Forced to choose only 1 plant in your collection, which would you keep
Comments (36)
tanpexoctics Willis
5 years agoExtremely hard choice ,I'm not sure how many plants I got. I have to say this is the first plant I bought ,and probally would be my one to keep.it was 1 inch tall now over 18inch.but I'm hoping not to get down to one plant lol
myermike_1micha thanked tanpexoctics Willis
Kara 9b SF Bay Area CA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoWhat a terrible/great question;).
This may change, but now I would have to save my Glottiphyllum pygmaeum. I love that plant and lately has bloomed like never before. He was my first "weird" plant. It's crazy too because if somebody asked me succulents or cactus I would pick cactus every time. A person up the street from me has a G. nelii planted in their yard and that thing is huge! I should go take a pic one day.
myermike_1micha thanked Kara 9b SF Bay Area CARelated Discussions
Which plants do you avoid, not have in your collection and why?
Comments (31)Carol, mine would generally be considered partially to mostly closed, I believe. When I obtained my 90 and 55 gal tanks, the top glass came with each. (The 90gal was a garage sale purchase, and the 55gal a hand-me-down from a friend's father who decided that after 20-30 years he was tired of keeping cichlids.) With the 55gal, the top glass covers about 75-80% of the tank -- it's missing the rubber "hinge" section as well as the plastic backsplash section. With the 90gal, about 90% of the tank. Having the top glass does help with keeping the humidity higher and more consistent. The only way the "above fluoros" would be anything more than useless would be if the tubes sat across the top of the tank. Sorry about that. You are absolutely correct that you would need to provide supplemental lighting. I did have a buddy who did just that with one of his larger terrs. He got 2 -two bulb 4ft shoplights and sat them across the top of the tank. Worked well. My tanks both have simple hoods I designed and my dad helped me make years back when I went upstate to visit. Each hood is hinged so I can flip back half of the hood to access the tank and the bulbs. The hoods -- from front to back -- cover about 90% of each tank. For lights I use six 200W equivalent coiled fluorescent bulbs in my 90gal and four 200W equv + two 100W equiv in my 55 gal. I have pondered trying some of the newer tube LEDs (I know a grower who supplies plants to the pdf hobbyists. He has done a great deal of investigating to find a brand of LED he feels will actually work for growing plants... as opposed to the junky ones you will find at a BBS.) Unfortunately, the suckers are EXPENSIVE. That has held me back. I'm currently testing out 2 LED tube bulbs on my plant stand. I'll see how they work out. (Definitely a LOT less heat than even regular fluoros, but haven't had them in play long enough to see what the plants think of them.) If your tanks are open, you will have to play much closer attention to humidity issues ... or more to the point a lack there of. Even without a top, you should wind up with an overall higher humidity level within the tank than the rest of the room. And depending upon just what plants you wish to grow, the humidity levels you will need to maintain may or not be more challenging to maintain in an open system. The buddy of mine who had the shoplights lying across his tank had a stream running through the tank (I think it may have been a 125gal L tank but it has been too long so memory is fuzzy.) The stream kept the tank envir. quite humid even though the tank was open....See MoreOnly room for 1 zucchini, which would you choose?
