Hi Sue and Chrissy and All, Lovely Orchids Sue - aren't some of the miniatures just stunning!
Chrissy, Your Rhipsalis looks rather like one of mine which I suspect is either Rhipsalis cereuscula, or a very close relative of it - The stems never get as club ended as R. salicorniodes and they terminate in tiny red flower buds which turn into delicate white flowers about 1 cm long. My big plant is covered in buds at the moment - I am just waiting for open flowers to take the camera to it!
Meanwhile here is a link to the Rhipsalis.com photo of R. cereuscula http://www.rhipsalis.com/species/cereuscula.htm - this guy has a great site - a bit disorganised, but fabulous photos. The very fast growth you noticed is normal for these tiny cacti - in the early spring, they elongate madly, and then start to fatten up as soon as the elongation stops. I'd guess you got an extra spurt of growth from improving the plant's growing conditions as well, LOL.
Edited for Spelling - why do I ALWAYS see these things AFTER I post, LOL!
This message was edited Sep 9, 2007 8:35 PM
Cymbidium orchids won't flower.
Thanks kk think you are right .....it grows very quickly ...a few inches in just a couple of weeks.....I only gave it seasol when I watered it in... that is just a tonic.....are we supposed to feed them a pinch of blood and bone or something.....being spring and all... the other succulents are all spurting away too do they need a feed ?
Any hints or clues from all you succulent growers would be appreiated as it is all double Dutch to me.....ha ha ha but I am falling for them.:)
I give my plants a drink as soon as they start to kick off in spring. Usually a liquid feed with diluted Charlie carp. I think weaker is probably safer, and about every 2 - 4 weeks depending on how fast growing each plant is. Thats for potted ones. I throw handfuls of Organic life (like Dynamic lifter) all around the garden and scrape back mulch around trees and put handfuls around the dripline in spring, usually while it is raining, and I'll proibly do the same in a couple of months in Summer when we get some more rain, and again in early Autumn, but not at all through winter. With succulents, since they are usually in a very free draining soil, the water and fertiliser drains out very fast, so a little bit of slow release granules (osmocote or Nutricote) will probably last them a season. I poke holes around in the soil and drop a pinch in, then cover it up.
I never used to fertilise, and my plants always survived quite well, but since fertilising, everything just glows with health. Only problem is, I have to prune so much more!
Whoa, this is getting a bit long.
Just remember, weaker is better than too strong! (fertiliser)
Thanks WW.......with all the rain I have my succulents under cover but the big cacti are outside in pots....big cement ones.....they will be ok because they have been there over a decade rain hail frost whatever....no fertilizer but after what you have said maybe just a little fish emulsion very weak.:)
Remembering that it is colder down here, and (hopefully) wet in the winters, I have to be a bit more cautious about feeding succulent plants as my primary desire is to keep the plants alive, which generally means avoiding any week or sappy growth. Having said that, here is my fertiliser regime.
When I repot my plants I use a mix of one third each sharp sand, sieved old potting mix, and sieved compost. To each 9litre bucket of this mix, I add about 60gm of blood and bone and 60gm of Dynamic lifter pellets. I try to repot all but the largest plants every 3 to 5 years - I figure anything living in a 3 foot wide decor pot can look after itself! For most of my succulent plant growing history, that has been pretty much it, unless a plant sulks in some way or looks otherwise unwell. In my opinion, any succulent plant which is growing well and putting on solid growth is doing just fine.
Now, on the other hand if a plant is doing poorly, my first instinct is to look at the cultural conditions - is the plant getting too much sun? not enough light? too much, or not enough water? Succulent plants, by and large, are very good at scavenging for micro-nutrients, but i would certainly consider using a trace element feed on any plant not growing well or with excessive yellowing which has no other obvious cause. I do think that slow release granules are a valuable asset, and the various organic tonics and fertilisers certainly have a place, especially as the plants are coming out of dormancy - the rule for succulents I think should be to wait for active growth to show itself, THEN feed!
