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hanzrobo

Pleiospilos nelii 'Royal Flush' in Bloom

hanzrobo
12 years ago

Oh yes. It's time to make some babies.

{{gwi:500708}}

{{gwi:500710}}

{{gwi:500712}}

and look what I found at Lowe's, a little castaway which has since been removed and potted alone.

{{gwi:500714}}

Too bad I already spent $25 on the first 2.

Comments (56)

  • rosemariero6
    12 years ago

    OOo, pretty, Ryan! I missed the last time mine bloomed. Lucky for me another bud is coming.

  • meyermike_1micha
    12 years ago

    Those are absolutely amazing buddy! Great job and well worth the effort, right?

    Mike

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks everybody! I was ecstatic when both of them arrived with buds. I feel pretty lucky to have gotten exactly what I wanted.

    Mara, the castaway is it's own plant, not an offshoot. I think a 'Royal Flush' seed snuck it's way into that pot. Funny, the other plant could've been mush and I still would've bought it.

    Mike, well worth it indeed. I can't wait to get some seeds from these.

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    Could you repost your pictures and/or updates of this? I'd like to see them!

    Is the royal flush flower self-fertile?

    Thx!

    --Rr

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Rr, thanks for bringing this thread back, I've got a photo that will knock your socks off, just as soon as my Internet comes back and I can use the real computer.

  • rosemariero
    11 years ago

    I still can't find the pix I took of mine in bloom. Waa! So glad we get to see yours, Ryan! Waiting for the new one. I'm going now to get my socks on in prep!! LOL Hope you get your puter up & runnin' soon!

  • noki
    11 years ago

    What is the origin of "Royal Flush"? They probably do not grow as big as the normal colour?

    A plant found in nature? A sport found in captivity? Selective breeding?

    The must come true from seed, since they can "mass produce" them.

    Here is mine I got from Lowe's last summer... hasn't done much but still seems alive. A Lowe's in my area has them right now.

    This post was edited by noki on Sun, Feb 24, 13 at 17:17

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    I'm fairly new to lithops, split stones, etc., and have been reading as much as possible on line. I started a few seeds about a month ago (posted recent info on GW), and bought a tiny pot of lithops and a pleiospilos nelii with two flower buds just showing. How could I resist?

    ANYWAY I was not going to water it until after the flowers were past, but then read that being bone dry for a period would kill the roots. I just repotted them all together in a 6" clay pot using a combo of citrus soil, with a large portion of scoria, hydroton, perlite, and a little stone dust, slightly damp. (Two of the lithops appeared to be a single plant.)

    Did I get this right?ÃÂ ÃÂ

    --Rick

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hey Rick,

    Lots of Mesembs can coexist in the same pot if the conditions are right. Lithops and Pleios don't take the exact same treatment but it's possible that one plant compensates for the other at different times of year. Pleiospilos can absorb lots of water without rotting and could possibly absorb enough to save a Lithops in peril. Lots of plants can have a beneficial relationship in a shared pot. It's up to you to make that work. The more important thing is that you've properly repotted them, have a good soil mix and the right light. I'm going to do a new thread on repotting adult mesembs because it's too much to get in to now. I'm still re-evaluating and adjusting my soil mix after all this time so I feel I can safely say that your soil mix is nothing like what it will eventually become.

    I'm back online so I'm ready to show you guys some new pics! Here we go!

    I've been accumulating more specimens this year in preparation for the great Royal pollination. I am not disappointed.
    {{gwi:495143}}
    {{gwi:500716}}

    ...and these are the seedlings from last year's pods. Noki, as you can see, the purple is a solid trait. I'm pretty sure this cultivar was created from a few odd seedlings, though I don't have the history. Sorry, had to take this photo with my phone.
    {{gwi:500717}}

  • Beachplants
    11 years ago

    That is very impressive indeed...

  • Laura Robichaud
    11 years ago

    Ryan..just fabulous! Do the Royal Flush get as large as the green nelii?

  • rosemariero
    11 years ago

    OooEee, WORTH the WAIT, Ryan! A whole ROW of bloomers! Sweet! Thanks for sharing these! =)

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    Anybody seen my socks?

