Hello -
I've recently (2 or 3 years) started collecting cacti and succulents
again after about a fifteen year hiatus.
Due to not enough watering in the past (maybe once a month) some of my
potted plants have gone to "sleep". I'm not talking about plants that
are quiescent in the summer - these plants should be actively growing.
With the watering frequency now increased since last spring to about
once a week some of the sleeping plants have woken up.
Several have not though - no apparent growth in the last year or so.
I water about once a week (two or three days wet, two or three days
moist and two or three days dry depending on the weather). I've
started using "Cactus Juice" as a fertiliser every two or three
waterings at half the recommended ratio. I use a pre-mixed cactus mix
from "Uni-Gro" (seems to drain very well) with clay pots.
Any suggestions on how to waken my sleeping plants?
Thanks...................., Markus in Pismo Beach, CA.
Sleeping Plants?
Markus,
I've had plants that sit dormant for a long time before as well. What I usually discover is that they have no (or very few) roots. I've had success by re-potting them, but sometimes lost them. Perhaps some others had different experience with this and can shed some more light on the subject. I agree with the other action you've taken too.
I've had plants that sit dormant for a long time before as well. What I usually discover is that they have no (or very few) roots. I've had success by re-potting them, but sometimes lost them. Perhaps some others had different experience with this and can shed some more light on the subject. I agree with the other action you've taken too.
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
Hi there,
I have experienced few similar things; the most striking experience was with an Echinocereus chloranthus which, after 2 years of total dormancy (nothing, nada, niente) showed signs of new growth in just 2 weeks after repotting. The root system was quite poor at that time, this is a sign indeed.
I think the plant might wake up by "shocking" it somehow - this may be repotting or significant sudden changes in light, watering or feeding.
Some plants may cease growing after moving them to a different place or even rotating them; most cacti are slow grower and it takes sometimes weeks or even months until they re-orientate towards the sun and start growing again.
Cheers,
Eduart
I have experienced few similar things; the most striking experience was with an Echinocereus chloranthus which, after 2 years of total dormancy (nothing, nada, niente) showed signs of new growth in just 2 weeks after repotting. The root system was quite poor at that time, this is a sign indeed.
I think the plant might wake up by "shocking" it somehow - this may be repotting or significant sudden changes in light, watering or feeding.
Some plants may cease growing after moving them to a different place or even rotating them; most cacti are slow grower and it takes sometimes weeks or even months until they re-orientate towards the sun and start growing again.
Cheers,
Eduart
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templegatejohn
- Posts: 1198
- Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:57 pm
- Location: Leeds, England
Hi Markus,
Daiv and Eduart seem to have covered just about every base very comprehensively and there is nothing really that I can add. any and all of their suggestions may stimulate your plant[s] but the one that works most often for me is moving the plant to a different location, sometimes only a matter of feet away.
Some plants [like people] get on famously together, others tend to sulk in a corner and won't talk to one another. No I am not a crackpot, [well not in this case] it has been scientifically proved that certain plants get on together better than others.
John
Daiv and Eduart seem to have covered just about every base very comprehensively and there is nothing really that I can add. any and all of their suggestions may stimulate your plant[s] but the one that works most often for me is moving the plant to a different location, sometimes only a matter of feet away.
Some plants [like people] get on famously together, others tend to sulk in a corner and won't talk to one another. No I am not a crackpot, [well not in this case] it has been scientifically proved that certain plants get on together better than others.
John