With succulents, so often it's all about the roots, if they are happy, so is the plant - I've just lost a lovely Pachypodium to root rot (grrr) - I purchased two plants about 150mm high two years ago (P. geayi and P. lehmannii) they grew well, and I put them up into new larger pots about a year ago. I knew they would be a bit tricky - most Madagascan succulents dislike Adelaide's cold winters but they were doing really well, so I guess I relaxed my vigilance a bit too soon. They both came into leaf on schedule in the autumn and were growing away nicely, until I came home near the end of August to see the leaves were falling off the P. geayi - odd, I thought, that's a bit too soon, but the plant felt otherwise plump and sturdy so I let it be. In hindsight, this should have been my cue to pull it up and look at the roots! but at the time I was a bit preoccupied with other things. Two weeks later, the full extent of the disaster was revealed - the vinegar flies had gathered, the roots were completely rotten and hollow; and taking a knife through the stem revealed that the entire interior of the stem had turned a blackened green (yuck) without even leaving a live piece to use as a cutting! Mind you, while all this was going on, the plant was just standing there looking perfectly healthy, with the only visible symptom being the premature leaf drop, and it's sister plant, the P. lehmannii, repotted at the same time, in the same potting mix, and an Identical pot, is still absolutely fine! Go figure! Here's what it looked like back in May, the last time I took it's photo and I don't think anyone would have nominated it for death then!
Looking at the photo did give me one other thought though. If you look under the long healthy leaves you can see a few small crinkly ones. This plant did get attacked by mealy bug in the summer of 2006/7 resulting in the damaged leaves you can see in the photo. I wonder if that mechanical damage could have been the source of entry for one of the slow bacterial rots. The other possibility is that this particular plant specimen was just weak and thus more attractive to bugs than normal - either way this shows the sort of things which should set the alarm bells ringing when you see them. TTFN, KK.
Gee as usual thanks kk ....great info as usual ...you know when I have something that is touchy about repotting I put a pot wthin a larger pot so the roots can wander around but are safe from shock so to speak....I can't remember why I do that but it always seems to work...you know much more than I do about these things but maybe you could try that for things like hoyas etc.My blackboy that was given to me as a dead plant ...I just placed it on top of a sandy mix of soil in the garden and it has dropped it's roots down through the pot holes and is happy as a lark ...been like that for many years.
I suspect the big cacti may have done that too. Thanks again you should be getting a little parcel tomorrow or the next day...posted it friday.:) Chrissy
Hi Chrissy,
That's a good idea for touchy rooted plants. In the case of the Pachypodium, and some of the other caudex-forming plants, however, the base problem is trying to grow a true Arid Tropical in a Temperate climate. I purchased those two Pachypodiums in the full knowledge that they might not survive my conditions, so I am still one up. These plants in the wild would rarely get an overnight low temp below 15C - there is no cold season on the Equator, just wet or dry! And to pour oil on the fire, we get the wet at the same time as the cold! My normal practice is to cease watering completely, and stick the plants in the porch for the dormant season. They are perfectly happy to go three months or more without water at that time. This is easy for winter dormant caudiciforms, but a bit tougher for those that want to grow in the winter - not enough water and they sulk, too much and they rot! Most of these guys are not "touchy rooted" in the sense that disturbing their roots upsets them. you just have to leave them completely unwatered for two to three weeks after repotting to make sure any damage heals. By the way OOH! PARCELS! I love Parcels, it's like Christmas all year round! LOL! KK.
Hi KK. I bought a Pachypodium in Brisbane last April. I dont know which species it is, but it looks like yours. Evidently it gets flowers like a Frangipani. Whenit dropped all its leaves, I must admit I was worried! It seems to be in a pine bark (2cm pieces) and grit mix and is always dry even after rain. I have put it in the hottest sunniest spot I can find. No sign of new leaves yet, but it held onto one of its old. I also bought some Adeniums aswell, also supposed to have Frangipani-like flowers. These are in tubes and almost fill them from side to side. They also lost their leaves, but I can see new buds beginning to form, (whew).
