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Now Ye're Talkin' To A Cactus & Succulent Enthusiast!
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Untitled by zebrano1812, on Flickr
by zebrano1812, on Flickr
What is this called and is there any way i can stop the rot that is starting on one of the shoots0 -
I have a number of standard 'money plants' Crassula Ovata, and every year in spring they go through a phase of dropping their leaves when I start watering them. Is this normal? Or am I doing something wrong like over- or under watering. I'm not very methodical with my watering, even though I know it's only supposed to be once every 2 weeks or so in summer, and tend to do it when I think about it which is probably too often. Otherwise they're pretty healthy and flower every year.
Also should I be feeding them, and my other succulents and cactuses, and if so with what?
Hey there, that Crassula is one of the easiest to grow, but not so easy to get to flower, so you're doing something right! How many of the leaves are we talking about, like only a few, or 50%, or nearly all of them? Are you changing location for them around that time, like from the room to a balcony or such? Changes in wind and light can be a major factor. Maybe the plant is too dry during the winter months, they do like a little watering even then to tide them over.
Personally, if the plant doesn't drop MOST of its leaves, I would not worry about it. Some leaf drop is normal with that plant. The ones I have are moved out to the garden as soon as there's no danger of frost any more, and the wind and direct sun keeps them more compact and sturdy, almost like those stubby trees up on a mountain! If the plants get too straggy and elongated the stems can get very soft and bend, and it can get unsightly. When that happens I often cut it back quite a lot and let it sprout from the stems again - just what would happen in the wild!
As regards feeding, some garden centres offer specialised cactus fertiliser. The main point is to look for the N-P-K numbers - Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Due to their slower growth ratios compared to leafy plants, cacti and succulents require less Nitrogen - too much of it and the plants can swell up too much and sometimes even rip open, and they become bloated but also weaker overall. Phosphorus and Potassium aid flower development and root growth. So - normally I look for an NPK rating of say 5-10-10 or similar.
As I have a lot of plants to water, I use a powder fertiliser to mix in - this one: http://www.vitax.co.uk/home-garden/vitax-cacti-feed/ - and I must say I had super results! I find liquid fertiliser too expensive by comparison. I feed maybe from May until September at every other watering. Plants in fresh soil don't really need any feed in the first year or two though, as the soil carries enough nutrients as it is.
If your local garden centre doesn't stock the powder I use, these online shops have it:
http://www.horkans.ie/p/vitax-cacti-feed-200g/187026223
http://plantlife.ie/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=175
Hope that helps!0 -
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What is this called and is there any way i can stop the rot that is starting on one of the shoots
I'm pretty sure this is Aloe variegata http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_variegata. If you mean those light-brown lower leaves when you say shoots, this is not rot but rather a natural process - as it mentions in the Wikipedia article, "Depending on trauma, space, water availability or even old age, outer leaves will die off, turning golden brown and shriveling away." So once the leaf is dried out pretty much you can actually pull it off (you might need a good bit of force to do that!).
Many such rosette-type plants like Agaves, Aloes, Aeoniums, Echeverias etc. shed their oldest, lower leaves like that, sometimes leaving a visible stem underneath. Your plant looks very healthy to me, it seems to be getting enough water and sun where you have it
Some good care tips are here: http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/ALOE/Aloe_variegata/Aloe_variegata/Aloe_variegata.htm0 -
I'm pretty sure this is Aloe variegata http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_variegata. If you mean those light-brown lower leaves when you say shoots, this is not rot but rather a natural process - as it mentions in the Wikipedia article, "Depending on trauma, space, water availability or even old age, outer leaves will die off, turning golden brown and shriveling away." So once the leaf is dried out pretty much you can actually pull it off (you might need a good bit of force to do that!).
Many such rosette-type plants like Agaves, Aloes, Aeoniums, Echeverias etc. shed their oldest, lower leaves like that, sometimes leaving a visible stem underneath. Your plant looks very healthy to me, it seems to be getting enough water and sun where you have it
Some good care tips are here: http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/ALOE/Aloe_variegata/Aloe_variegata/Aloe_variegata.htm
Thanks yes thats it have been wondering this for a long time.
I had a number of these that were my grandads plants and then i got some cacti and they were all thriving in my kitchen which gets morning sun but not much else. But then after about 5 or 7 years they ann started rotting. This is the only surviving one thats only about 3 years old maybe less that i gave to my mother. So its not in my house.
