Lithops!!!!

[FistulinaHepatica]

Since Tom, Dick and Dirty Harry are doing well - I figure my transplanting technique is somewhat ok.

Refined it a bit - used surgical tape wrapped and extend the reach of the tweezers; and since it is just tape at the end, it will have more grip and give on handling the seedling. Kinda like the rubber tipped tweezers I used in the fibre optics lab some years ago.

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2404.jpg[/img]

Decided to transplant the older lithops seedling into a new pot which I'm going to gradually reduce humidity and dry out over the next 3 months.

There are still some seeds that haven't hatched, I'm sure, but I don't want the ones that are growing to be too damp - you can see algae creeping around in the yogurt pot nursery - plus it's so much harder counting green lithops against algae background!

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2403.jpg[/img]

Now 18 of the older ones are in their new home:

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/DSCN2405.jpg[/img]

They have 3 months to fatten up before I dry them out for the winter dormant period.

Edit to add:

Here's [url=https://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?p=278481#post278481]a link to another thread with very useful lithops PDF[/url]in another forum that I regularly go to. It's a more science oriented (UBC botanical gardens forum) if you're a plant geek like me and trying to identify your Lithops species.

[Green Mantis]

FH........ Just was looking at that site, very interesting!!! I have decided that I am going to have to go with shorter plants from now on.

Which makes the cactus ideal, as long as I don't pick ones that are too tall The shelf I have, that has the flourescent lights on it, is only so high, so taller plants don't really work in there!

I totally tipped over awhile back, when you were talking about cactus seeds and ordered a Whole bunch! Yikes!!!!!

I ordered them off e-bay or Flea bay. LOl!!! From someone in Bulgaria. Is that where you got any of your seeds from???

What I was thinking, was how about I wait to pick up, "TOM", "DICK" and "DIRTY HARRY", until the seeds come. Then we can do a seed swap? I'm not going to need ALL the seeds in those packets, so why not you take some of each and hopefully one of us can keep them alive and growing........What do you think???

Then we can each have some weird seeds going. I'm saving containers now!
One thing I'd love to know is where you got your aloe polyphylla seeds from, they are so different, I'd love to get an order of seeds too. See what happens.

I couldn't believe it yesterday, we went to Wal-Mart, and they had awhole bunch of cactus plants in. I just ended up with two, but I think I might go back tonight and see if one I was thinking about, is still there. Was really surprised to see cactus in already, but Happy for sure!!!

I got my son one of the little pots that have 3 cactus plants in them, BUT the gravel on the top is GLUED down??? You can't shake it off???? Guess if he ever wants to re-pot, he'll have to break the pot??

What would they GLUE the gravel on like that? Weird? I did get one with round circles, kind of, that has white stuff on it, almost like a spiders web??? I will have to look that up and see what it's called. Really cute though, plus it's a low plant! Which is what I need. Well I better get off here, as we are going back to Wal-Mart LOL!!!!

[FistulinaHepatica]

Yes, Walmart, Crappy Tire and some high turnover garden centres have this bad habit of gluing gravel. Technically water can still pass through, but it makes repotting a bit more of a prickly endeavor. I was told that it's to make sure soil and gravel don't shake out when they move the plants as they are kept dry (thus very loose) in the pot.

Some people use chisel to remove the glued stuff
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101205172132AAC8CpZ

I've rescued many a cactus plant from store which are not glued in and have lost all their soil/gravel and just standing there in their bare roots and perishing - so I kinda see why this gluing gravel into pots have become a trend.

I've got some spare Aloe polyphylla seeds. Started a few a couple of days ago ... waiting for it to hatch, along with Cereus forbesii spiralis and [url=https://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/dioscoreleph.htm]Dioscorea elephantipes[/url]

[img]https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/blauwefox/Fungi%20et%20plantae/Dioscorea_elephantipes.jpg[/img]
Dioscorea elephantipes -- some people might think it's fugly, but I think it's tortoise-shell like caudex really unique! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... or beer-holder if you imbibe and get beer goggles

Well, I'm fine either way with regards to Tom, Dick and Dirty Harry. How often do you come down to Calgary? We can always swap seeds other times, as I still don't trust Crappy Post to deliver things with all the mail back log (still got several other seeds not here yet ... so they'll have to wait to be hatched next year). Don't feel obliged to trade seeds for T,D and DH; I'm just glad I don't have to cull any of them for lack of space!

[Green Mantis]

That elephants foot is fantastic!!!! It really is different, those are the kinds of plants I like. Weird looking ones So if the seeds don't get here soon, it's better not to try planting them until spring?

I am hoping they come before the 20th, that's the next day we will be in. I am still going to bring you a bag of that different cactus soil I got from the co-op in Red Deer. I mix it, but it's great stuff!!!

That doesn't make me very happy about that glued soil. I can understand WHY they do it, but if it's going to kill the plant when you re-pot, what's the point? Because the cactus that have it on them, I really like. Guess I will have to be "VERY" careful, and hope for success a lot.

When we went back into Wal-Mart ( I got the cactus I left yesterday ) We stopped at sobey's for some groceries, and I found a cactus or succulent I have never seen before.

It's called Pearl Bells ( Entretien)??????? It has the prettiest little purple flowers on it, that do look like bell's. So now I have to try looking that up, to see if that is really what it's called. It was only $3.99 too! Usually Sobey's plants are expensive, I was thrilled! It definately came home!! So am going to be doing some searching to try and find it.

Sounds like you are going to have all sorts of interesting cactus growing there!
Have you ever seen an of those string of pearl cactus? I have'nt seen any around for years. It's fun to look. Good Luck with the seeds you are waiting to come up, and I can't wait to see the three lithops!!

[Green Mantis]

I found the pearl bell flower, it's a kalanchoe, very pretty and interesting. I've never seen or heard of one before. Should be interesting to watch grow. I don't think they grow very tall, so that's great.

I just would like to give you some seeds, that you can try as well, hope they come soon.

[daveinMB]

I planted mine in my cactus garden outside, I live in Manitoba and they did great! they are in the flowering process.... speaking of which... I need pollen so I can get some seeds from these little guys... anyone wanna post me some lithops pollin????