This week I bought a Wollemi pine from big W. I tipped it out of the pot while in the store, to look at its roots. They were just starting to encircle the pot! I bought it anyway cause my Mum wanted to get me one for xmas, so I buy it and she fixes me up with the money later. I trimmed the roots a little befor I potted it on, but I have a very strong feeling that they are not meant for this climate, and that this particular batch were not the best examples to chose from. I'll let you know how that goes!
I've bought a lot of plants this week! I bought a Cryptanthus bivittatus, A Vriesia flammea, a Vriesia rubyae and a couple of Camelia sasanquas, Pig faces, more Salvias, Snappys and Celosias for the flower garden and my hubby bought me a Mexican fire sticks" plant (Euphorbia "spp) Already have some bits of that one drying for propagation.
Hey KK, I like your Ogres ears! The ones in the pic, I haven't seen your head! LOL
Is the pachy whatsit that elephant foot thingy?my sister in law has one that looks like a big elephant foot with a couple of leaves poking out of the top...very interesting plant hers... do they make babies?or do they grow from seeds.....I used to think it was rather ugly but now I see the fascination ....her succulents are all grown in an enclosed back verandah that has a glass roof over the outer half ...a bit like a conservatory and her cactus and succulents are truly amazing....I don't think she gives them any feed apart from an odd sheep poo pellet as she told me once that is the only thing she uses in her garden.....however her garden consists of cement and tiles and pots ....and pots and pots....some of her things are huge...I will try to get over there soon.....many years ago I grew something nicknamed" chain of hearts" ...I had it on a high ledge in a bathroom window...it grew about 5ft long and I loved it....I remember that I did not even water or feed it ...it just grew ....it would had got steam from the showers and bath...but that is all I don't remember what happened to it I think I left it behind when I moved....does anyone know it?it was big in the 70's but I haven't seen it in years.
Oh yes Chrissy, It is still around and quite popular. I can't think of the botanical name, but if you search "chain of hearts" as the common name in plantfiles you'll find it I'm sure.
I have a couple in pots on the wall, but they get too much sun and not much water, so I keep killing them. I have a freind with a big pot of them, so I keep getting new ones started and then I kill them again. I must find a plant more suited to the conditions!
I dont think the Pachpodium is the elephants foot. ( your probly thinking it because it sounds like Pachyderm) its the prickly one in KKs photo up the page. I'll go and google it now and see what I come up with.
Sue
Ok, elephants foot plant is also known as Turtle back plant. Is this the one you're talking about Chrissy? http://www.cactuslovers.com/elephantsfootplant.htm
OK Yes, Chrissy the "elephant's foot" is Testudinaria or Dioscorea elephantipes. Here is a quick quote from the Open Dictionary -
"Testudinaria elephantipes, also called elephant's foot or Hottentot bread, is a tuberous vining plant native to the Cape of Good Hope. It takes the name elephant's foot from the appearance of its large tuberous stem, which grows very slowly but often reaches a considerable size, e.g. more than 3 yards in circumference with a height of nearly 3 ft. above ground. It is rich in starch, whence the name Hottentot bread, and is covered on the outside with thick, hard, corky plates. It develops slender, leafy, climbing shoots which die down each season. It is a member of the monocotyledonous family Dioscoreaceae."
Quite frankly, my mind boggles at the thought of one of these around the cubic metre size described above! I'd be very happy with 200 mm across in a nice pot, and I'm sure I'd never want to eat it! This is another plant the "lumpers" have gotten at recently, returning it to the large genus of Dioscorea, which contains over 600 species including all the edible yams. Admittedly the resemblance becomes obvious once you look at the leaves and the floral structures, but none-the-less I still like the idea of giving the succulent above ground caudex forming plants their own group to distinguish them from the below ground tuberous species.