Comments (30)Elysium, the "best" zucchini depends on your particular taste. If you didn't like "Black Beauty", you might be careful about some of the other dark zucchinis. If you like "Italian" flavor, one of the Italian types mentioned above would be good. I don't like "Rampicante" steamed, but it's nice sauteed with garlic. I don't think it's a highly-flavored squash but is has some sweetness. It's related to butternut winter squashes but tastes better than the latter when picked young, not as good when kept as winter squash. I grew it one year with Cucuzzi gourds. The pair would be fantastic on an overhead trellis. No spines. Cucuzzi is good briefly steamed or cooked with tomatoes when very young or pared, seeded and stuffed when more like a baseball bat. Immature seeds are white and sweet. My father-in-law's favorite summer squash is "Zapollito de Tronco" or however you spell it. It is related to many pumpkins and winter squashes. Picked young, it looks like a little green cheese-shaped zucchini, but has a different flavor. Plant is huge and not as productive as most zucchinis. For "regulation" summer squash, I prefer the sweeter lighter green zucchinis like "Magda" and the yellow crookneck and straightneck squashes. This year, I am also growing "Butterstick" and a darker yellow zucchini, "Meteor" (no longer marketed) along with rather dark Sweet Zuke (breaks easily at the neck), "Spineless Beauty", "Zephyr" (not the most productive, but the most fun and keeps well in the fridge) and a couple of scallops. "Meteor" was my first squash this year, with several others coming in the next day. By the third day, I had picked 19 squashes. I think "Magda" is my most productive variety, but Farmerdill says "Freckles" is even more productive. It has a thinner shape. Zucchinis generally survive longer than other summer squashes in my hot-summer garden. Pinetree is offering a new medium or dark green zucchini with mild, sweet "almost cucumber-like" flavor, "Reward". Won their taste-test. This post was edited by carolync1 on Sat, May 18, 13 at 22:01...See MoreIf you could choose only 1 type, what would it be?
Comments (15)I have only begun to focus on hydrangeas in the past 14 months and my knowledge is somewhat limited. Being in zone 4b in VT is also a limiting factor because of the cold winters. I have seen some wonderful specimens of Annabelle and Pani's up here. But at this very moment in time, for me up here, I would have to say that ES have done very well and would be my #1 choice. They are also nearly labor free. I find that if you tinker with them abit in regard to acidity/manure/compost that you can nicely vary the intensity of the blues and purples. They seem to respond rather quickly to the tinkering in the early spring. That said, I am sure that in the future I will find other hydrangeas of interest which will do well up here. But, for now ES hold the spotlight....See MoreIf you can only plant 6 what would you choose?
Comments (58)This is a late post, but I wanted to put a word in for Glenn Drowns great selection at Sand Hill Preservation Center as he has 2 exclusive varieties which make my list. 1. Open pollinated Big Boy, for the reason Big Boy with care produces large harvests of a sprite tasting, not too tomatoey, but acidic tomatoe which is cleansing to the palate and one can never tire of. RL (regular leaf) I (Indeterminate) 2. Backfield, this is an early tomatoe of robust tomatoe flavor, huge, huge yields, dark red, hardy plants which ripens all at one time. Spectacular flavor on a determinate plant.. This tomatoe makes other early types like Silvery Fir Tree which is a good early tomatoe taste like those bland store types. It is that good in the heat and is pretty too. FL, D 3. Red Pear, huge yields of cherry tomatoes with Beefstake quality if one allows them to ripen in heat. RL, SD will need staking. 4. Azoychka, A light acidic version of Big Boy in a yellow tomatoe. Very hardy in extreme conditions, germinates well in cool sprouting and has very good yields of good sized fruits. RL, I 5. Rose, this is like most pinks in a work horse for a later tomatoe. It is huge, meaty, plants that resemble weeds for thickness and being tough. The fruit is meaty and sweet and under right conditions will be fruity. (only problem is one must cut the fruit from the vine as the plants are unwilling to give up their treasure.) RL, I Also mentions, Black Krim but one would tire readily if you had to eat just them as they are heavy on the palate. Riesentraub for the Campbell's type juice if you like that. In an additional note, people need to be warned that Brandywine is a musty flavored tomatoe which does have a smooth or slimey type flesh. This tomatoe is one which is the reason why so many people who first taste tomatoes say they do not like tomatoes. It is very distinct. Most people prefer the sweet types like Rose. Sweet types or heavies like Krim will tire people in eating them by the peck. That is why I mix and rely on the acidic types as they allow one to different flavors to keep on eating tomatoes....See More
marguerite_gw Zone 9a
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agomyermike_1micha thanked marguerite_gw Zone 9a
Nil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)
5 years agomyermike_1micha thanked Nil13 usda:10a sunset:21 LA,CA (Mount Wash.)myermike_1micha
5 years agoKara 9b SF Bay Area CA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoOk Mike I took the pics. The people whose yard this plant is in is not far from my home.