    I'm new to succulents, but learning fast. I wandered into the local big box store just after they restocked the cacti, and there were 7 RF's waiting for me! Wow--christmas in February?! Mine are not as dark as those in the picture. I put them right into my south-facing K window here in shady Connecticut, assuming these babies weren't in the dark all that long. Don't want to knock any of the buds off.

    Those pictures are an inspiration!

    --Rick

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    Are you shading your plants at all? How many seeds per pod do you generally get? Germination rate?

    Inquiring minds need to know! Lol.

    --Rick

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    11 years ago

    Ryan

    That's quite a nursery! And all your babies are so adorable. I can see you are ready with that "baby-making-tool" (?!)... I mean brush...
    Amazing color on those purple babies (I am green with envy).

    I see slight difference in the color on those large flowers-few are more purple, few more red/maroon (or perhaps just a bit of orange in that red). Is it just my imagination?
    Are you going to pollinate/cross them regardles of shade of color (if there is a difference at all)?

    Your posts are always so good with photos & text, one can really learn something.
    Thank you, Rina

    This post was edited by rina_ on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 16:06

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Cool! Thanks, you guys!

    Rian, do you know anything about the origins of this plant?... and do you have them in SA?

    Laura, yes they get just as big. I've never let one grow out in the rain like I have with the standard P. nelii, so I've never seen one blow up like a balloon but I'm sure they would. They both grow the same in the greenhouse.

    Rosemarie, thank you! I hope you and Rick can find your socks.

    Rick, great find! Yeah, they've become much more common in the last year. Still, you never know. If a grower (Altman) has continued sowing seed each year, supply will continue. If they skipped a year or two, there will be that much of a gap in availability. They need maximum light to bloom properly. No shade. They bloom for me in the afternoon around 3-4, only if it's been a sunny day. A healthy pod will produce 150-200 seeds. Germination rates will depend on you but should be pretty good with fresh seed.

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    I'm thinking that I might place these inside my south kitchen storm window with the inside open enough so it doesn't turn into an oven. It also would protect them from my cats, who got demolition training by watching the tree rats (aka squirrels). They succeeded in damaging one of the new green nelii's right after I got it home. They survived. The cats, I meant!

    If you put pleio's and lithops, etc. outdoors in full sun during the summer and they get rained on once a week, is that too much?

    --Rick

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Haha, so the cats survived it, huh? My dogs have trampled and knocked over plants numerous times. They chase cats out of the yard and smash through everything in their path then they put their paws in my planters so they can bark at the top of the fence. They're doing their job AND they're helping me learn how long it takes for a variety of plants to recover from damage! That's what I tell myself through a clenched jaw. Squirrels though, I wish I could punch one. They climb through my plant shelves and plant walnuts in my pots! I thought they were just stealing bark or pebbles until trees started growing with my Epiphyllums. I have a plastic owl that seems to scare off the dumb ones. If they could only learn to eat snails we could have a working relationship.

    Your Pleios and Lithops outside in the summer... Full sun is probably too much for most Lithops, once/week soaking is too much for Lithops. Lithops will be dormant during your hottest 4-6 weeks of summer (depends on how hot it is). You should try to leave them alone during dormancy. When the heat breaks, they'll show slow signs of growth. That's when you can give them a good soak, only once. Pleios will probably survive it but also will be semi-dormant around the summer equinox. Regular drenchings will bloat Pleios to double-size and prevent them from absorbing leaves. Pleios can take more water and sun than Lithops in general but still need monitoring and well-timed care.

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    Almost everything about these is pretty new to me. I misted the lithops and was surprised to see (or maybe I imagined it?) the little drops of water standing on the leaves were sucked up as I watched. Has anyone else observed this? It would make perfect sense as an adaptation to catching dew in an otherwise arid setting.

    I need to compile all this care information by species into a planning calendar before it becomes overwhelming. I'm in coastal CT, and it's going to be a challenge to keep the plants bright and dry during dormancy unless I keep them under lights indoors.

    Thanks for all the info!

    --Rick

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    Did you do your royal pollination? Is there a prime time frame to do this, and how long does it take for a seedpod to fully ripen? Of the royals I just acquired, 4 have buds developing, but it looks like another month at least for flowering. These just came from Florida, but why are these so far behind yours?

