I've been a little busy but plant-watching on weekends is a MUST. So here are some observations :)
The little Aloinopsis schooneesii have started to grow after a winter pause. This one is still growing sets of three leaves.
I tore of a piece of my Crassula ausensis ssp. titanopsis and it rooted even though I haven't expected it to do so. Nature finds a way.
There were two Deilanthe plants, both quite large. One has managed to successfully downsize while the other failed at it and eventually died. I strongly believe that when we buy rather large adult plants somewhere their survival depends on whether they can reduce their size. This goes mostly for lithops but some other mesembs as well.
I bough more Delosperma planties. D. sutherlandii this time :)
Mitrophyllum grande are digesting old leaves. Just a little more and they're done. Soon the new leaves will break through!
I haven't watered my Conophytums for a very long time (since November maybe?) and a couple of them are already through with the leaf change. A bit early, isn't it? The new leaves are already showing and I'm not sure whether I should start watering soon... Should I?
The Frithis humilis seedlings look great and enjoy the sun. Still no flowers though.
Your plants look lovely as usual! The pink frithia are so cute. I'm curious about what you mean by downsizing large plants - is it about acclimatising it to the different growing environments? I imagine window sill plants would get far less light. Do you have any particular way of getting them through this process, or do you just leave it to the plants?
ReplyDeleteThank you :) The Frithias have a nice tan indeed.
DeleteExactly. Often when we buy adult plants in a flower shop or even a specialised nursery they were grown for sale and fed too much (to make them big quickly). They are way to big for their age and wenn they get into an environment where the soil is appropriately poor and the light is appropriately stronger (then in a dark flower shop) they go through bad withdrawal. Many die right away and the rest dies later because during the leaf change the smaller new leaves (smaller leaves is our goal here when we grow mesembs!) have to fully consume much larger overfed old leaves and they fail and rot. However the ones that manage to dry off the old leaves (or at least digest them to a grade when they can be removed surgically by the grower) will thrive in the long run. I call the process of overfed big plants turning normal-size after a leaf change in case of lithops or one growing season in case of other mesembs - "downsizing".
The process is, in case of overfed lithops, strickly no water. The shock from the change from "compost with chemicals" to pure pumice without water should make them wrinkly and more flat. It is a good thing. They have enough resources to survive. If the plant was bought in summer, if there is no water the plant will be much smaller and all wrinkly by the time the leaf change comes and the new leaves will have it much easier to work through them. If it was bought in the fall and there is no time it is ok to wait until the new leaves are visible and big/strong enough (depending on the species) the older ones can be simply cut off. Of course it also helps to buy only plants that are not so bloated from the start...
If it is an east or south facing windowsill there will be enough light :)
The new leaves on my Mitrophyllum grande emerge in the Autumn.
ReplyDeleteI do not start watering my Conophytums until late Summer but do spray them.
Really? In Autumn? You mean the floppy leaves ot the bunny ears? I thought the floppy leaves are about to break. Last year the bunny ears came in Autumn... Mitrophyllums are confusing... So, no water?
DeleteHm, ok. I'll try the same. I remember, the one on the 2nd pic to the right already had new leaves when I bought it in July, but the other ones were mostly covered with dried up old leaves at that time.... So I guess, they're on schedule.. hm..
Thank you for this information!
Классные Фритии! Просто абалденный цвет! :)
ReplyDeleteСпасибо!
DeleteОни после каждого полива зеленеют, а потом опять краснеют, если какое-то время не поливать :)
I have been taking photos of the Mitrophyllum grande and will put together a post showing the whole year. I have another Mitrophyllum in flower now. I do not give them much water.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the photos. I'm looking forward to your Mitrophyllum post - it will be very helpful! :)
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