variegata. I'm somewhat concerned about this one, as when I took it out of it's original soil today the lower part of the stem seemed to be slightly mushy. Is this rot? I've never dealt with rot before so I'm not quite sure. (My apologies if I should be posting this question in a new thread.)...See MorePlease, show us your colorful succulents and cactus for spring!
Comments (91)Jeff, hello! Just got over being sick these days. Finally on vacation and picked a perfect week for it)) Listen, let me send you a well rooted Cristen Auria as soon as yesterday and if you should feel like it you can send me a cutting of that jet bead anytime if you want. If not, it's ok, I still want you to have a Cristen in your possession since they are so cool especially when they flower. Hoping all is well. Cold here tonight for Junes standards. High 30's for some folks. Crazy but sure to add more color on all of my jades. Nancy, how sweet of you as usual. Yours seems different than Jeffs but every bit as cute. Thank you so much. Chris, thanks and likewise. I really love this forum with as so many kind ones here, along with many colorful plants might I add. This is amazing. Grace, more pics please! Mike...See MoreAnton Gallovits (Cape Town 10a, SA)
7 years agobunkfree_4a_canada thanked Anton Gallovits (Cape Town 10a, SA)bunkfree_4a_canada
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7 years agolast modified: 7 years agobunkfree_4a_canada
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7 years agoAnton Gallovits (Cape Town 10a, SA)
7 years agobunkfree_4a_canada thanked Anton Gallovits (Cape Town 10a, SA)bunkfree_4a_canada
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