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bonsaigai

FINALLY nearly time to get outdoors

bonsaigai
11 years ago

Hello All,

In the contest post, I saw Woodnative mention just being able to get things outside. Me too. Here in Upstate NY the temperatures at night are just below the point to be trusted, hovering about 40 degrees, but warm in the day.

I can't wait.

So what's my point? When you all get into full watering. In the past, I keep them pretty dry for the first few weeks. Does anyone just pour it on? I've already been giving a bit more water in the winter than usual. I suspect they're just rearing to go.

Thanx!

Comments (29)

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    11 years ago

    Watch! Still not warm enought. I let the summer rains overwater them. The rare ones I keep dryer and warmer and watch more. the reason some are so cheap is that can take more and grow. Some I own can take freezing temps. As long as them warm back up during the day.

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    11 years ago

    Wow what a difference a week makes. Now it's too hot. I wish we had last weeks weather for all summer. Well, the sans will love the heat anyway.

    To all, my computer failed and after giveing up, all of a sudden it fixed itself. Thank you God for all the help.

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Yikes! It was 93 yesterday! I actually got everything outside. All 50 Sansevieria, 45 Hippeastrum, 30 succulents, and an assorted hundred or so other pots. ENOUGH! The sanses will be lightly shaded for a week before I get them situated into more sun. Ugh. It was quite a haul.

  • hijole
    11 years ago

    BONSAI, Good to see that life still exist here on the San's site, glad that you had a wonderful memorial weekend, I worked All weekend.

    Greg

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hey Greg, Oh yes, life exists. It's just that this is the CRAZY time of year. Everyone is gardening.

    I've always believed that gardening doesn't stop during year. It just shifts from one thing to another, planting, weeding, seeding, potting, soil construction. No particular order. "To everything, there is a season." Gardens are a year 'round sport.

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    11 years ago

    BONSAI, How about a picture of your collection. Maybe several. All I can say is 'Holy crape on a stick'. How about a list of sans and do you have any clivia or only Hippeastrum. Did you cross breed any yourself. I tried some seeds but after 3 or more years to bloom, all I got was a small wild red flower. Only 2 to a stock. Still I injoyed the fun of trying.

    Hay Greg, So how's all your stuff going?
    Stush

  • hijole
    11 years ago

    Bonsai, your right brother, I guess I just lost site of what's really going on and what time it is or season. Tis the time to be a buzz working on da garden and not so much on da web.
    Yeah I'm with Stush show us the fruit, let's see some pictures.

    Stush I'm doing wonderful and those sans you sent me are too, they both look nice right now and the one with yellow margins looks really nice thank you again too.
    Everything else is popping all over place did you get a chance to see my Epi's on the C&S page Omg they were gorgeous stush please check emm out when you can.

    Greg

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hmm. I'll try to get a pictures this weekend. It's unfortunate that in the last move I lost all my tables. They just wouldn't fit in the van. I'm working with planks from one of the barns I took down. It won't be pretty, but you'll get the idea.

    Stush, Oh boy do I have Clivia, about 30. I should really count them. About 10 are blooming size and were great last winter. The rest are ones I've grown from seed and should bloom next spring. It will be interesting as they are a cross of a good yellow and a tulip form peach... (right, like they'll all be orange with flowers that droop or something.)

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    11 years ago

    Michael,
    I got some seeds from China. They were variegated clivia. I got some really nice ones. Short wide leaves and different variegations of several kinds. 30 seeds for only something like $35 plus shipping which was only a few dollars. Well that was several years ago. I got a fungus and could not save a single one including my old orange one that I owned for 10 years. Now after several years of nothing I tried again with Hirts' with two yellow clivia. A deal for only $5 to $8 each and almost blooming size. By the way, I was very successful with the seeds. 100% including some from my orange one. It takes almost a year for the dame things to ripen then clean and plant ASAP. My trick is I soak seeds in warm water with rooting hormone for 24 hours them place on top of the soil with a clear plastic covering. In a few days they start to sprout.
    Sorry for the off topic.
    Stush

  • woodnative
    11 years ago

    I still have a few Sans to move outside. Some I moved about a week ago and look great. Some I put out too early and they got burnt. That is always frustrating as the leaves of Sans last such a long time.....that is one of their attributes but when you burn a leaf it stays scarred and ugly to remind you, LOL!
    I remember when yellow Clivia were "new" and expensive. Same with variegates. Prices seem more reasonable for these now. I only have a "red" and a variegate (orange flower)....both bought as seedlings a little over a year agao and both have grown well.

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've been trying to keep mine shaded in hopes of keeping them from burning. I was surprised to see a few get a touch too much sun as it was pretty cloudy there in the first few days out.

    Now I'm looking at temperatures in the high forties... ugh. Do I really have to move them all in again? (rhetorical) Some will be moved inside regardless.

    Clivia are becoming "new" and "hot" all over again. There are many that cost hundreds of dollars. Not for me. While I'd really like a great plant for breeding, I'm too wrapped up in other things to even have the time, much less the money. A few years ago, I was able to get four yellows at the local big box. They were on sale for $5 in a gallon pot, blooming size! Only one was really a good flower, of decent substance.