Any ideas where i could get some of these in north dublin.0 -
It's only a few really, 10% at most, so it's good to hear that's normal. It's the older leaves, i.e. the ones closest to the main plant body that die off, so I do get some quite straggly stems on them which looks a bit unsightly. New leaves do grow back on the stems where the old ones dropped off in some places though.Hey there, that Crassula is one of the easiest to grow, but not so easy to get to flower, so you're doing something right! How many of the leaves are we talking about, like only a few, or 50%, or nearly all of them? Are you changing location for them around that time, like from the room to a balcony or such? Changes in wind and light can be a major factor. Maybe the plant is too dry during the winter months, they do like a little watering even then to tide them over.
They stay in the same place all year round, in a south facing conservatory, but when the weather is more clement, the conservatory door and the door into the house remain open during the day to let the cats wander in and out as they want, so they get a bit of a draught and don't really get too hot.
I've never thought of putting them outside to be honest, and as we're south facing it is a bit of sun trap so I might try that. Also good to know that I can prune them, I hadn't thought of that either, but when stems break off naturally it seems to recover so I guess that's the same.Personally, if the plant doesn't drop MOST of its leaves, I would not worry about it. Some leaf drop is normal with that plant. The ones I have are moved out to the garden as soon as there's no danger of frost any more, and the wind and direct sun keeps them more compact and sturdy, almost like those stubby trees up on a mountain! If the plants get too straggy and elongated the stems can get very soft and bend, and it can get unsightly. When that happens I often cut it back quite a lot and let it sprout from the stems again - just what would happen in the wild!As regards feeding, some garden centres offer specialised cactus fertiliser. The main point is to look for the N-P-K numbers - Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Due to their slower growth ratios compared to leafy plants, cacti and succulents require less Nitrogen - too much of it and the plants can swell up too much and sometimes even rip open, and they become bloated but also weaker overall. Phosphorus and Potassium aid flower development and root growth. So - normally I look for an NPK rating of say 5-10-10 or similar.
As I have a lot of plants to water, I use a powder fertiliser to mix in - this one: http://www.vitax.co.uk/home-garden/vitax-cacti-feed/ - and I must say I had super results! I find liquid fertiliser too expensive by comparison. I feed maybe from May until September at every other watering. Plants in fresh soil don't really need any feed in the first year or two though, as the soil carries enough nutrients as it is.
If your local garden centre doesn't stock the powder I use, these online shops have it:
http://www.horkans.ie/p/vitax-cacti-feed-200g/187026223
http://plantlife.ie/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=175
Hope that helps!
That's great information, thanks! I have other succulents and cacti but they're all doing fine, and all flower regularly, it's only the crassula that I'm having problems with.
One more thing regarding them, sometimes some of the leaves get a bit of a red tinge to them, is that a problem?0 -
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Well that rate of leaf drop is absolutely normal. As mentioned, when stems get too straggly just take cuttings! They can be re-rooted easily provided the cut surface had time to dry and form a callus.It's only a few really, 10% at most, so it's good to hear that's normal. It's the older leaves, i.e. the ones closest to the main plant body that die off, so I do get some quite straggly stems on them which looks a bit unsightly. New leaves do grow back on the stems where the old ones dropped off in some places though.
Sounds like the perfect location to me and pretty much what I have! Air flow is good in hot weather - I once had my conservatory windows shut for a day in September when it turned out to be the hottest day of the year with 27° outside, and I wasn't home. The heat must have been like an oven and I ended up with a good bit of scarring on many plants!They stay in the same place all year round, in a south facing conservatory, but when the weather is more clement, the conservatory door and the door into the house remain open during the day to let the cats wander in and out as they want, so they get a bit of a draught and don't really get too hot.
Yeah well if you have a couple of Crassula plants you can try it with a few of them. If they have not had much sunlight exposure during winter it's important to get them adjusted to higher light levels gradually so they don't burn and scar (happened to my Crassula ovata "Gollum"). But if they are kept in the conservatory all year round you probably won't have that issue.I've never thought of putting them outside to be honest, and as we're south facing it is a bit of sun trap so I might try that. Also good to know that I can prune them, I hadn't thought of that either, but when stems break off naturally it seems to recover so I guess that's the same.
That Crassula is almost like a bonsai insofar as you can prune it quite regularly and it will not get cross with ya!One more thing regarding them, sometimes some of the leaves get a bit of a red tinge to them, is that a problem?