By the way, Testudinaria comes from the Latin "testudo" which was what the Roman soldiers called their formation where they grouped together in a tight mass holding their shields together over their heads and around their sides, and it also became the Latin generic name for the land tortoises Testudo. So putting all that together we get "tortoise like foot of an elephant" which, you have to admit, is a pretty good description!
I have the chain of hearts, it is Ceropegia woodii. It is in the Plant Files here: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53707/ When I moved to this house I hung mine in the Melaleuca in light shade / dappled sunlight and it's pretty happy - the basket is just above my head and the longest stems are hitting the ground about 5 feet away. It shares the tree with my Hoya collection so if you have a Hoya which is happy, I'd stick the C. woodii next to it! Sue, "pots on the wall getting too much sun" sounds like an ideal home for one of the tougher Sedums, small aloes, or scrambling mesembs to me!
Your Wollemi might surprise you yet, Sue. Mine came with masses of documentation and a chart showing what you do to it and when. Reading between the lines I get the feeling that they are pretty tolerant once established - all I would watch out for would be good drainage and protection from drying winds while it is small. I got chatting to the nursery guy when I brought mine, and he was of the opinion that anywhere a Norfolk or a Bunya Pine will grow so will a
Wollemi. It surely is one neat plant though! Also Sue, before I forget to mention it, If you take a picture of your Pachypodium I'll see if I can ID the species for you.
Ogre's Ears? That's a new one (I think some people have been watching too much Shrek, LOL!)
I think you meant Crassula cv. "Gollum" Here is a picture of it when it was younger and smaller, reminds me I need a new photo of it, as it's a lot bigger now. In the same group of plants I also have Crassula cv. "Lady's Fingers" and I am looking for Crassula cv. "Hobbit" to make up the set, so to speak. TTFN, KK.
Hi KK and Chrissy
Thanks for the info as usual KK. Knew we could count on you!
Heres my Pachpodium, (with one remaining leaf)
Also MY-mi (Wollemi)
And one for sunset if she ever comes back (probly out buying plants or something)
Sue
Hey look Chrissy, any day now on the drunkards dream!
Sue
I've got a couple of cymbidiums who bloom on neglect. I think night time temps are the key....
They're overwintered in our family room (kept cool overnight and heated with a wood stove evenings)
once spring arrived, they're outside beside the deck, exposed to direct early morning sun, dappled shade for the rest of the day. they get what ever rain falls (I will check them on occaision, and water if they're bone dry)
once the overnight temps get down to 10C, they come back inside for the winter. They are well watered and then ignored until December.... when they bloom, in time for Xmas.....
it's survival of the fittest around here, lol I don't coddle anything, (except the cat and the dogs, and the spouse, and the kids....)
What a weird one Chrissy! (Your sis's plant)
The little pink bells in the picture 8 posts back, are an orchid (rock orchid I think) given to me from a man on my postie run a million years ago. It has never been repotted or fertilised and never fails to bloom every year, always better than the last. He gave it to me as a peice, so if I can get any off, I'll send you a bit. I know it grows there, as I was a postie in Penrith.
Welcome drivenbonkers. May I ask "by what"?
Sue
Hi Chrissy & Sue & all,
What your sister has IS Dioscorea elephantipes, the "Elephants Foot" plant. The plant which I had and lost, and which Sue still has (lucky Sue) is Pachypodium geayi which doesn't really have a common name at all. Both plants do have one thing in common though, you pretty much HAVE to grow them from seed as they basically don't branch at all and it would be a pretty brave collector who would try to chop one up for cuttings. Seed for these kinds of plants IS getting somewhat easier to come by as various plants held in local collections are growing older and maturing but it is a very long haul. Sue's plant could be 4 to 6 years old already, and it's still an infant compared to what the adult plants can do in habitat.
Chrissy, you mentioned 'big' earlier - try this on for size http://vesmir.msu.cas.cz/Madagaskar/images/2/Pachypodium_geayi01.JPG I have no idea how old these trees are, but it's likely to be in the range of several hundred years, from what I know of these plants. TTFN, KK.
