~Erin~

Mike

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.

Is the royal flush flower self-fertile?

Thx!

--Rr

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.

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?  

--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.

...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.

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

Inquiring minds need to know! Lol.

--Rick

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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:)

:-/

--Rr