The red tinge is from sun exposure and (unlike the fair Irish skin when it burns!) it's not a bad thing on Crassula - as long as above warnings are heeded The red tinge is actually desired by many growers. I noticed that plants I keep outdoors develop a much stronger tinge, so it's probably down to UV levels - from Wikipedia article: "C. ovata is famous for garnishing a red tinge around its leaves when grown with bright sunlight. In more extreme cases, the green colour of the plant is lost and can be replaced by yellow. This is caused by the jade plant making pigments such as carotenoids to protect from harsh sunlight and ultraviolet rays." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crassula_ovata)
As I said in my previous post, us cactoholics meet regularly in the Botanic Gardens and it's a great way to exchange plants, cuttings, seeds and advice :cool:0 -
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Hi Pyxxel, would you be able to tell me what kind of plant this is?
It was in my parent's house for years in a tiny pot and kind of neglected, until I brought it out to my place and re-potted it. It has even come a long way since this photo was taken, but are there any specific requirements that I should be adhering to?
Great thread by the way, very interesting. I've been considering getting a cactus again so I'll be referring back here 0 -
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Rabo Karabekian wrote: »Hi pyxxel,
This has probably been asked already (wanted to get my question in before the thread closes, but will go back through it later) but I have a crassula ovata (http://www.jardinexotiqueroscoff.com/site/uploads/pictures/plante/800x800/crassulaceae-crassula-ovata-2.jpg)for around 8 years or so and has never flowered. Is there anything that I can do to make this happen?
Hey Rabo,
Yes we have discussed that species a bit already, so I'll be brief here. I also have this plant (it's very common) and also a mutated form called "Gollum" which has oddly curled-in leaves and looks quite cool. My Gollum has never flowered, but I had a few flowers on my main plant last winter - it doesn't really flower for everyone, apparently! I found some advice here http://www.houseplantsexpert.com/jade-plant.html: "The general advice is at the end of summer bring the plant into a spot that will provide it with a few hours daylight, stop giving it fertiliser, reduce watering and provide full darkness at night -- then you may see them bloom, in the winter. The plant will see this as a resting period." I also guess that flowers only show on larger specimen, which is a general rule-of-thumb for many succulents.Rabo Karabekian wrote: »Also, can you advise on cuttings? It's getting a little too big, and would like to trim it back, but don't want to damage it. I have zero knowledge on how to cut back a plant like this, so any advice would be appreciated. Also, can the cuttings be used to grow 'new' plants?
I've discussed this earlier in this thread too, so I'll be brief again! This plant does benefit from pruning, it will branch out a little more and can ultimately be trimmed into a compact, nice shape. Best use a sharp, clean blade.
As with all succulents, it is important to allow the surface of the cut to heal off and form a callus. This goes for both the cut stems as well as the cuttings. If the cuttings are put into moist soil when the cut is still wet, it will surely rot - however, once a callus is formed (give it a week or so) the wound has healed and it can be put into well-draining soil (use a mix of compost, sand & grit). Eventually new roots will form and you get a new plant. This is the way plant nurseries create new stock en masse!
One thing I haven't mentioned before - when the cuttings are drying off, it's better to stand them upright, for instance in an empty pot with some newspaper in it. When they are lying down they often bend upwards to "righten" themselves and get more difficult to plant.
Good luck!
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Hi Pyxxel, would you be able to tell me what kind of plant this is?
It was in my parent's house for years in a tiny pot and kind of neglected, until I brought it out to my place and re-potted it. It has even come a long way since this photo was taken, but are there any specific requirements that I should be adhering to?
Great thread by the way, very interesting. I've been considering getting a cactus again so I'll be referring back here
Hah that's another Crassula ovata! It's been discussed in this thread quite a bit already, so check the previous posts for advice. As it is one of the most common succulents in cultivation you'll find tons of advice by googling for it too.
If you consider getting one (or a few) more succulents or cacti, the general advice is this:
1. Use well-draining soil (mix potting compost with sand & grit) - more info earlier in this thread!
2. Keep them in the brightest spot you have - South-facing window sill is good, conservatory or greenhouse is even better!
3. Water well during the summer months - I start watering them a bit in April, and more from May onwards. I soak them a bit, then let the soil dry out over 2 or 3 weeks, depending on temperature.
4. Phase out watering during September/October, depending on temperatures and sunshine levels
5. More leafy plants (like your Crassula) can be watered a little, maybe once every 3-4 weeks, in winter. More succulent plants (like cylindrical or globular cacti) should normally be kept totally dry to give them a rest period, which is important to get them to flower in spring and grow better in summer.
