Info on the Net vs what works for my plants, The Naked Succulent truth

[Miki J.]

In this blog I will with over time address confused information that I found on the internet as with growing times, water needs, sun etc..
Different web sites seem to tell the complete opposite, so hey what else to do except look at your plants and find out yourself.
Still pretty much a beginner but I do have by now 28 different species and really start to get into Adromischus, guess I found my weak spot when it comes to Succulents...

Anyway... first on my list my Aloinopsis rubrolineata
Pretty awesome plant when fully grown that forms a cool caudex when raised, way weird plant.
Thisone I bought 8 months ago from Planet Dessert, unfortunate got it in a bad shape and had to cut of most leaves, mushy and about to start to rot. No hard feeling with Planet Dessert this guys actually seend pretty good plants, just a little juvenile at times.

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Pretty much straight away after cutting leaves and potting 2 new sets of leaves emerged and grew. Now....on most sites this plant is supposed to be a winter grower but can grow in summer if given enough water.
Not true when it comes to this one.
It had a growth burst in the middle of summer, then stopped growing with zero growth in winter, even with enough water and sun. It is now April and just about can see a tiny set of leaves to appear again. So as far as I can see, not a winter grower for me at all.
I use Bonsai Jack succulent soil, for some plants added some small amount of potting mix. Water this one about all 2 weeks... a good bottom soak, all year round with plenty of sun.

Winter grower...not for me
Started showing some strong growth (mid June) after a resting period since last November. I thought its never going to happen, and its growing rapid. New set of leaves to full maturity grew in 3 weeks. Lets see what else happens. Will post updated pic soon.

Please feel free to add any growing experience with any plants posted on here.
Question: I read again various info on this, apparently the caudex and root need to be below the surface for it to fatten up, and caudex should be raised to fatten? Does anyone know about this first hand experience?

Adromischus marianae f. herrei

Not entire sure which sub species of Mariana f. herrei it is, I would guess green coral? Huge fan of this species, but hey, comes with a price tag too... I received the beauty about 3 month before the pic, mid February, only 2 leaves developed. Straight away this thing just started to grow, developing leave after leave, quick grower too. After about a month the plant had a break for about 3 weeks and then had another big growth burst developing another 3 new leaves in no time.
Now its on pause with nothing happening at all, lets see... time will tell I guess. Seems like growth burst, break, growth....
Anyway, super happy with this beauty, absolute stunner with this textured leaves, another plant from out of space, loving it.

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Question: I read that propagting leaves into new plants is fairly easy so thats going to be the new mission.
Does anyone know what age the plant should be before chopping off a leave to propagate?
As well I presume the mother leave will eventually die off and shrink away, then I can plant the the main stem deeper into soil?

As far as watering goes I squeeze the leaves gentle when appearing softer I give it a good watering (thats apex all 2 weeks), potted in Bonsai Jack Succ soil, super fast draining.

One year later

All year long zero, till growth on this Adro, but once beginning of spring strikes this 4 brand new delicious cute leaves appeared. Good to see its a grower after all. Just waiting for the mother leave to dry out at some point and then will repot with all this tooth growth starting to appear from the stem.

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Cheers
Miki J

[nachtkrabb]

Hi, Miki J,
I know this, too: information on different websites is simply contradictory. But what I have learned to rely on (in 99%), is the soil-information on llifle: http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACTI/Genus/ and http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/. My plants love what they get after I read them up there. Usually I take their care advise and my plants are content.

Your Adromischus are real beauties. I do like them, too.
N.

[Miki J.]

Hey Nachtkrabb

Cheers for the tip and weblink, if this is the most trusted information I will go with it. Although I am pretty lucky so far and no plant died on me yet. As for soil I pretty much use Bonsai Jacks succulent soil for all my plants, I add different amount of regular cactus soil depending on the plant though.

Your Sulcorebutia rauschii is a rock star btw... Nice one mate

[Miki J.]

Adromischus marianae f. herrei ‘Little Spheroid’ X Red coral"

This a real cool cross between two Adro's, its still a young plant with the original clone leave only slowing wasting away. This Adro changes color super quick, a few days in the sun and it went bright red.
I treat it as I would any other f. herrei, check the leaves with a gentle squeeze, if softer I give it a good watering.Roughly about all 2 weeks seems to work well. I received her about 6 weeks ago and it looks like a good growing burst just started. Super psyched to see how this beauty is developing.