This is a 15inch ruler. This Glottiphyllum nelii is close 9 1/2 inches at its tallest point.
About 15inches at its widest points:).
It's really pretty. A couple years ago this plant was about the size of mine. I should plant mine in ground. I need to find the perfect spot:). Surely it would grow better.
Always thought it was G. nelii, but now I'm not sure;).
myermike_1micha thanked Kara 9b SF Bay Area CACasualSweater
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
nanzjade z5 MA
5 years agoMaria (6b)
5 years agoThat's her from June, not long after I bought her.
And that's today:
She puts out a lot of pups, and I think main plant grew a bit too.
myermike_1micha thanked Maria (6b)
Josue (Zone 9b, Central, inland California)
5 years agomyermike_1micha
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agonotolover
5 years agoMike--not sure to which of my pink flowering hybrids you are referring to as I have several that bloom pink. But if the flower was really big, it was probably a Trichocereus hybrid. Do you know what month it was? I should put names on them, but I suspect most people don't really care about the ID. Now I see it probably is worth the time. I'm thinking you probably mean this one--it bloomed recently.
If so, it is Schick hybrid 'Enchantment'. It truly is lovely. Mine doesn't have any pups yet so I can't help you out, but at least you have a name. If it isn't the one you're thinking of, I need more clues :-)
myermike_1micha thanked notolover
Rob Blomquist
5 years agoI had to think about this long and hard. I only grow cactus so the daylight is in sync with their needs. But I have different types, Schlumbergia, Rhipsalis, desert and others. Of them I would take the middle Schlumbergia X bucklii.
myermike_1micha thanked Rob Blomquist
Josue Diaz
5 years agoHere is Aloe Vaombe with about 6 inches of trunk. With age it'll grow to several feet tall. I'd keep this one.
myermike_1micha thanked Josue Diaz
Gabby C (FL 9A)
5 years agoI have 33 genera currently, probably almost 200 pots by now, and I can tell you my favorite genus is the Haworthia, but I couldn't tell you a favorite species!
Dont ask me to pick one to keep, it's like asking which child you'd keep! But.... if there was a fire I'd grab Priscilla first.
I don't have many cactaceae, not a huge fan of prickles, I'm way too clumsy.
myermike_1micha thanked Gabby C (FL 9A)
stupidlazydog CT zone 5b/6a
5 years agoWell it would have to be the Euphorbia bupleurifolia that's kept me company for 12 years
Or maybe my Dorstenia gigas (flowering for the first time now)
Or my favorite (right now anyway) cactus, Coleocephalocereus aureus, 'cause I like its lopsided cephalium (back right in this pic)
or the 10 foot Ficus benjamina that's graced my sunroom for the last 35 years, not exciting, but an old friend.
or maybe....
This is just too cruel!
myermike_1micha thanked stupidlazydog CT zone 5b/6a
Nick (9b) Modesto Area
5 years agonotolover
5 years agoMike,
That is Paramount hybrid 'Aurora'. The Paramount flowers really are not that big. It was just the close-up of the camera. Also, I took the pic in morning sun so the color is a bit washed out. And, for some reason many of my plants flowered very weirdly this year.
Here it is from last year.
It does have some very small pups. If they grow over next summer I will be happy to send you a few. But you will have to remind me :-)myermike_1micha thanked notolovermyermike_1micha
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agonotolover
5 years agomyermike_1micha
5 years agomyermike_1micha
5 years ago
Laurie (8A)
5 years ago
Lars
5 years agotanpexoctics Willis
5 years ago
ewwmayo
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoEnjoying this thread and seeing everybody else's single (!) beloved plant. =)
It's a touch choice and wish I could pick a tray of plants, haha. Here is the one - Haworthia 'Aboukyu':
nanzjade z5 MA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
SpanishFly - (Mediterranean)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI would keep my biggest Lophophora williamsii. About 19 years old.
nanzjade z5 MA