    Here's a solution I use to repel squirrels: take a one gallon jug, half filled with water, preferably with a cap. Scramble 1 or 2 eggs, and pour this into the jug of water, and shake it up. Place it in a warm location and shake it at least once a day. After 7-10 days, you can sprinkle a few tbsp around planted items that are being harassed by squirrels, deer, or woodchucks. Repeat the application every 3-4 days, or after it rains. For potted plants, take a small strip of paper towel treated/dried with the solution, and lay it in the pot. Humans can smell this only close up, but critters are offended a long way off. When brewing this stuff you can leave the cap on it since it doesn't produce gas, surprisingly. I swear by this stuff!

    --Rick

  • Beachplants
    11 years ago

    No, but one should assume that being a cultivar it is a selected plant for these traits, I always believed it to be a hybrid form, but seeing the reference to cultivar, it could be a selected form. Never seen it for sale here, but there must be one or 2 around.

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    11 years ago

    Cultivar - 'cultivated variety', which can be a hybrid but usually is the one-in-a-thousand seedlings that exhibits a decidedly different leaf/form/colour/some other oddity (like cristate or monstrose growth).

    Rick,

    I got to say, that is quite the natural solution. I have deer coming through the yard all of the time, and squirrels regularly harass the dog and me. I'm going to try it this year.

  • Laura Robichaud
    11 years ago

    Rick, I'm wondering if this would work around my bird feeder or would the smell scare away the birds too?

  • Beachplants
    11 years ago

    Jeff, point taken, but rightly or wrongly I see:
    The difference between a variety and a cultivar, that a variety is found growing in the wild, while a cultivar is grown in cultivation through selection of a trait or traits.

    Crossing 2 species creating a hybrid, looking to enhance a trait in one with a trait in another can also be called a hybrid cultivar, but then I refer to it as just that a hybrid, which can be natural or cultured.

    This post was edited by Beachplants on Wed, Feb 27, 13 at 13:12

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    I think the egg solution would drive birds away. The best thing for bird feeders is to get some very hot ground chili peppers, dampen your seed very slightly, and dose the seed with a little pepper. Mix it in and make sure the seeds gets dried quickly so it doesn't germinate or get moldy. Birds can't taste red pepper, and are unaffected by it. Tree rats however....

    --Rick

  • Laura Robichaud
    11 years ago

    I've tried a dry pepper mix to put in the bird feeder and I think it settled to the bottom of the feeder. I'll have to try the fresh chilies.

    Ryan, I can't wait to see your thread on potting adult mesembs. I have five pots of lithops that have the old crappy soil. One is starting to split, one has already split. Not sure at what point in the cycle I can repot anyway.

  • Enoch11
    11 years ago

    Hi, I have read and read until blindness is setting in re: watering schedules for my Pleiospilos nelii. I find that when I mist them they turn to mush. When I give them water, they turn to mush. If I look at them cross eyed , they turn to mush; Help. Right now I have a few that , I assume , are healthy; they are in full flower. Should I be watering them now, how much and for what span of time. I understand the watch and see philosophy but really don't want to slaughter another little friend. Can you give me some advice..

  • rredbbeard
    11 years ago

    I'm at the same learning stage as you, except I restrict watering much more. I googled "succulent culture for dummies' and found a lot of leads that look promising, such as

    http://www.cactuslands.com/plants.htm

    I'm sure you'll get some good advice here. What medium do you use for your plants? How often are you actually watering?

    Good luck!

    --Rr

  • Laura Robichaud
    10 years ago

    Now that my plants are starting to go outside, where should my split rocks go? They've been acclimated to the sun over the last week.

    I see above that they shouldn't be in direct sunlight. I have a backyard deck that get direct afternoon sun, but I'm sure that isn't the right place because it's uncovered and would get the rain. I also have a south facing covered porch. I would just be afraid that they would get too much sunlight there.

    Would lithops do better in a south-facing window or outside in the south-facing covered porch?

    Thanks in advance.