    I grew up a few miles from Hirt's. It was always a fun place to go. (I was an odd child with a twisted sense of fun. I guess I still am... ) Sometimes, I would convince my mom to drop me off there when she went grocery shopping. A few years ago they moved out to the country and the grandson started the internet business. They still have a decent greenhouse and now the on line services is very nice.

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the history of Hirts. I have delt with them for many years now. I deal with the greenhouse not the e-bay. Never got a bad turn yet. Sounds like you were a lucky child.

  • woodnative
    11 years ago

    Bonsaigai I can appreciate that. Even as a young child I was "into" plants. A trip to K-mart or the grocery store always involved me checking out the plants. When I was older I could ride my bike to the local greenhouses. Funny.
    It is a cool rainy week now but the Sans will stay oustide.

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I was a real fan of the K-Mart plant department. Hysterical. One of my first ever plants, Cryptocereus anthonyanus... 25 cents. As a little kid I was delighted. I finally donated the plant to the university greenhouse when I was in college.

    But on a topical note, I'm setting up a small heating pad for the more sensitive Sanses and unrooted, newly planted species. Temperatures are to be in the mid-40's and I don't want to take any chance on some of these guys. The ones that have been around for years can take it, but I don't know about the little ones.

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Ok. Let's try to upload a picture... There's one of Sansevierira group and one succulent group. I have to get better at this picture thing.

    The plants have been recently moved outside. Most are just beginning to come out of dormancy. They do get quite lush during the growing season, just rather sparse right now.

    Ok, so NOW, I can't seem to get the photo thing going at all. Does anyone have any suggestions?

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    11 years ago

    The directions were given many times and also to me when I first started.
    Get an account with Photobucket. It's free them download your photos to that site then use copy and paste functions to copy the 'HTML' Box which appears after you move your mouse over the picture. Copy, then paste into this box. At first it will look unknown but when previewed it will appear.


    By clicking on my picture, it takes you to their site showing all my pictures. There you can join up.
    Good luck. You may also look down past post and see many other instructions that may explain it better.

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you Stush. I was feeling pretty inept about it...

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Trying again.

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Oh! Will you look at that?!? It worked.

    Thanks again Stush.

  • lovemysans
    11 years ago

    Nice collection Micheal! At the rate that I'm going, my house will look similar to this soon. Hahaha!

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Now that I've figured this thing out, I have to get more pictures up. That's really only part of the collection. Some of the Sansevieria are missing from the shot and the other succulents are in a different area with the Hippeastrum. The ferns and begonias are off elsewhere in the shade. It's outta hand... yes... yes it is. But I've been collecting since I was a kid. Some plants are over 30 years old. It's fun to share the pictures.

  • lovemysans
    11 years ago

    It is fun Micheal! I love seeing them!

    It's not outta hand Micheal! Hahaha! Hey, if you have the room for them and you love them that's all that matters!

  • pirate_girl
    11 years ago

    Wow, what a wonderful grouping, makes me want to come be a Sans. in your collection.

    In the lower right hand corner, the 2nd plant, diagonally in to the left, is that S. Francisii (sp.), that sort of bushy one? It's a really interesting & different form. TFS

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks Pirate Girl. I do enjoy them very much. The one I think you mean is S. bella 'Mutomo' The francisii, the one with skinnier leaves, is behind that... if that's the one you're mentioning.

    (BTW Norma speaks very highly of you.)

  • woodnative
    11 years ago

    Michael-
    Thank you for sharing the photos! Wow! A nice collection there!! A nice variety of species! Post more photos if you have the time!!

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    11 years ago

    Mike,
    Wow, Really nice. Need more photo now. And do you know you can organize your photos into different albums and name those albums anyway you want.

    Did you happen to look over all my photos in my Photobucket. There put there free for anyone to do what ever they want.

    Is that a photo of you with those very large tiger cats?

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Oh yes, the photo is of me. My mom says I look like I crawled out from under a bridge in the picture. I consider it to be what happens when you try to herd cats! They're all mine; good company. They range from 20 pounds to about five pounds. The little girl, the only female and the smallest, keeps the boys in line. They're all rescues, two sets of sibling boys. The little girl was half dead under the porch a few weeks after I moved into the farmhouse. After her recuperation, she now runs the house.

    I have to work on the photos. Once I get the plants a bit more organized... in my copious free time... I should get quite a few in order.

    Thank you for the organization/file suggestions. That will help.

  • elichka
    11 years ago

    Michael,

    You have a wonderful collection. Would you tell me the name of Sans which is upfront of S. Fischeri, kind of spoon leaved.

    Thanks for sharing the photos

    Inna

  • bonsaigai
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Inna,

    That one is S. sp.aff. concinna. It was supposed to be the smaller Lav.5949 but I have my doubts as it is larger the plant should be. It's S. sp. aff. concinna, regardless.

    I'm SO glad it's getting a bit warmer. The nights of 45 degrees seem to be over. It was so cold, I took some plants that were rooting and put them on the porch with their own heating pad.

    Michael
    NY Zone 6