Mother of Thousands: The Saga Continues

There was one patch of soil on my property that hadn't been cultivated. This was a strange rectangular piece at the top of the driveway. It often strikes me that my property has way too much space for plants and not enough space for the actual house itself. I also had the job of potting the mother of thousands tubiflora plant I had been given and ignorantly put into the actual ground.

I put about twelve plants in a smaller pot inside my house, these are the rest of the offspring.

The first job was to plant the remaining mother of thousands baby plants into a pot that coordinated a little more with the house. I stuffed all of the plants into a large blue pot, and I'm already thinking I should have just dragged the huge, white pot they were in out to the front and kept them there. This pot won't be large enough for very long. The bright-green plants will turn the same beige and pink shade as the other plant.

The tubiflora version has already grown much larger than I anticipated and will need a larger pot.

Second, I uprooted the tubiflora and planted it in another dark blue pot I had. This plant has already grown enough so that I can easily see I'm going to have to put it in a much larger pot. Sigh. Oh well, at least I've moved it from the direct soil.

Now at the top of the drive I have two baby agave marginitas and two pots of slightly-different mother of thousands plants. The passion-flower that covers the wall, as you can see, is actually a very small part of the entire plot, and I have one more area to put an agave or another similarly large succulent. Since I have extra ground cover from the planters in back, I'm going to cover the soil with with it. Since I also have extra lining from putting rocks down, I think I'll prep for weeds by laying that down first.

Yog Sothoth Flowers and Spreads

My once-tiny purchase off of Ebay is now so huge it's falling apart under its own weight! It's been an amazing haven for snails, which I've harvested for the turtles that now live in my backyard. Today I pulled bits off and moved them to other parts of the garden to fill in space by becoming monsters themselves.

It's blooming!

It's also started blooming! It hasn't bloomed in the years I've had it, just grown and grown and grown. This type of succulent doesn't die after blooming, it's rather like what most people call a "jade plant."

If I'm lucky there will be half a dozen giant mutant plants in my succulent collection, glorifying and frightening my front yard! I'm guessing these plants are an acquired taste, but I've always been a fan of the strange and bizarre.

First flowers ever!

The stems grow in twists or fan-shapes.

The plant, weighed down, grows roots that anchor it to the ground.

Here, a section of more "normal" plant grows long stems weaving through other plants.

A crest that became too heavy to stay up. Now it will be a new plant.

Another heavy crest, this one will hopefully perk up a bit once it roots.

A third crest, similar to the first. I think of this shape as blades.

One of the original cuttings, now a little fan on its own.

The oldest original cutting has grown to be over a foot tall and going on two feet wide.

Plumeria Dormancy - No, Your Plant's Not Dead!

 

There are so many varieties of succulent plants that it's often a surprise to learn that a plant IS a succulent. At least, that was my reaction on finally learning that the plumeria, native to Hawaii and beloved of gardeners in temperate through tropic zones, is, of course, a succulent plant.

It should have been obvious. The plumeria has thick, fleshy stems that hold large amounts of water. It can be propagated rather easily through cuttings (all the plumerias I own are the result of cuttings bought in Hawaii back in 1997). Of COURSE it's a succulent, which is an excellent excuse for me to write a blog entry on one of the strangest issues one deals with when it comes to the plumeria.

Black, shriveled baby leaves are a sign of dormancy.

I thought I had killed my plumerias when they all dropped their leaves and seemed unable to grow new ones, but as it turns out I hadn't. Plumerias go through a period of dormancy in most climates, and in Southern California this dormancy period is roughly the whole of winter. For at least four-five months, the plants will not grow new leaves, and in fact, any little leaves that begin to grow will turn into shriveled black wastes that drop off at a touch.

To double-check for dormancy, brush or dig away dirt at the base of the plant. A woody, tough, and dry stem indicates the plant is keeping new water out, and is an indication to stop watering it.

What do you do when this happens? NOTHING! Don't do anything, except perhaps sweep up those shed adult leaves. When your plumeria goes dormant, you STOP WATERING. You can easily kill your plant during its dormancy by watering it. Just STOP. Leave the plant alone, but keep an eye on it as winter turns into spring.

My most mature plumeria is still dormant.

Not all plumeria plants, even those in the same location, will come out of dormancy at the same time. I've noticed that in the case of the three small trees I own, the least-developed seem to come out of dormancy faster than the larger, more mature trees. If you have a drip system like I do, the easiest thing is to divert the hose that leads to the still-dormant plant, then simply replace it next to the tree once it starts growing leaves again.

My second-oldest plumeria seems to be giving me a very immature gesture.

When the plant begins to grow leaves that stay alive, and more importantly, mature into true leaves, you can return to watering. So, it's really very simple. When your plumeria drops all of its leaves, stop watering. Months later, when it starts to grow them again, go back to watering. In the California drought I haven't had to worry about extra rainfalls overwhelming dormant plans with water, but if you live in an area with constant rainfall, you might want to do what neighbors of mine have done and keep your plumerias in pots on wheeled bases.

My youngest plumeria was the first to start making leaves again.

