This is the plant from Arid Lands.

And the rest of my order.

Should I leave the Welwitschia be for now? What size pot should I eventually pot it up into and what medium would be best for it? And how about a watering schedule? I understand they aren't true succulents and don't have much of a water storage ability.

I'm probably going to kill it but help me give it a fighting chance. :)

(my "garden" is a 4th floor southern facing balcony in Santa Monica a few blocks away from the ocean to complicate things further).

A well drained, porous, typical succulent mix will suffice. I would cut off the rim of the current pot with a scissor, as well as try to cut out the bottom of the pot. Set the entire thing into the new pot at the level you want to keep it, and fill in with the new mix. They transplant well once they have passed the juvenile stage. I can't tell if yours has reached that point but by keeping it in the pot you will minimize root trauma and new roots will grow through the bottom.

You should wait until warmer spring weather to transplant.

Never let the mix dry out completely. These plants need a constant water supply, except during cold weather when watering can be reduced but not stopped.

Full sun is fine, but the root zone MUST be kept cool. A pot out in the sun will cook the fragile root zone. If possible, bury the pot during the growing season.

Any well balanced fertilizer should suffice.

Some fungicide during transplanting may be a good thing.

Water regularly during warm weather.

x

x have you had experience growing this species? Norma

I don't have a growing season as long as SoCal but that doesn't stop me. As far as I can tell the plant is happy and healthy. The photo is from 2008. I did transplant it at the time to a more attractive and slightly wider container, and it sulked for a long time until it resumed growth.

In nature Welwitschia sends out very deep taproots, presumably to take advantage of a deep water table since precipitation outside of heavy fog is minimal.

This taproot begins when the seed sprouts, and if it is disturbed, the seedling usually dies. This is where the "myth" about the need for an extraordinarily deep pot comes from. The truth is that a young plant, if watered properly, does not need a very deep root zone. A cool root zone is very important.

x

X yours is a good size and looks very healthy, be sure not to cut the dried leaves. It looks that it may flower soon.
These plants need a male and a female to make seeds. The Huntington has them in tall clay pots now.

Jordi

Would it be '...and the bartender looks up and says 'You're looking a little strapped.'?

Those are some great photos, all. This isn't a plant I ever tried to grow, but it's wonderful that some of you did, particularly y'all in a Welwitschia-friendly climate.

CJ,

So that bit of the Namib (?) was in flower in October 2008? Did it also flower last year?

X,

You're awesome to us all who grow and live in decidedly-non-succulent climes.

Is flower really the right term? I'm not sure what you call it when gymnosperms start... doing their thing.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I found the coolest pot at a neat little local nursery a few blocks away that fits it perfectly. A nice heavy duty tall rectangular terracotta pot. For now I'll probably just sit it in the pot and I'll consider actually potting it up in the future when I feel braver.

Very cool to see one growing in the ground Jordi. Is that a male plant?

And x why do you have the stem on yours exposed? Just because you like the way it looks or for cultural concerns?

Jordi

I have the stem exposed mainly because that's the way it has grown its whole life and I was a little hesitant to bury it completely. When I repotted it, I did position it deeper. With some gravel top dressing it is almost completely buried.

One of the other challenges in a pot is how to position the leaves as they get longer and overflow. I already lost almost a foot of length when the dried up ends snapped off unintentionally while I was moving the pot around.

In coastal Namibia where they are native, the temps are moderate all year - never too hot or too cold. And there are regular, dense, heavy fogs that soak the soil. Bay area weather is probably very similar to habitat.

x

That photo shows 18 months of new growth after the leaves died back?

x

Jordi