Anyone else has any experience with this specific cross breed?

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One year later

Its a awesome little grower this fella, stays incredible compact and really grew wonderful. I might try and propagate a single leaf and not more, its too precious of a little plant for now. Yea one of my mots fabs for sure. Keep on growing mate.

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Any tips on propagating this one.. let me know

[Miki J.]

Sarcocaulon monsonia herrei

Received this darling about 6 months ago, pretty bare with maybe a touch of green. Started to form new green branches pretty fast. I really like this fragile coral like shape of the leaves.
The stem itself hardly grew, if at all?
Question: So... I read that at the first appearance of leaves turning brown to stop watering completely. Well, like for how long, 6 months, 3 weeks? Seems like this plant is going dormant in summer, so I should withhold water over this period? Sounds a touch scary to me.
Anyone has real experience with this species?
Cheers

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One year later

Still alive... I slow down watering when leaves start to brown but doe suspend water completely, worked well so far. Not a monster grower this one, but I do like the delicate nature of the leaves.

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[Miki J.]

Euphorbia decaryi spirosticha

Got this plant about 4 months ago, very different advertised in the picture as a real full grown specimen.
So yea, when I received a few brown stalks I was not really convinced, ordered 2 plants 1 was dead at arrival. Non the less, once leaves started to emerge it becomes a real cutie. Love this Bonsai sort of look. Its a baby, lets see what I grows into, part of the excitement right?

I read that its best to not let this succulent dry out complete, this makes me a little nervous, over watering can kill your kiddos real easy so I am going on the rather dry then too wet side of things. No issue so far. And yes, with the gravel I use this plant dries out complete between watering. Looks quite happy so far.
Leaves are growing...and looking way better then 2 months ago.
I wonder about fertilizing, would love to give this one a good strong boost.
Anyone got any real live growing tips?

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[Miki J.]

Adromischus filicaulis Titanic

Another Adro, those are just awesome Alien like plants, I am sure this fellas came from out of space at some point. Anyway, I received the one about 2 months ago, with the mother leave still attached, it shriveled away within 2 weeks or so and the plant started to produce brand new leaves straight away. Fingers crossed so far a happy plant. I water aprx all 2 weeks, giving it a good soak, at first sign of the leaves ever so slightly starting to shrivel. I use a Bonsai Jacks succulent soil thats actually more gravel then soil, super fast draining, leaving little moisture behind. Good amount of sunlight on a window thats gets sun until 2pm.

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One year later

Still going strong and grew a few new leaves in early early spring. Yet somehow the color of the leaves changed to a silver shade, looks a little sickling but leaves are still plump and strong after watering. Lets see....

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[Miki J.]

Avonia buderiana

Love the coral like look, awesome. So, thats way weird plant, I received it about 2 months before the pic, put it into soil and the whole thing was just laying flat, like dead spread out. 3 days later, all the branches stood up straight, like a candle. What a difference! Honest I thought this thing was dead. Now...... this is a plant like no other I have, its super alive. Super sensitive to direction of sunlight, the whole plant, every arm stretches towards the sunlight. You leave in the morning but the time you come home the whole plant looks different, its like a sculpting process with sunlight happening every day. I water aprox all 2 weeks to 10 days, bottom up, branches tend to absorb moisture and hang low for a day or two and then stretch up again. For real this thing is moving, more like a pet then like a plant. But way fun

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One year later

Yea its for sure a grower, just not sure what to do with this one, it starts to resemble slowly Spaghetti instead of coral, which I had original in mind. Guess I just gonna let it grow wild.. Spaghetti pot.. fine with me.

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[nachtkrabb]

Hi Miki, your plants are simply beautiful. Really well looking.
What I just look at and wonder is: You use these planters (? those pots above the pot with the soil & the plant), so that you can't see, if there is water standing and they get "wet feet" and root rot. I would never do that, I prefer "saucers" where I can see what's going on and if I have watered them well enough and that no surplus water is left.
Sorry, hope you understand what I mean?
Nachtkrabb

[Miki J.]

