AoibheNeasa
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Posts: 72
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: East Coast, USDA zone 7a

succulent ID confirmation and care advice needed *update*

Hi, my name is AoibheNeasa (pronounced "Eeva-Nessa"). My son picked out a little plant from Lowes the other day and I sort of fell in love with a lot of the other succulents there. I ended up picking up a bunch more. :oops: I've done a little looking around online and find a lot of conflicting information on their care so I thought I would join here and ask about them. I would appreciate any advice on how to care for them and confirmation on the names on the labels. Thank you. :) I apologize for the poor picture quality. Had to use my cell phone.

Argyroderma spp.
[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/0520100843a.jpg[/img]

Echeveria 'Lola'
[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/0520101308a.jpg[/img]

'Little Jewel' Pachyveria glauca
[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/0520101309a.jpg[/img]

Aeonium 'Catlin Hybrid'
[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/0520101311a.jpg[/img]

Anacampseros rufescens
[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/0520101312a.jpg[/img]

"split rock" "living rock" pleiospilos nelii
[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/0520101313a.jpg[/img]

Euphorbia tirucallii cv. 'firesticks'
[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/0520101315a.jpg[/img]
Last edited by AoibheNeasa on Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

AoibheNeasa
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Posts: 72
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: East Coast, USDA zone 7a

No one? :?

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Kisal
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Location: Oregon

I agree with all of the IDs.

If you could describe specific conflicts in the care instructions that you need to sort out, I could offer my opinion and methods. But, I am not a botanist, nor do I have any special training in how to grow succulents. I'm just a person who has always been around and enjoyed caring for plants. My opinion and methods wouldn't necessarily resolve the conflicts in advice you've received.

In general, however, care of succulents revolves around four basic things: 1. Do not overwater, because succulents actually store water in the cells of their leaves and stems; 2. Give the plant light exposure that replicates what it would receive in its native environment; 3. Provide a rapidly draining planting medium that is similar to that in which they would grow in the wild, I.e. desert cacti need a coarse gritty medium with little organic material, while epiphytes need a coarse medium made up of a lot of organic material; and 4. Don't expose them to temperatures more extreme than they would experience in their native environment.

One of the first things I do when I receive a new plant is to research where the species grows in the wild. Then, I do my best to recreate that same environment for them.

I'm a pretty laid back, easy going person, and my feeling is that there is no one 'right' way of growing succulents successfully. I happen to prefer to water all of my plants ... not only the succulents ... by immersing the entire pot in water over the rim, and removing it when no more air bubbles break the surface. That method has worked very well for me for many years. It takes more time, perhaps, than pouring a little bit of water on the surface every day, a method which works very well for others whom I know. (I've learned that I rapidly kill plants when using that method. :lol: ) So, the techniques that work for you will really boil down to what suits your personality and lifestyle best. :)

AoibheNeasa
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Posts: 72
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: East Coast, USDA zone 7a

Thank you Kisal! :D

AoibheNeasa
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Posts: 72
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: East Coast, USDA zone 7a

Yet another update from me. :lol: :D

A few of these plants are doing very well. Others not so much. All in an east facing window. All water when soil dries out (about once a week) except the Catlin Hybrid which I water 1-2 times a month due to it being summer dormant. Cactus soil with more perlite added and topped with gravel.

Euphorbia tirucallii cv. 'firesticks'
This one has grown a lot. It has lost most of that pretty coral color that it had on it's tips. Not enough sun? Although it has grown a lot, most of the stems look kind of "rough" to me. Especially now that I have some new growth to compare to.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4064.jpg[/url]

Pleiospilos nelii
This one seems to be hanging on OK and has had some growth. I think it could look better.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4059.jpg[/url]

Anacampseros rufescens
Again, lots of growth. Seems to have lost a lot of it's purpleish coloring. Again I'm thinking not enough sun? But overall looks very healthy to me.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4056.jpg[/url]

Aeonim 'Catlin Hybrid'
This one is summer dormant so I'm not sure if the way it looks is normal or if I'm slowly killing it. I water this one much less because that's what I've read I should do. It's in an east facing window but kept back slightly more than the others. It's still in the little pot I bought it in. I plan to re-pot this winter.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4063.jpg[/url]

Pachyveria glauca
This one looks to me like it is doing very well. Lots of growth.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4053.jpg[/url]

Echeveria 'Lola'
Another that seems to be just doing OK. You'll notice that it lost a lot of the pink in its color and it has some rot on some leaves.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4052.jpg[/url]

Argyroderma spp.
You'll notice I lost one of these. It completely rotted, turned to mush. I thought for sure I would lost the other two but they seem to be hanging on. I usually try to wait to water these until it starts to shrivel a little as seen in the pic. I am concerned about the brown spots. This plant is also more green than the pretty blue-green it was when I bought it.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4060.jpg[/url]

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I think I've mentioned before that I'm quite bad with plants but have fallen in love with succulents. It seems I can keep them alive but not thriving. A step up for me really but I want to do better.

Also, I can't remember if I ever shared a pic of my aloe. I glanced back through old pics and I don't seem to have a before shot. It seems to be doing quite well and has had a lot of growth since I purchased it.

Aloe zanzibarica
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4066.jpg[/url]

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lorax
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Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude

Well, I can speak for at least the Euphorbia tirucalli. That one loves full sun and very little water. I have the regular green cultivars and they're small trees now - I basically neglect them terribly and water when I remember to (which is not often, given where they are in the garden).

AoibheNeasa
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Posts: 72
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: East Coast, USDA zone 7a

AoibheNeasa wrote: Aeonim 'Catlin Hybrid'
This one is summer dormant so I'm not sure if the way it looks is normal or if I'm slowly killing it. I water this one much less because that's what I've read I should do. It's in an east facing window but kept back slightly more than the others. It's still in the little pot I bought it in. I plan to re-pot this winter.
[url]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4063.jpg[/url]
Update on my Catlin Hybrid. It's definitely "awake" though I'm not sure how good it is doing. I really need to repot it....I've just been lazy. :oops:

[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4145.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/ILuvBobbyNXander/plants/100_4143.jpg[/img]

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applestar
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They are all very interesting looking! :D

One back burner project of mine is to make one of those living wreaths with succulents. Your post is rekindling my interest though I suspect I won't start on that until next summer. Last year, I *almost* got started when there was a table of succulents at a Master Gardeners plant sale of $1 and $2 per plant. May be they'll be there again next year... 8)

The Helpful Gardener
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Location: Colchester, CT

Looking a bit floppy and a bitt leggy; I suspect you are watering fairly regularly. Stop. An east window ain't horrid, but west or south would be better.

I was just at Yale's collection the other day (small but neat); they water about once a month with mist nozzles, and the stuff is in a glass house with extra lighting. Dry. Hot. Sunny. Yale uses sand tables with pots set in the sand. Try to emulate that and your plants will respond.

HG

AoibheNeasa
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Posts: 72
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 9:47 pm
Location: East Coast, USDA zone 7a

Thanks Helpful Gardener. Unfortunately I don't have a decent south or west facing window to place them in. I've only watered the Catlin Hybrid twice this month. Too much? I was afraid I'd watered it too little. Not really on purpose, I'm just very forgetful.



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