Hi Greg,

Don't really know what info. Stush thinks I've got on this for you. I haven't grown this, only recently got an no ID which MAY be this. Sorry, but I grow indoors in an apartment, in a completely different climate (NYC vs. Calif).

Hard to make a Sans. speed up it rooting, it seems their nature to want to take their time. They do like it tight in their pots, next time, don't move it up a size, maybe even consider moving it back down a size, depending on how big each is (need to see a pic).

I'd wait for Norma for suggestions, she's got decades of experience growing these & she's in Calif. If there's danger of frost (I'd guess even below 45) I'd sure quit putting it outside.

Norma dear, this one's for you.

Pirate Karen

Thanks Pirate girl, that was kind of you to respond. I will place her back into a smaller pot and provide tighter quarters :) gives me something to do on my day off, and indoors is a good idea to huh, ok she can stay inside too, now is the garage ok or does she need to come in the house ?

Norma are out there ?
Greg

Hello Greg-
I am not Norma or Karen, but I do have this cultivar. It has been a little temperamental for me but has done ok. In general, the heavily variegated Sansevieria are a litte more sensitive. That is, they need the growing conditons to be closer to ideal.....they are less tolerant to extremes than the all-green Sans. I would certainly keep this one inside until the warmer weathe returns. Very cold weather (especially cold and damp weather) may cause this one to rot. Fresh, quality soil that drains easily and warmth will help it to reroot quickly.

Thank you woodnative, I will leave her indoors and today I was thinking of repotting into a smaller pot and tighten up the quarters, what about humid conditions like in the shower room? . Thanks
Greg.

No Greg,

Not sure why you keep asking about humidity (sorry I forgot to respond to that earlier). These are succulents & broadly speaking, succulents DO NOT WANT humidity.

Pls. remember that succulents store water in reserve in their leaves & tissues in general, so that LAST thing they want is more humidity.

That's a likely way to kill a Sans., esp one which is on the temperamental side (as mentioned above).

Thank you Pirate Karen, sorry I didn't respond quicker but I hadn't noticed the post but I do appreciate the tip on No humidity. I was about to make some room in there for her in the shower room.
Now the reason I even mentioned it was because I have a different type of sans. All green with the yellow edges and that one I have in the shower room and it seems to do well but for some reason I wasn't sure if this one would fair so well in humid conditions, that's why I kept asking so thanks.

Today I did put her in a smaller pot and clean soil and it did seem to be a little moist with signs of one or two leafs showing rot, I hope It's not to late there were about six healthy looking stems so hopefully she will pull through till spring or whenever shes ready to send out roots.

Well has anyone heard from Norma, I don't even know her but I starting to get a little concerned. Norma, come out , come out wherever you are....
For now thanks to all who have replied and along with the new and smaller pot I brought my sans. Into the house in the kitchen window.
Greg

Greg,
Norma is a busy gal. You already got good advise. I mention Karen due to her success of growing sans in pumice. which I think is your only chance of saving yours. Keep warm, simi bright lite and dry until roots start to redevelop. Then I would repot with the cactus/pumice mix. Your heard from 'woodnative' who is also a master sans grower and 'Master Marlon'. Norma will put her 2 cents in if she feels it's needed.
Your Sans friend
Stush :)

Stush your right, I was just anticipating to hear from her because of your original reply about her expertise but your right I have already accumulated a lot of info on these sans plus now I'm even chasing other types besides my original concern about my Sans bantles sensation. So I will give Norma some space as I can see from this site that she is a busy woman. And thank you Stush for all the great knowledge you provided, I have since delivered my plant from what I'll call drowning and dying, and for that I owe it to you and the others who have responded, such as Pirate girl, Native, MARLON M. And of course you stush, I hope I didn't leave anyone out, and I hope you all get a whole lot of new pups on your plants, Sans and Succulents.
Greg

Howdy, Greg!

I received one of these from a friend this Winter, and mine came bare-root with only
a stringy little root to call its own - thus, I treated it as I would an unrooted cutting,
with my first priority being the development of a new root-system. So I promptly put the
plant into a fast-draining mix of fir bark, coarse perlite, turface, and a bit of pumice.
I set the plant in my bedroom window where it gets about as much sun as one can
manage in an east window this time of year.

