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Post by davem399 on Oct 22, 2024 21:21:54 GMT
Growing succulents, mainly lithops and conophytums.
Also, cycling, both leisure and competitive, though I haven’t done much of the latter in the last year or so.
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Post by gray1720 on Oct 22, 2024 21:34:01 GMT
Growing succulents, mainly lithops and conophytums. Also, cycling, both leisure and competitive, though I haven’t done much of the latter in the last year or so. Ah, you may be able to help! I slowly kill off Lithops, much to my frustration. I find that they never dry off in time to get a good growing season in before it's time to dry off again. I know they need a minimum temperature over winter, do they have a maximum temperature as well? They sit on a windowsill, at 18-20C. |
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Post by davem399 on Oct 23, 2024 7:55:04 GMT
Growing succulents, mainly lithops and conophytums. Also, cycling, both leisure and competitive, though I haven’t done much of the latter in the last year or so. Ah, you may be able to help! I slowly kill off Lithops, much to my frustration. I find that they never dry off in time to get a good growing season in before it's time to dry off again. I know they need a minimum temperature over winter, do they have a maximum temperature as well? They sit on a windowsill, at 18-20C. Adrian, I wonder if you are giving them too much water over winter? If kept indoors they will need a bit of water over winter due to the warmth of central heating. Mine in the greenhouse are getting their last watering about now, and won’t be watered until the new heads come through in the spring. Mine are kept in an unheated greenhouse all year round, but living near the coast, frosts are usually quite light and I cover the plants with some fleece when frost is expected. Folk with heaters in their greenhouse typically set the stat on the heater to come in around 5C. Regarding maximum temperatures, they can stand temperatures of up to 40C or more but the secret is to have some ventilation as well to keep the air moving. I use a couple of rechargeable fans in the greenhouse, and others often shade their greenhouses to keep the temperature from getting too high. I wonder if yours might benefit from some shade / ventilation in the height of summer? ETA, the main season for watering is typically April through to October. |
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Post by gray1720 on Oct 23, 2024 8:24:41 GMT
This is the odd thing. I don't water mine until the old have gave dried right off - they've had what would usually be their last water now - but this year that was only a few weeks ago. Should I be watering in spring anyway, even though the old leaves are still plump?
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Post by zx9 on Oct 23, 2024 8:24:51 GMT
Growing succulents, mainly lithops and conophytums. Also, cycling, both leisure and competitive, though I haven’t done much of the latter in the last year or so. Another succulent fan here, I was fortunate that my dad kept my childhood collection of mostly cacti when I moved away to collage. When it was all getting a bit much for him in the early 2000's I bought a second hand aluminium greenhouse and moved two van loads of plants down from Yorkshire.
Since then I have got more interested in succulents getting to grips with amongst others lithops which I was never successful with before.
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Post by zx9 on Oct 23, 2024 8:26:29 GMT
This is the odd thing. I don't water mine until the old have gave dried right off - they've had what would usually be their last water now - but this year that was only a few weeks ago. Should I be watering in spring anyway, even though the old leaves are still plump? No. |
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Post by gray1720 on Oct 23, 2024 8:31:12 GMT
This is the odd thing. I don't water mine until the old have gave dried right off - they've had what would usually be their last water now - but this year that was only a few weeks ago. Should I be watering in spring anyway, even though the old leaves are still plump? No. So at least I am right with that bit! In which case, if I am keeping them dry until the old leaves have dried right up, why are they taking so long? |
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Post by davem399 on Oct 23, 2024 9:07:35 GMT
So at least I am right with that bit! In which case, if I am keeping them dry until the old leaves have dried right up, why are they taking so long? That can be a puzzle. I would hold off watering until mid summer, and if they haven’t shed the old leaves, give them some water. Sometimes, this might trigger the shedding process. A good free draining soil is essential, something like a John Innes no. 2 (no sniggering please) with plenty of grit. |
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Post by zx9 on Oct 23, 2024 9:13:54 GMT
They react to both light and temperature, having them in a greenhouse they experience a much greater range of both stimuli growing in the late summer and flowering in the autumn. I expect that in a house they have much more stable conditions all year round if you have an unheated south facing bedroom window sill or an un heated porch / veranda they would do better than they do in a centrally heated house.
As for the time to replace the 'leaves', it can take two or three months during which time it is very tempting to water them, resist the temptation.
@ Adrian I tend not to post pic. of my plants on Flickr but there are a few on FB , around this time last year I posted lithops pics. when they were in flower.
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Post by gray1720 on Oct 23, 2024 9:57:06 GMT
Hmm. We have a south facing bike shed that I have overwintered things in before now. I think I will try that, and bring them into the unheated, but fairly dark, back passage for a few days if anything really chilly threatens.
I'll check the soil in spring, I have several other things that have sat and done nothing for years that have suddenly sprung into life with a repot this summer, obviously been neglected...
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Post by zx9 on Oct 23, 2024 12:06:07 GMT
Hmm. We have a south facing bike shed that I have overwintered things in before now. I think I will try that, and bring them into the unheated, but fairly dark, back passage for a few days if anything really chilly threatens. I'll check the soil in spring, I have several other things that have sat and done nothing for years that have suddenly sprung into life with a repot this summer, obviously been neglected... Most Dutch commercial grown cacti and succulents tend to be in a very moisture retentive but nutrient poor organic compost which suits the growers but is not suitable for long time growth at home.
My plants are heated over winter, like Dave my thermostat is set to 5 deg.C. .
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Post by don on Nov 4, 2024 19:20:13 GMT
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Post by gray1720 on Nov 4, 2024 19:31:19 GMT
I think I'll pass on that link until I see if I get the current ones to survive this time next year, ignoring them works for cameras....
Bugger, it doesn't, does it?
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Post by don on Nov 5, 2024 11:38:11 GMT
?
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Post by gray1720 on Nov 5, 2024 12:28:59 GMT
Any clearer now, Don? Bloody productive toast... |
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