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi Laura! I would go with the porch. Being outside is always better if it's safe. The airflow is important plus the light is always better. Pleios can take quite a bit of sun, they'll just get more color and grow more compact. Lithops generally prefer a little less than full sun. My greenhouse is 40% shade with about 6 hours of sun and Lithops grow pretty compact in there. The light couldn't be any stronger. I would find a place where they can be shaded from the late afternoon sun.
    Lithops, however, have been grown in windowsills for a very long time. Don't let me discourage you from trying, I don't know your microclimates. Maybe you could try both simultaneously and see what happens.

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's an update, by the way. Notice the one showing variegation?!?

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    a closer view

  • bikerdoc5968 Z6 SE MI
    10 years ago

    Ryan, I can't grow these for love nor money... yours are just beautiful....

  • rredbbeard
    10 years ago

    Cool pics!

    Looks like you got some good advice Laura! I'm not terribly successful with these, and I have several, both of the regular nelii and Royal Flush. I'll post this on the swap page too, but if anyone here would like to swap for mine, plmk...

    Rick in CT

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Howard, you know I have to give lots of credit to my location.

    Thank you Rick, I'm sorry you're not having luck with them. Can you post a pic of yours? Maybe we can improve their situation a little. It's a good time to repot:)

  • rredbbeard
    10 years ago

    I got mine a couple of months ago, and have been keeping them under flourescents, which is the best light in my apartment. I'm pretty sure I kept them way too dry for the first couple of weeks, but now I water lightly about every 5 or 6 days in winter, and mist daily in between. They're still in the original 2" pots, so yeah, they need more leg room and...??

    :-/

    --Rr

  • dahlialady46
    10 years ago

    Hi Everyone. Just bought my first "Royal Flush" today. Been doing some internet reading and a source says it is a cultivar that was bred in Japan.

  • Chazzwkl
    10 years ago

    hi,

    Im new to this whole forum thing and also having Pleiospilos. I noticed discolouration on the underside and i was wondering if it is being under watered or over watered and how i can save this. Please do let me know if there is anything i can do to save it.

  • 100mphtortoise
    10 years ago

    How are the inner two globular leaves doing on the inside, they grow a new set of leaves once a year until there older then they will have more then two leaves at a time.

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well, as long as we're doing updates today...

  • maark23 TX/8a
    10 years ago

    Wow those look good!

    Are those the seedlings from the previous posts?

    Mark

  • rosemariero6
    10 years ago

    OooEee, they are looking nice, Ryan! Did the one with variegation survive?
    Thanks for the update!

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks, you guys! Those are not the seedlings but full grown plants that I bought last year. That's the seed factory!

    Ro, the variegated one did survive but grew out of it, unfortunately. I did lose quite a few after transplanting. I think I chose the wrong time of year to do it. Here are the survivors.

  • rosemariero6
    10 years ago

    Cute! Are we calling them toddlers or teens?

    Too bad the variegated babe reverted. :(

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Haha, toddlers is pretty accurate.

    As far as the variegation goes, Steve would say, "Oh, she grew out of it? Good for her!".

  • rredbbeard
    10 years ago

    I'm no expert, but If the variagation is a recessive genetic trait, you'll probably have to cross the offspring to see variagation again in the next generation. What do you think?

    --Rr

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    10 years ago

    There's a coffee house named Red Beard here and it makes a soul-pleasing cappuccino.

    Steve's comment makes me want to streak in support of variegation.

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Variegates unite! ~ It feels like the plot to "X-Men". Which side are you on? Nice pun, BTW, Jefe.

    Rred, That's a great idea and these seedlings came from only 2 parents, not like the lascivious intermingling that occurs these days around here.

  • rredbbeard
    10 years ago

    Based on my limited experience with variegated clivia, these genetics will produce 25% solid color, 50% variegated, and 25% albinos that don't survive. (If so, as soon as you see whitish yellow primary leaves show without color, you might as well toss those individuals.)

    Keep us posted!

    --Rr

  • rredbbeard
    10 years ago

    Hanz-- maybe you posted this elsewhere, but would you describe in detail the potting materials that you use both for adult plants and seedlings? What geographic area are you in? I understand that the adult plants will take as much sunshine as they can get, which can sometimes be a challenge in my area. What kind of watering schedule do you adhere to?

    I've been using scoria for other plants that require excellent drainage, wondering if a mix including finer scoria might be desirable for these too? Overwatering of succulents is sometimes a challenge for me.

    Thx,

    --Rr

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