Now I'm just waiting for growth - a new leaf or a root peeking from the drainholes.

Josh

Well howdy there Josh, It's certainly good to hear from you an thanks for commenting on my post here concerning my sans bantels sensation. Fancy name huh?
Well I don't know for sure if a bare root is better than a no root plant but I think I would chose the bare root first. So it sounds like were almost in the same boat, I'm in Calif. Zone 9 and where are you, I was thinking let's see whose plant sends up the first sign of new growth, I received mine around Nov. And as I repotted it soon discovered he had no roots at all my first thought was Yikes!!! But it sounds Like it shouldn't be a problem provided the soil conditions are ideal, sounds like you've added some fancy soul to your while I added fresh cactus mix with a bunch of yummies in it so, are you on for this little contest?
Greg

Definitely! ;-)

It'll be a fun race to the finish line....hopefully they'll both arrive safely.
With all my plants, I grow in nothing more than screened bark and various grit - Perlite,
Pumice, Lava rock, Turface, quartz, granite, et cetera. Makes for a free-draining, mess-free
growing experience.

You're on!

Josh

O yeah josh, I was going to ask if your adding any water or letting it sit dry? Meant to ask on last thread but forgot.
Greg

I've been moistening the mix every week or so, though on occasion I've let it go longer.
I wait until the container feels light, then water. I also gave the mix a light dose of fertilizer
about a week and a half ago.

Josh

Thanks Josh, I'm going to try the dry approach since mine has no roots at all and I've read these are very sensitive sensations and don't like hanging around moisture without any roots, so ok then let the race begin!!! Anything yet Lol.... :o
Alright josh until what then the next spring fling or what? Do you expect anything sooner than that? Hummm.... You said fertilizer too Ayyy...
Greg

Hey guys, hold off on the fertilizer. No roots to absorb it. Could also burn new roots just trying to form. Maybe next month and just a pinch mind you. If you don't see new growth, don't fertilize. Sans grow so slowly. That's one bet we will not see a winner for at least a year from now.

Whew... Talk about sabotage, do you think Josh was trying to destroy my sensation? Lol.... No just kidding. But thank you Stush, that's exactly why we need each other on this web to avoid the right ingredientsat the wrong time.
Well that was like a pit stop where we needed to change our wheels just to avoid a Blow out and or an accident too.
Well I just placed mine in new soil yesterday and never got to the fertilizer yet so I didn't have to stop except maybe to refuel but It's on for sure.

What about a night light would that encourage any roots?

Greg

Hi Greg,

How about just pls. leaving it alone now, and giving it time & space. That's what it needs. I don't mean to state the obvious, but a large part of growing plants is time & patience, they need to be allowed the time to grow; it's the grower's job to then do nothing but observe as much as possible. In growing succulents, often less is more.

I get that you're excited about the new plant (& such a nice one too), but these plants do not do well w/ overnuture or fussiness.

I'm curious but leary of asking what 'yummies" did you put in your mix?

In the meantime, you can read up on care & culture of different Sans., do some searches & see what you find. You could also search for nurseries which handle that Sans., tho' I'm guessing it'll just be a few.

Hey, Greg!
No sabotage, I assure you! I'm simply relating my approach. I certainly
didn't advise you to fertilize.

Hey, Stush, that's the thing....my plant *did* have a root, and I imagine more root by now.
Either way, it's been a while and the medium is entirely devoid of nutrients. When I fertilize
during the Winter, I use a reduced dose - 1/8 strength or so. Also, I use an excellent fertilizer
called Foliage Pro 9-3-6.

Josh

Omg... I had just finished writing back and as I was sending back my response I got knocked off some how.
Pirate girl yeah your right I need to take a chill pill right about now because from here on It's all about everything we've already done and now It's like you said, relax and be patient.
As far as the yummies go, just plain O cactus mix, actually It's called. E. B. Stone cacti and succulent mix which has a lot of yummy ingredients, I don't have the bag with me but I will do a commercial at a later time. But I've been using it with extremely good results on my cacti & succulents. Some certain types of cacti that I couldn't get to grow at all for years suddenly grew about a foot in about the last two years having not grown and inch in over ten years before that.
But patience is my next step with this newly planted sans.

