 | | | Subject: The Joy of Plants
Posted Jun 24, 2012 by  Willem
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 | | I’ve been working with my plants a bit today. And it truly is a joy to see so many of them doing well – happy, healthy and beautiful! Some of my plants are struggling a bit, mostly as a result of root aphids and scale bugs on the leaves. I still don’t know a way to combat these without using any pesticides at all. I’ve tried soapy water, but that doesn’t seem to do much.
But I don’t want to be negative. Even the plants that have a bit of an aphid or scale bug infestation are not doing too badly! And there are many that seem to be thriving. Even now, smack in the middle of Winter here in South Africa, I’d say about half of my plants are still growing. There are even a few that are *supposed* to be winter-dormant that are in new leaf: a small Cyphostemma lanigerum – actually two small ones that I’ve grown from cuttings – and also a Pachypodium saundersii, or Kudu Lily. The latter is actually a spiny, thick-stemmed succulent.
I just love those fat stemmed plants. Today I also removed the old leaves from some Cyphostemma juttae or Kobas plants. They become fatter faster than anything else I’ve seen. I’ll try and take some photos of their bare, fat trunks some time. Those particular ones have been growing out in the garden for only three years or so, and they’re very thick already.
Also today I’ve been gathering leaf cuttings of Gasteria plants. These are aloe-like succulents. They have thick leaves, and if you break or cut these off, let them dry out for a weeks or so, and then plant them, new little plants sprout from them. I’ve taken leaf cuttings of two kinds today: Gasteria pendulifolia, and Gasteria excelsa (a form of the species with particularly short, thick leaves). I’ll try and take photos tomorrow of the leaf cuttings, and then later when the little plants sprout from them.
These two species have so far worked wonderfully from the leaf cuttings. I am doing an experiment now, taking the cuttings right in the middle of Winter. I’ve seen with other species of Gasteria that they don’t seem to want to grow in the Summer: I planted some at the start of Spring, and they did nothing at all during Spring and Summer, only starting to sprout at the start of Autumn. The Winter here so far has been very mild, and now that the shortest day is over, there will be more daylight for plants to grow. I’ll plant my cuttings in a week or so, and then see how they do. I may experiment next year with taking the cuttings at the end of Autumn so they have potentially all of the Winter to grow. Gasterias are supposed to be year-round growers but seem to prefer the colder months here in the far north of the country.
I’ve also today removed some plants that are a very interesting hybrid between an Aloe and a Gasteria, from a bed where they were getting crowded, and planted them elsewhere. I also collected a dozen tiny new plants that they had formed from their bases; these I’ll plant in small pots or bags and tend until they’re bigger.
I’ve also made stem cuttings of two winter-growing species: Senecio citriformis (a small succulent in the daisy family) and a species of Anacampseros. I’ll plant these a week from now as well.
I’m preparing to extend the ‘show’ bed of plants this Spring. I’ll therefore be looking over my collection to see which ones are ready for being planted out.
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| | | Subject: The Joy of Plants
Posted Jun 24, 2012 by Willem
This is a reply to this Posting
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 | | Hi Bel and Dmitri! I'm very motivated about the plants again. Do you think folks would be interested if I wrote articles about South African plants, with my own illustrations, and advice for caring for them? Many of these things ARE available in Europe and America, but must be grown indoors - the only places in America I think where they might grow outdoors, is Arizona and southern California. (Florida is perhaps warm enough, but too wet.) In Europe I don't think they'll grow outdoors anywhere, except perhaps southern Spain or Portugal. And then those will be the plants of the colder parts of South Africa.
Dmitri, I think our winters are milder here than anywhere in America, except perhaps southern Texas and Florida. We are in the far north of South Africa close to the tropic of Capricorn. In fact the tropic is half an hour's drive from where I live. The temperature went down to 9 degrees C last night, and it's the height of Winter. If we get down to freezing, it's exceptional. I've never seen snow. But that is also because the winters are very dry here. Even if it does get cold enough there won't be enough moisture in the air.
I've got some photos online of the Gasterias I spoke about. Here's the thick-leaf form of Gasteria excelsa:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jan_vandorpe/5763957559/
Gasteria excelsa is a wonderfully variable species. I have four different forms here at home. Here is the typical large form:
http://gasterien.de/arten/gasteria-excelsa/
It's a German article so you both will understand it! There are many Germans who are very enthusiastic about South African succulents.
I cannot find any nice photos of Gasteria pendulifolia. I will try and take a photo or two of my own specimens. In fact I must start getting some good photos of my plants anyway and start putting them online because I really have some very nice, rare and unique things here.
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| | | Subject: The Joy of Plants
Posted Jun 26, 2012 by cactuscafe
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| | Thanks Willem! I'm not a gardener myself (although I help our neighbour with the weeding, if she gives me coffee or jellybabies.  )  I love plants though, but I never heard of the Gasteria in all its glory. Gasteria Glory! Lovely!
I love succulent plants, they always remind me of deserts and things.
I have a recurring daydream about a hothouse, I don't know where it is, it's a daydream hothouse, all full of succulent plants. Perhaps the daydream is telling me I should become a gardener, but I don't think so really. . I will enjoy gardening via others, like you. Thanks again!
cc
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| | | Subject: The Joy of Plants
Posted Jun 29, 2012 by Willem
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| | Hello Cactuscafe, thanks for dropping by! I linked to a few Gasteria photos, I'll add some more sometime. Over here succulents don't just grow in deserts, they grow in all of our natural habitats, even in forests. I remember when I was in the Wolkberg Wilderness Area, I was very surprised to see Cliff Aloes (you might know what an aloe is, and this particular species is grown in many other places in the world as well) growing in the crowns of Yellowwood Trees in the Wonder Forest! Since then I've seen this sort of thing a few times. I've seen a tacky (succulents usually found growing in rocky places) growing in a Cabbage Tree, and I've seen a Barberton Senecio growing in a plane tree that they've planted in the city centre.
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