Hey Nachtkrabb

Yea, I think I know what you saying. All my pots have drainage holes and the soil I use is not even real soil, its more like fine gravel sort of, its hold very very little water. I bottom water them so its more a soaking and the water runs free out. So far, fingers crossed in about 50 plants I did not loose one to root rot. Hey, by the way, I was born and grew up in Austria so I understand German perfect its just difficult for me to write in German.
Cheers mate
Miki

[Miki J.]

Cereus peruvianus monstrose

Yea, got a super weak spot for this super slow growing species as well that formed over time this weird cluster of bulbs. When growing you want to keep it slow and steady. So this means as I found out, easy on the water and lots of sun light, the more water you give the more the plant will stretch and you want to keep it real compact. Fertilize only when growth is real happening and again, lots of sunlight when you do. As with all of my plants I squeeze it a little and if its a bit on the softer side I water. Aprx all 3 weeks with this one.

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[C And D]

Hi Miki
Nice selection of plants
You say you are in Australia?
You should include that info on your avatar info,
we need to know your location for any decent advice

We grow those plants and water them about once a week almost all year long.
The Aloinopsis need deep watering on a regular basis to keep their roots fat, and too much sun will leave scars

Adromischus need a very lean soil, shallow pots, filtered light, and regular waterings in their growing season, fall through spring, though we water them almost all year long. They are prone to rot if overwatered or kept in the shade for long.
So if you see rot, pull off some leaves if they haven't fallen off naturally.
It's easy to grow the plants from leaves, at least for me. Any size plant or leave will do. Let the leaves heal for a couple days before planting.
Plant in you regular Adromischus soil and water regularly.

The Adromischus you have shown have our names (C and D Plants).
Green Coral, Titantic, and Little Sphaleroid x Red Coral= "Pop Hearts",; we made up these common names to differentiate the different forms.

The cross was grown by Bill Hagblom, and I am the only one I know that had these plants for sale.

[Miki J.]

Hi Craig and Denise

Hey, thanks for your insider information, you two keep probably the most impressive collection in the US so I take this advice to heart, real appreciated.
I was born in Austria Europe, although lived in Australia for quite a few years but I am now in Boston MA.

And yes, this plants are actually from you I received them kindly from you like 2 months back. The Spheroid X Red coral is probably my favorite plant so far. Real strong grower too, bubbles up everywhere. The Avonia is yours, so is the Adro Titanic. And below I posted a pic of your Copiapoa which I think is adorable and I will grow into a adult monster (over a long long time I guess).

Thanks again for advice and the beauties...Cheers
Miki

[Miki J.]

copiapoa monstrose tenuis

This is a awesome plant when grown into a adult, goes all weird and bumpy and the black and white contrast is great.
I read this one needs vey very little water to survive, coming from one of the driest habitats on earth. Hardly no water at all in winter and very little during growing season, keep it dry during July August. So far I watered once a month and works great, at least no signs of complaints yet from the beauty. As well I do not want the plant to stretch, keep growth compact and slow. Again in super fast draining soil, more like gravel like.

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Follow the posts on page two below..

One year later

Another one of my most favorite plants. A slow grower for sure but so compact and wonderful awesome weird in a way.

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[C And D]

Info on the Net vs what works for my plants, Ain't that The Naked Succulent truth

As you found on the Net, the area that plant grows receives very little moisture.
But for me, I water the Copiapoas pretty much all year long every time I water, which is every 7-12 days.
We have adopted a nursery mindset to deal with the 1,000s of plants we have to take care of.

I think of the Copiapoa as opportunists, and will grow when ever they have good conditions. Which is all year here in Southern California.
They grow slowly but surely, so you don't have to worry about them stretching out to much. I give them everything I can and they won't budge beyond slow and steady.

The Monstrose are quite sensitive to drying out if not given enough water, so we make sure they get watered every time the hose comes out.
That's why monstrose growth is rare in habitat, not enough moisture to sustain it.

But as the title says, this is what works for me.

And one of my biggest issues of what the net says, it's often overly paranoid about watering because of what the habitat conditions happen to be.
My advice in all my articles and presentations is that all succulents need More Water than you may think. But you also need a well drained soil, good light and heat. Most of my plant death occurs from repotting, which is another issue.