Josh my new friend, I know you know that I was just kidding about trying to sabotage me durrng this contest because I am just kidding of course.
I'm actually very excited about our contest and all the knowledge I'm gaining in the process, well got to go now It's 11:30 in my part of the world.
Greg

Okay Karen has learned a great deal since her bus ride to give a program on Sansevieria. Put it in the smallest pot it will fit in until it shows signs of new growth, Keep it warm but not moist, and certainly not in a garage. Gradually introduce to light, and don't keep it in a bathroom. If you stayed in a bathroom you would grow mold, and so will the plant. I live in Calif. where it is hot and dry no humidity I only water heavely July August Sept, starting slowing down the watering starting Oct l to twice a month, then once a month as needed these plants will rot at the base of the leaves, so you may want to start watering from the bottom, DO NOT WATER UNTIL YOU SEE NEW GROWTH, I would recommend cutting back on orgainic mix in the soil, they don't grow in such rich soils in Africa, the important thing is find out where it grows in nature the east coast of Africa will make a difference, or is it low grassland plant. Mine is looking puny at this time and needs repotting, but I keep my temps above 50, if the leaves fold closed, or wrinkle that is a sign it may need more water, water from the bottom until it is established. It likes the same temperatures as you do, air, food as well and light. It also needs your care. Never fertilize a plant untill it has roots or signs of growh, this is my approach and training. Karen is trying to date me, LOL well I turned 80 New Years Eve, and proud of it. I'm here to help, and pass on as much as I know, I don't want to take information to the grave with me. The main thing is to do what works best for you. It may not work for me. Use judgement, San. really want the same conditions no matter where they live just like you they don't have any idea where they are. I also watch the weather forcast every night before I go to bed. I have been here watching I don't want to butt in until asked to do so. Norma

Well it is certainly a pleasure to hear from you miss Norma dear, and where have you been if I can ask, just curious, of course but I was really looking forward to your response and I am very excited and grateful for your knowledge and experience.

I like what I see already and I have placed my sans in a very small pot to make her feel warm and cozy. One other question if I may, does it matter if the pot has any drain holes since she won't be getting that much water?
And when should we know when to repot again? O I said one more question but that was two, I hope your not counting,
Norma please believe me, I'm not trying to tell you what to do but please don't take forever to answer back, take as long as you need to but please hurry!!!
Hey between me and you, who do you think will win this contest Josh or me? And do you have any other secrets you are keeping back from us, I sure hope you stay around for a long long time Norma, God bless you and you can answer me whenever your little heart desires ok, and thank you also, I sincerely hope I get to hear from you and your vast amount of knowledge you carry. I know It's late so get some rest girl.
Your new friend Greg

Norma-
Good to hear from you too and a belated Happy B-day!!!
Greg- Please put it in a pot with drainholes. It is too easy to overwater otherwise. It can be done, but I would not recommend it. It does not have to be clay pot but clay pots are more sturdy and also evaporate some water through the sides. BTW, it is always best, especially in winter, to water these guys on the morning of a sunny day. This gives a chance for excess water touching the stems etc. to evaporate before nightfall.
Now we have all been talking about sensitivity to water. This is mostly true now, when it is winter (cool, days are short, plant growing very littl and in this case also very little root). In Summer I put all my plants outside (acclimating them slowly of course). At that time of year the temps are warmer, days are longer. I can flood pots with the hose daily or it can rain for a week and they are fine.

Ditto on the warm day/morning watering. I try to follow that rule for all of my plants.

Greg, I knew you were joking about sabotage ;-) If I really wanted you to fail, I'd tell
you to pot your plants in empty soda bottles in a mix of cow manure and sand and water your plants
at midnight with ice cubes! But I know you'd see right through that ploy! ;-)

About E.B. Stone mixes. They are better than some. However, both the Cactus Mix and the
Bonsai Mix have a great deal of Peat Moss. When I used these mixes, I found that the fine particles
of Peat compacted and made it so that the Perlite, bark, and Pumice in the mix had very little drainage.