If you want to plant your plumeria in the ground, I say go for it. A neighbor from my childhood still has a giant plumeria that has been in the ground for about forty years. It's absolutely huge and has survived several rainy seasons. Also, remember, Hawaii, where the plants come from, stays moist all year round (and thus plants there have a shorter dormancy period).

So, don't fret. You aren't a plant murderer! Your amazing tropical succulents have just "gone to sleep" for a bit, like hibernating mammals. When the weather warms up, keep your eye on them for new leaves and resume watering. It's that simple.

Placing Plants: Pots vs. Ground

  The placement of plants is a decision that must take into consideration many factors. Before owning a house, I only had potted plants, and to recap, only one (an aeonium) ever survived! One of the most immediate things you can do to perk up a sad-looking plant is put it in the dirt, the real dirt. Of course, one still has to determine what area of ground will be the best for the plant.

My succulent cutting garden. The furniture is 1:12 dollhouse furniture from the 1980s.

  The first decision to be made is whether the plant should live indoors or out. In Southern California the fairly mild to warm climate supports quite a large variety of succulent plants, and worrying about plants getting frostbitten is something very rarely worried about. The one thing that can and does happen to some of my succulents is that they are too delicate for full sun. This applies to different types of succulents, but its good to know that young plants are easily burned in hot sun and must be given some sort of shelter until they reach adult size.
  

Grew "under" another adult plant.

  The mesembryanthemums in the indoor window box I grow cuttings in were on clearance at Home Depot. They could probably be planted outside, but I'm not comfortable putting these rock-shaped plants in the ground. I KNOW they'd get stepped on!

The cuttings garden is a safe indoor area for baby plants. 

The un-ID'd baby succulent loves its safe home.

  You can see in the photos where I have set baby plants from leaf cuttings atop the potting soil to grow safely indoors. Yes, I have used seed beads, crystals and rocks to cover the soil and make it purty. Well, "fairy gardens" are in now, aren't they?

  

 

  These three pots contain some of the smaller or more delicate plants. For instance, in our lovely lady on the far right is a small piece of that wacky jade plant they're calling "Gollum Fingers" these days, but in front of that is a haworthia that I had originally planted out of doors. The plant was just too delicate for direct sunshine, so I brought it indoors. Haworthias are popular indoor plants, especially in Asia, where cultivators have bred some frankly weird and wacky plants.

"String of Pearls" is NOT an easy grow!

  A plant that I potted but kept outdoors is this still-tiny string of pearls plant. It finally has grow some new leaves (those bulbous "pearls"), but is not thriving at all in its location of direct sunlight. I only potted it because its a trailing succulent, but  since it's in a pot I already have the flexibility to place the pot itself in a shadier location.

A "crown of thorns" euphorbia and a "bunny ear" grafted cactus

  The biggest problem I have with potted plants is keeping them watered! The above photo has a euphorbia with lovely orange-pink flowers. After planting it in that pot, I neglected it. When I finally started regular watering again, the new flower growth was pale yellow and white! At least it stayed alive, and it appears that the color is changing back to the terra cotta pink seen above.

A week after being in the ground.

   Back to the ground; if you want a plant to really grow, you've gotta give it room. This piece of floribunda would never had survived had it been in a pot. By sticking it in the wet earth near the hose spout, I've got a revitalized plant. I've never experienced this sort of regeneration with potted plants. Every plant I've left in this condition dried up and died in its pot.

Six weeks being in the ground.

  Controlling plant growth is something that a pot can assist with, but just because you've got a plant in a certain sized pot does not mean it will stop growing to fit the container! Plants should be repotted at least every two to three years. What putting a plant in a pot does do is prevent the plant from sending out underground shooters that pop up as pups. Of course, if I did have my agaves in a pot, they'd probably just skip the long rhizomes and make the babies right against the mother plant.

Agave pups broke ground about three feet away from mom.

  To wrap it up, then, most plants thrive in the ground, but succulents do grow quite well in pots. Succulent growers in cold climates will want to pot their plants so that the plants can be moved to warmer areas during winter. Pots might slightly inhibit your plant from reproducing, but not to a noticeable degree. In fact, I keep all of my cuttings in the kitchen, and here's the latest batch of will-be-plants:

All echeveria leaves, I believe.

Lovable Lithops

My instant lithops collection purchased from Ebay

  
  Lithops are a type of Mesembryanthemum (try saying that five times fast) found in Namibia and South Africa. Mesembryanthemums are a family of succulents with an interesting characteristic. They look like rocks.

  Lithops are characterized by a two-part plant body. With a yearly growth cycle they reproduce themselves, a new plant emerging from between the two plant halves (which aren't exactly halves, one is slightly larger). Sometimes a lithops will produce two new plant bodies, like the plant in the top right corner of the first photo. A lithops can expand like this over many years, creating a plant body of many lithops joined in a cluster.

  Lithops, apparently, are known as difficult to care for. This is far from true. I think lithops must be the easiest houseplant one can find.

A four-headed lithops I found on clearance at Home Depot.