Enclosed is a picture of the surviving plant of my pair - this is Pachypodium lamerei, note that it is not as "chubby" as geayi, and the head of leaves is always larger, fuller, and a much brighter green. Hopefully it will also be a bit less difficult to keep alive! TTFN, KK.
Oops, so busy checking my spelling, I forgot the photo!
Is that an Elephants foot or a pachypodium then KK?
Yes those leaves are more like a frangipani than my Pachy.
P.s I was refering to the photo of the large trees before.
sue
Hi Sue,
Sorry I must be dense today.. Is WHAT "an Elephants foot or a pachypodium", KK.
Oh-O, crossed postings - the big 'trees' are Pachypodium geayi, same as your Pachypodium, Sue - I just thought you'd like to see what you are in for! LOL! KK.
great!!! I'm having a dilema about where to plant them, as I also have a Dracaena draco and a Pandanus to plant. I need to build a dry climate garden, but also need full sun! Therin lies the problem, as in winter we lose our sun, due to being at the bottom of a south facing slope! I am wondering how all would cope in large containers in the pool area which is a very hot spot all year around, but the pool is Salt water. Pandanus and Draco are O.K I think, but I'm not so sure about my Pachy!
What thinks you?
Sue
My sister in law came to Australia in 1950 something... and she had some favourite things in her luggage... those things included small succulent and sedum type favourite things from back home...she was coming to a place that only had gum trees she thought ...a lot of the stuff I have came from bits and pieces bought into Australia by those Italian families who did not know what they would find here...my favourite is fragola or strawberry grape....no not Isabella the real one.....that was banned from export out of the Country because the wine fragolina (hi alc content).So hers could be pretty old...the EF I mean...I think it was about 14/15 inches high and very wide.In the old days no one cared that they had stuff in their bags.
Sounds not too bad to me, Sue. You would probably want the Pachypodium to get a bit larger first, and I would site it away from potential salt splash from the pool. I would also be inclined to give it only about 60 % sun per day - mine gets morning to about 1 pm and seems pretty happy with that. The other two plants are much less tender, but largish pots are a good idea - put them up on pot feet or bricks, then if the plant is unhappy in its location, you can always shift it with a sack truck. Also, if the pot is a good size you won't need to fiddle with the plants much once they are established - a couple of feeds are year with long life granular food and you'll be done. KK.
Edited to add for Chrissy's benefit - BAAD SISTER! (but nice plants!)
This message was edited Sep 12, 2007 7:07 PM
Thanks KK for your input. Now all I have to do is get some good large pots at a reasonable price! I'll keep thinking about my Pachy and see if I can find 'em the best situation.
Going to have my dinner now. Night all.
Sue
Hello weed_woman, "I.m baaaack" Hello to chrissy and kaelkitty too. I snuck in for a quick look last week but have been busy . Doing what you may ask ? What else but playing with plants. I was given another lot of succulent cuttings and had to pot them up. I have these little fellows everywhere now and am not really sure what to do with them.
Do you find that people just give you pieces of anything because "you love plants and I know you'll enjoy these"?
I do love plants but not all will grow here. It get's cold and these lovely well meaning people don't think of that. You can't say no or they will get hurt feelings. Where do I put all these succulents when they grow up ? I do have a few of the common ones that have survived the winters and are doing really well but they take up a lot of space. I don't have any more sunny empty spaces unless I start using the driveway. Somehow I don't think that would be appreciated.
I love reading all your posts and seeing which plants you are talking about. I can grow just about anything but am not big on their proper names.
I tried some adeniums here and they grew really well for 6 mnths until a few really cold days during early August when they just shrivelled up. I grew them from seed and was so proud as I know they are more for the warm areas.
Weed_woman , that orchid is exactly like my dendrobium delicatum.. Ha Ha , I know the name as it had a label.