6. If possible, allow temperatures to drop to 8-10 degrees at night in winter (lower for many cactus species) - it stops the plants from trying to grow when light levels are low.
Some species are much easier to get to flower, even as younger plants - if you can find names, look for Notocactus, Parodia, Gymnocalycium (cactus species) and Echeveria, Aloe, Crassula, Aeonium (other succulent species). There are many Euphorbia species that are easy to grow but their flowers are unspectacular. I personally love the cactus species Lobivia, Echinocereus, Astrophytum and Echinopsis, for their spectacular and abundant flowers - take a look at this Lobivia wrightiana which has very long, bristly central spines and loads of pink flowers (picture of this morning!): https://scontent-fra.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11182320_1389986861327539_3224085956755332983_n.jpg?oh=1336b7c4325b3515f2888eadf32ca911&oe=55DDD4AC0 -
Hi Pyxxel
This is my lad, can you tell me if it will do something at some point?
Also, what is your favourite type of cheese?[/URL]
Hey Scudzilla,
This is an Austrocylindropuntia subulata - yeah it's a mouthful! Austro means southern, cylindro means cylindrical (obviously) and Opuntias are those cacti with flat pads - so this is a non-flat, i.e. cylindrical Opuntia from the southern hemisphere! There is also a genus Cylindropuntia and typically they are from north of the equator, but many botanists don't make that distinction and call them all Cylindropuntia, or even just Opuntia - it's subject of scientific discussion :P
Your plant is a monstrose form, meaning there is some genetic deviation from the "standard" form - a mutant, if you will! The difference in this case is the abundant sprouting around the main stem. So the correct Latin name would be Austrocylindropuntia subulata forma monstruosa - try to fit that onto a label! Check out this page http://cactiguide.com/most_common/, it is number 6 on the list.
Will it do anything? Well it should keep growing and getting bigger if you follow the general advice I gave above. Opuntias and the like often flower only when they are a bit taller and bigger, but it's pretty hard to find a proper photo of a forma montruosa flower - I've even seen images featuring stuck-on artificial flowers! The normal C. subulata flower is red, this is about the best image I could find:
So I would not expect it to flower for you, but it can grow into a nice plant in the shape of a small shrub or miniature tree. The side shoots can be easily broken off, left to dry a little and put into soil to reroot - that's what the commercial growers do!
Oh and the cheese.... I do like Coulommiers, a French cheese with a taste between Brie and Camembert. Hard to get here though!0 -
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Speaking of Aldi, they often have a decent selection of both cactuses and succulents in Lidl from time to time. It's where I've got most of mine, apart from the various reincarnations of my original Crassula Ovata (bought in Germany over 30 years ago!), to be honest 0
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Hey Rabo,
Yes we have discussed that species a bit already, so I'll be brief here. I also have this plant (it's very common) and also a mutated form called "Gollum" which has oddly curled-in leaves and looks quite cool. My Gollum has never flowered, but I had a few flowers on my main plant last winter - it doesn't really flower for everyone, apparently! I found some advice here
Good luck!
That's brilliant advice, thank you. I can see already I have been doing a lot of the things you're not supposed to do (wrong soil type and I think I have probably been slightly underwatering it). Hopefully now I might see some flowers this year.
This thread has been really interesting. I have it bookmarked and if I ever move into a south-facing place again, I will stock up on some of the more interesting variants you've mentioned.0 -
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Speaking of Aldi, they often have a decent selection of both cactuses and succulents in Lidl from time to time. It's where I've got most of mine, apart from the various reincarnations of my original Crassula Ovata (bought in Germany over 30 years ago!), to be honest
Yes I've also bought some good plants in Lidl about 3 years ago. They came in respectable sizes, were very healthy and also great value: The Ferocactus wislizenii has gained in size quite a bit and the Euphorbia tirucallii has shot up like mad - a tree in the making... these two won first prizes in their classes at last year's Cactus & Succulent Show in Dublin :cool: The Pachycereus pringleyi has tripled in length. I recently found out they can grow to almost 20m high but I guess that'll take another century or so!
Here's a picture of them, impressive as they are:
(Thanks to Alun for the tip, all I needed to do for embedding is replace the url tags with img tags!)
Some of my oldest plants I brought with me from Germany when I moved here in 1991, and we often buy the odd plant on trips to mainland Europe - some of those have done extremely well!0
This discussion has been closed.
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