That said, E.B. Stone packages the quartz and the Pumice (and red lava rock) and the fir bark
that I use to make my own mixes. I have used their fine-grade "Orchid Bark" in the past,
but they also have a larger bag of fir bark called Greenall Micro Bark that is practically
the same fir bark, just in a larger volume for a cheaper price.

Josh

Greenman,
Now I need to learn something here. I use hard wood bark that I run thru the chipper several times and compost. Is fir any better that standard hardwood? I just started using these mixes since I too started reading Sans posts. Results would show 6 months later to tell the difference.

Hardwood bark should be avoided.

(Sapwood, from either hardwood or conifer, should especially be avoided).

Conifer bark (Fir and Pine primarily) breaks down very slowly due to the Lignin and Suberin content.
This slow process means that your mix will remain durable and uncompacted for an extended period of time.
In fact, the mix will last longer than you should allow your plants to go between re-potting.

When using a bark-based mix, I add Dolomitic Garden Lime at a rate of 1 Tablespoon per gallon of mix.
This provides Calcium and Magnesium in the proper ratio, and also slightly raises the pH of the acidic
bark mix.

Josh

Omg!!! It happened again, I write my response attempt to send and then it gets knocked off errrr....

So here I go this time a little condensed, thank you nativewood for your suggestions on the drainage holes I will admit mine has none, however I will try drilling a few of them into the pot to avoid water sitting in it.
I will add that I've mention this contest to a few members of the house not to water this plant at all because she doesn't want any right now and it could be fatal to it and the contest.

Josh, I guess you've noticed that Norma responded last night and it was very nice to hear from her and by the way Norma Happy Birthday to you too sweet heart wow 80 years old that's wonderful, my mom & dad are also 80 and my dad says, getting old is not for sissy's. Lol...

Josh thanks for mentioning her to me and of course Karen too, or pirate girl , yeah at first I didn't know they were the same person.
Well Josh this is barely the first day of the contest and I'm excited about the challenge and PATIENTLY waiting... ( hi Karen .). Well I've got to get to work so have a wonderful day everyone and if anyone has a tip or two please.let us hear your experiences.

Greg

Whew...drainage holes are about the best thing you could have done! O.O

Josh

Josh,

OK I'm catching on real quick I think they call that "trial and eror". Also I noticed you posted about the ingredients lasting longer than the timing of repotting, so whats the time frame there? I know it must vary but what are some of the signs to look out for?

Greg,

Re-potting should be done right before the root-system of the plant has filled the pot
in such a way that you could slip the roots and mix out of the pot in one piece. This is for
maximum vitality, however. There are many who allow plants to become root-bound
in order to stress them to fruit or flower, or for other reasons (such as hard-growing a
bonsai specimen - the understanding is that this will stunt/limit growth).

The first sign to look for is a pot full of roots. Once I see roots emerging from the drain-holes,
I know that the plant needs to be re-potted or potted up (moved into a larger container without
disturbing the roots). Another sign would be diminishing vitality after a year or two. Many plants
will drop foliage or begin to shed branches when the roots run out of room.

The beauty of using a porous, gritty mix is that it will last indefinitely.
The roots will hit the walls of the container long before the bark will decompose.

My plants go a year or two between re-pottings, unless the pot is very small or the plants
are very vigorous. But I couldn't advise others without knowing the intimate details of
their plant culture.

Josh

Josh,
ok, well mine is far from being in need of repotting at this point, actually I'm at the rerooting stage of my plants progression because mine is rootless so actually You have a head start on me Josh so I need to start praying for my Sans Quick!!!
I see your from Northern Cali is that correct and are you by the ocean? The reason I ask that is because most plants I see growing by the ocean or close by seem to thrive there, No worries though I can handle 2nd place although I'm still shooting for 1st place ( who cares if there is only two of us in this race somebody has to win.) unless both are plants die. Which I dont think that could happen provided all the attention surrounding them, Just remember the title " No roots vs. Bare roots." Lol...

ok Josh I'll keep on eye out for roots shooting out of the bottom, Boy I better get to drilling those holes in the bottom of my pot, Or better yet I better just replace the pot with another pot with several holes in it already to shoot out from :)
No one has replied if a night light would help or hinder this process so I'm looking for the next pit stop to light up or repot.

Greg

No night light please.

Thank you Pirate girl, I wasn't sure so turning to this post filled with all this experience is priceless.