  Lithops are rarely in need of water. In fact for at least half of the year they want nothing to do with it! After growing a new plant body a lithops will absorb the nutrients from the old plant body, eventually leaving a husk that can be pulled off with care. The four-headed lithops in the above photo still has the desiccated leaves attached. It is essential during this time that you DO NOT WATER! Lithops are from extremely arid areas, and only experience rainfall a few months out of the year. Overwatering can easily lead to the death of the plant!

After potting the plants. Old plant bodies are visible on a few.

  In the spring the old plant bodies are husks, and you can water your plant(s). Only water them about every two weeks, and STOP WATERING when summer hits. The plant is resting, and too much water can overwhelm it. Towards the middle/end of August start watering again, and water well, letting the soil dry completely in between waterings. In a month or two a lithops will produce a single yellow or white flower, which emerges from the center just like the new plant body eventually will. Stop watering when the flower begins to wither. After the flower dies a new plant emerges. At the end of winter, in late spring you can start watering again.

I usually don't name plants, but this is Audrey!

  I'm looking forward to my plants blooming this fall, but not all of them will. Lithops won't produce a bloom until they are at least a couple of years old. With that in mind I am pretty confident my "four-headed" lithops will bloom in September. It has to be at least a few years old, as a lithops only doubles (if that) during a single growth season. This also means that my two-headed lithops could be old enough to bloom as well. As far as I can determine, the only way to know a plant is older than a year is if it contains more than one plant body, and plants do not necessarily double every growth cycle.
  

Lithops a few months later. The old leaves have withered away.

  I've watered my lithops only a few times. I watered the four-headed plant when I planted it because one of the plant bodies was slightly wrinkled, indicating a need for water, as well as the fact that the soil it was in was sand-dry. I'm guessing that's why they were on clearance. Home Depot probably only sells lithops and other mesembryanthemums seasonally and has a "no watering" rule.

  When it comes to placing your pot of lithops, make sure it's in a location where it can get four to five hours of direct sun each day. More than that can lead to sunburn, as you can see the lithops on the 

left in the above picture. Without enough sunlight a lithops will grow long and thin, trying to reach whatever light they can. Mine are all in an indoor windowbox facing the north. I don't have good east and west windows, so it was a choice between north and south, and I'm definitely more Yankee than Union.

  Most of my lithops were an eBay lot purchase with which I'm very pleased. Lithops seeds are inexpensive, and apparently grow well. Having no patience for seedlings, I went straight for the adult plants, which one should be able to find for less than $5.00 for an individual plant. If you hurry now (date of post) to Home Depot you might find some on clearance for a couple of dollars. Good luck! 

Creating a Succulent Collection: Keeping Records

  I'm not a naturally-organized person. I really do have difficulty with planning and homemaking, and it's something I'm working on daily. There are a few tips and tricks I've picked up or "discovered" myself, and I use these few tools/methods to keep track of my succulent collection.

  Identifying succulents is probably one of the most difficult aspects of cultivating the plants as a pastime. Since my record-keeping skills are limited, one trick I use is taking photos of newly-acquired plants while still in their plastic pots. Now, the labels are not always accurate, and most are rather generic, but at the very least a name on a label gives you a point of reference to base a search on.

  

  This plant is labelled as a "hybrid," which is, in fact, what many store-bought succulents are. Hybrids are usually created by plant fanciers (people who raise show plants like others raise show dogs). Hybrids are a combination of different parent plants to create a new breed (again, like dogs). My favorite hybrids are all echeverias, like the "Lola" in the first photo. Echeveria hybrids can resemble funky rainbow cabbages, delicate roses, or even monstrous mutants from an H.P. Lovecraft story. 

   

  Groundcover is essential. That's it. You need to cover the exposed dirt in your garden. The simplest reason is weeds. If they can't break through the soil to eat the sunshine, weeds can't grow. Another reason to cover the ground around specific plants (like those tarty agaves) is to prevent pups from growing around the plant base. I have seen agave grown so that they are surrounded by offspring like happy Buddha with children, but this will make the plant much harder to prune and eventually remove after it flowers.

  Your groundcover can be plants. Ice plants, which I always have thought of as "freeway plants," are very fast-growing and can cover the bare earth in a matter of months. There are many types of sedum that make excellent groundcover, in fact, a well-stocked nursery should have several different types of ground covering succulents. The problem with plants, however, is that YOU CAN'T WALK ON THEM! Personally, I like being able to move my feet into the small spaces between some plants to prune them, and I've learned plants as groundcover is asking too much if myself as a gardener!  

The black DOES bring out the color, though in these sunny pics are rather washed out. I don't really want sand, so I'm really hoping this stuff will be okay. I'll probably have to invest in decomposed granite someday. Then, no more weeds, ever!

It looks sophisticated, though I think the black color will leech out of the wood like it's leeching under my nails. Maybe I could use a variety of bark colors? Make a pattern like those bottles filled with layers of colored sand made by kids and housewives on Pinterest! To make sure I can get matching cover in the future, I cut out and save the label from the bag the bark came in. The strong plastic folds easily and can be filed in a folder.