I bought it as a tiny thing and now it is about a metre across . It flowers every year( it's not a nonflowering cymbid) and puts out numerous pups from where the flowers were at the tops of the stems. I have them everywhere now. I also have a Tiger orchid which flowers and this year has lots of buds. I'll post pic of it here also one of the delicatum pups with buds. The tiger orchid has small yellow/orange and black flowers and is as far as I know, a type of dendrobium.
Chriisy ,I too love the Chain of Hearts. Mine grows in the shadehouse and loves it but there is a bit in a basket under the tree where it also does well. Cold does not seem to worry it and I remember seeing a huge one at Bright many years ago.
My greenhouse is up now but today was very very windy and I was watching to see how it went in it's first wind. It's still up so now I can start getting my vegie seeds in . I will be planting my tomatoes inside to keep the birds from them.
Must away as it is getting close to teatime. Happy gardening all.
Here's the delicatum pup.
Hi Sunset. I told you before, I will take your much too many plants off your hands, just say the word! LOL
My Orchid (Dendrobium) doesn't get pups, or at least it hasn't done for the last 7 years. But it does look similar to yours.
I have a friend who lives up the mountain from me and gets frosts through winter, so she can't grow alot of the things I can. She works in the garden maintenance industry and always has cuttings and plants to give away, as she can't use alot of them! Luckily we go to TAFE and study horticulture, so we give stuff away there, or pot it up to sell it at their yearly sale.
I'm glad you are well and having a happy time!
Sue
hi 77sunset you know I read the posts in the other forums and there is one lovely guy in Kansas who at the moment is digging up all of his beloved banana palms...elephant ears....and almost his complete garden to take inside his home and a heated glasshouse
..many others all overwintering stuff in their basements like Angels
Trumpets and stuff...I feel so blessed when I read of what they have to do....we are pretty lucky I think.....although I know it must get pretty cold where you are...what kind of temps do you get....
that greenhouse must be fun!
Talk about a Spring Frenzy...whew! happy gardening all!
Hello again. I am sitting here looking out the window at the trees bending over. At least the wind has eased up since last night. It was howling around the house. We had a welcome drop of rain. The hills are green but that is very deceptive here as the soil is so dry underneath. Grass does not require much moisture to grow but the wind will dry it out in no time. We are expecting a bad fire season this year because of the growth and quick drying out. The area around here is mostly undulating hills with some beautiful areas of red gums. It was one of the first settled areas in Victoria with mainly sheep although there are a lot of cattle now.
My garden is on the top and down the side of a small hill so the wind is constant from all directions. My plants have to be hardy .
Sorry weed_woman but I never have enough plants, so none for you.
Not really. I love to share my garden and am always selling or giving away bits and pieces. I always take my secateurs when I go out too as there may be a piece I can ask for
The epi house is nearly full (as seen in earlier pic) The new greenhouse withstood last nights wind and already has some white violets planted on the floor. The site was the end of my herb garden which is sheltered in part by a fence and a few trees. it was the really dry end where not much grew so is better utilised now. I will be putting my tomatoes into poly boxes and there will be more plants joining the violets soon.
There was a visitor yesterday who I hope has moved on. A large huntsman spider (and they are LARGE down here) had decided to spend the night. I have an agreement with all spiders. If they stay outside they can live, cross the threshold and die. It seems to work.
My son in Darwin has dendrobiums and his have pups too so yours may eventually have some, weed_woman.
He gave me a beautiful Botanica book on orchids.. His way of showing me that my orchids are odd by not flowering.
I have a garden full of lovely purple flowers at the moment. All my wallflowers are out. I think this one is called Winter Joy,although it is more like Winter/ Spring /Summer Joy. It seems to want to flower all the time. The bees love it .
You are right chrissy, we do complain sometimes about our particular weather but are really well off when you see what others have to do to maintain their gardens. I could not live without a garden so am really glad I don't have to shovel snow off the ground or bring things inside.
One day I'm going to put a pic of my cymbids in flower but for now I'm off outside to see what I can do in the garden as the sun has just come out.
Happy gardening all.