Good morning, Greg!

I think that my plant does have the unfair advantage of a root ;-)
Maybe I should yank it out of the pot and snip the root, just to keep things fair? ;-)
Hahaha! Not a chance! The way some folks describe the rooting process, you'd think you'd need
black magic to get these things to grow!

I hope everyone understands that this "contest" is about having fun and sharing information with
others. It's good to have a Winter project and to encourage others to have fun. In the end,
growing a healthy plant is this contest's "reward."

Cheers, and good luck!

Josh

Josh , exactly... Loosen up enjoy life an learn in the process LOL. On the subject of yours having a root on it already hey I'm the one that challenged you so no worries there, it is what it is. Actually my sans is looking extremely well this morning and I feel really good about this lil contest we got here and I see other members doing the same thing. It's fun exciting and no one gets hurt even the loser gets more experience in the process so how's yours looking so far? Be honest ;) LOL

Have a good day josh and if you feel like evening up the contest don't hesitate yanking at least some of them roots off, yeah right!!!

Greg

Mine looks pretty haggard, to be honest.... ;-)

It had been outdoors all summer (on the east coast), but an autumn storm knocked a bunch of them
off my buddy's growing area. He didn't notice that these were knocked over for a few days, however.
Anyhow, this one came to me in beat-up condition, and I haven't done much to make it look any better.
But I can't wait to trim the ugly old leaves once new foliage appears.

Josh

Hey Greg and Josh,
You do realize that this is no ordinary sans. You may need some special extra magic to pull this off.

Hehe...I might have to resort to black magic after all ;-)

Stush, is it the variegation (less chlorophyll) that makes it tricky?

Josh

Stush, now where do I go from here, I'm already being patient, I'm not watering, I drilled holes in my pot, I turned the night light off, I brought it inside the house instead of the garage, I've with held fertilizer and now I might need special magic perhaps?

Oh brother!!! What kind of contest did I get my self into?

Wait a minute let me go take a look at my Lil sans, I'll be right back.
Ok, I'm still in. My Lil sans honestly looks better than the day the contest started, hey what can I say, I'm keeping the room he's staying in at a special temp. And he's getting the southern Calif. Sun shine kiss Hey I feel good.

Stush, I will say this that the day I picked up my bantle sensation I really did feel like it was special.

But just for the record what do you mean?

Greg

Greg, Josh,
I lost mine the first time I got one. The more yellow or white in this case the more delicate it is. More prone to rot and disease than the reg. green kind. One slip could spell death it the plant is just starting out like the ones you guys have. Remember Greg, I said it may be too late for yours when we first started? Well seems like you lucked out already. What out Josh, magic has no power against luck. I was expecting not to hear of this any more due to the slow nature of growth. Guess I was wrong. Anyhow, You guys did liven up the Sans forum.
Just one more thing. Let this thread die. Start a new post to continue. Like 'My Sans. Bantel�s Sensation'.

Copy, Stush! That's a good idea!
Whatsay, Greg, will you post us a new Thread for our contest?

By the way, now that you mention it, your southern California sun is a big advantage ;-)

Not that I'm complaining. Like many trees, I need a good amount of chill hours
during the winter to keep me sane.

Josh

Ok Josh let's give it a new name but let's decide on it as a team effort, so let's give it let's say a couple of hours or so, what I mean is let's come up with a clever title and help us out stush and anyone else can throw in some ideas too. Then will pick something out and kick it off, whata you say guys?

Ok let's do this!!!

Greg

Stush, I do remember your statement a while back, and recall thinking, O' Boy.... But looks like I dodged a bullet.

So these are a delicate type of sans requiring special care any other types of care not yet mentioned or tips that you can add.

I did see your title recommendation but couldnt tell what the bantels wording was can you resend it please?

Greg

Okay guys, Karen know as much as I do know, her respoonses have been right on, give us ladies a chance. I just try to pick out any thing that has been forgotten. The plants that grow large can break out of anything you may want to put them in. Including asphalt. I just found that I may have a real S. PAtens, given to us by Meena Singh from India. The leaves are round almost and very straight, not curved back, when I have time I will look into this more thoroughly. I would love for it to be the real species. Norma