So what else was going on on my windowsill in August?
Well, the most amazing and surprising thing was the awakening of Monilaria scutata seedlings! I couldn't believe they are alive after all this time. None of my other attempts to grow Monilaria went on this far. These must be some tough seedlings. First the "beads", then the "bunny ears". All by the book. Very exciting!
Then, I have transplanted Anacampseros karasmontana, the fluffy greenie. It has developed really fat roots and I wanted to give it more space.
It has flowered and developed seeds, too. Out of last year's seeds I already got a bunch of seedlings.
The older Anacampseros seedlings are looking more like adults every day. This Anacampseros arachnoides is very attractive when kept dry.
The white fluffy Anacampseros baeseckei are growing into towers. I do believe somewhere between fuzzball and the below is their best look. I have older and longer An. baeseckei and they started to look kinda strange. I might need to re-root them.
Anacampseros namaquensis are really hairy and really flat. Love them!
Avonia papyracea ssp papyracea, hatched in November last year, are still so small. Strong though. I have a good feeling about them.
Such a wonderful group of plants. I'm really impressed with the amount of hair your ancampseros have. Usually it require quite strong light conditions to develop a lot of hair The Anacamperos baeseckei towers are super. Just how they should look when grown well. If I had seen these plants without knowing that you grew them, I would have assumed they were greenhouse grown.
ReplyDeleteAnd, both the Anacamperos namaquensis and Avonia papyracea ssp papyracea seedlings are wonderfully compact and perfectly shaped. These are really nice young plants Rika. You are a master of the window/pumice culture of succulents.
I must ask, what is your criteria for when to water? I know you take into consideration the look of the plants, but does the color of the pumice, or weight of the container play a role in when to water? Your watering regime must be excellent to produce such nice plants in a window light environment.
Thanks for sharing your plants with us. Yes, the Monilaria scutata seedlings are too cute. ^__^ A little bit of Namaqualand on a windowsill in Trier, Germany. So nice. Pet Mila for me.
You are so kind, thank you!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, keeping the baeseckei towers pretty turns out to be very difficult to me. The plants on the photo are the prettiest they can get here. It's all downhill from there. They lose bottom leaves and start to look strange. I see it on the adult plants and now on the seedlings as they grow. No idea how to keep them pretty in the long run :(
The rest looks fine so far, lots and lots of fluff to feel happy about. These plants are wonderful. Adults look scruffy at the moment which seems to be normal during winter (from what I've seen so far). They lose leaves and get wrinkly and brown. New growth is supposed to come out in the spring.
You flatter me. Watering is something I am still struggling with. I water each plant individually after an inspection. The color of pumice only gives me an idea short-term. The pumice surface is darker within a day or two after watering, not longer. Since I normally remember that I have watered a plant a couple of days ago it does not help much. The pot with wet pumice is much heavier indeed but, again, it's just a reminder that the pot has been recently watered (within a week or so). To me, if the pot is light it does not automatically mean the plant needs water. The looks of the plant can be deceiving, too. I have to say that I have grown to rely on touch the most. I touch the plants to find out if they need water. Most of the plants get softer (lose turgor) if they need water. Touching and lightly squeezing the leaves is safest way to know if it is ok to water. Even with Avonia quinaria or Adeniums, I squeeze the caudex. If a succulent has been recently watered the leaves will be hard as stone, no matter the species. I'm not that strict with seedlings though :)