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jderosa_gw

Monthly report - it's summer

jderosa
19 years ago

Well, it has finally warmed up enough here in Central New Jersey to start bringing out my plants. All my plants are brought out for the summer - they start on a covered porch for a week or two until they get used to the light and temperature, then they are moved out into an appropriate sopt for summer growth. All of the Sansevieria seem to appreciate more air movement and more water during the warm months. I expect most will grow quite a bit larger this summer. I've had a number of new growths pop up in the pots over the winter - summer is the chance to grow these on to mature plants. There are also a couple of plants that will have to be divided this year. As many of you know, I prefer not to divide my plants at all, prefering to let them grow on to mature growths. Some of the smaller growing types will need to be divided this year, including the S. sp. 'Kenya spoon leaf dwarf', and at least one pot of S. parva.

I expect to divide a couple of the larger plants in the autumn as well. The S. masoniana seems to like to grow in all summer before being repotted (and divided) in August. I'll probably have one or two available then. I may even have to divide the S. hallii (though I hate to do it), as I don't think I can get another year out of the pot. Time will tell, as the summer growth comes in.

All of the plants that have made it outside so far look pretty good - no losses over the winter. There are a couple of species that I'll get rid of this year - I just don't like the way that they grow, and there are a couple of new species or clones I'm interested in getting. I'll post my Wants and Haves in the Exchange section and see what comes up.

I'm pretty glad that this year (after growing for 5 years) the S. parva 'White Variegation' single plant has finally decided to send up a new growth point. These plants certainly take their time to settle in. The main plant probably has 35 leaves by now, and it is finally mature. I'll expect it to flower this fall, and probably get it to start producing new growths in ernest next spring. I remember that the S. parva non-variegated took a year or two to start producing offsets, but this one has taken a VERY long time. Now I know why they are so expensive.

My marginated S. masoniana has sent up its first new growth, and it has the margination (thank goodness). I've always been dissapointed when a variegated Sansevieria insists on sending only solid green growths. This is one that I'm glad didn't revert. The S. cylindrica pautula variegated I have is getting larger - only one pup is nicely variegated (the other two are too yellow), and I expect to get at least 2 more pups this year from it. The S. fischerii and S. hallii varegated both seem to be sending variegated growths thsi year (last year was all green for both - since removed), and the variegation looks nice.

My S. trifasciata variegations are all pretty stable - I don't have many, but the pots are now all solid growths, and look like they will flower even heavier this year. Maybe I'll be able to get seeds to set if I get enough flower stalks to pollinate with.

All of my other plants are also on the way to a sunny summer vacation outside. My Pachypodium baronii 'Windsor Castle' has finally decided to bloom (after 10 years), and there is always the possibility that the Pachypodium lamerii I grew from seed will flower this year. I've been treating it with Super Phosphate for a couple of years now, and it is over 4' tall, so I keep my fingers crossed. It is a long shot, but one can always dream....

Joe 'pleasant dreams' DeRosa

Comments (8)

  • Cena
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the updates. Seems there should be new pictures to go with all that new growth! Well, I tried. I am not sure what to do this year. None of my Sans, except the hardest leaved varieties go outside. Too much chance of burn, and well, lack of concentration to keep an eye on them every single day!

    I have a new growth point on my Bantel's Sensation, but it's been there over a year, without doing ANYthing. These are difficult enough to find here that I really, REALLY don't want to risk this plant. It is tetchy enough as it is. I have nearly stopped the leaf die back thing, only one this year, but have yet to hit upon the 'perfect' amount of water.

    Joe, I have been wanting to ask you, "Do you ever use Epson Salts on your guys? And if so, when?"

  • Michaela
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good reports Joe and Cena. Joe, I'm glad to see you found a S. Kenya spoon-leaf dwarf. I just depotted mine because it hadn't sent up a new plant in about 2 years. What I found was interesting so I posted it in the sans gallery. Be sure to click the "gallery" to see it.
    Cena, if anything happens to your Bantel's sensation let me know and I'll send you a new one at no cost. Mine seems to like me, and I have plenty.

    No epsom salts on my plants! This is for screwballs who grow cacti :-)

    I live in east Tennessee and we can get terrible sunburn in a few hours if plants are thrust outside in the early Spring after spending all winter inside. Even in mid May all my Sans do not receive any direct sunlight except for a little in the morning, and maybe a little after 6 PM. The only possible downside I can think of about not getting sun is that flowering might be less. Plants need sun to flower. My plants get plenty of air circulation and I use Osmocote 14-14-14.

    I have little long-time experience with variegated forms. Maybe someone can comment on whether or not sunlight is beneficial to maintain variegation.

    Like Joe, this promises to be a good Sans growing year here in hillbilly land!

  • jderosa
    Original Author
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I find that I can put my Sansevieria out into 6 or more hours of sun (regardless of the variety) if I take a month to acclimatize my plants to being outdoors. It takes about a month to get them from the front porch (under cover, and only an hour of morning sun), to the back porch (where they are still under cover, but get late afternoon sun) to out in the garden where they get sun from 11:00 am until at least 4:00 pm. None of my plants have been burned with this much sun, and the heat and brightness really seems to carry them over the winter. Of course, bringing them in does not require the same in reverse, so they get to stay in the sun from mid-June through September.

    Joe 'YMMV' DeRosa

  • Cena
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey, who you callin' a screwball?!?!

    Sheesh, just because I grow cacti TOO! Also. In addition.

    And, I only use ES on orchids and my sans. I was just askin'.

  • jderosa
    Original Author
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I didn't call you a screwball, but if the shoe fits...;-)

    I find that my plants (in Zone 6) really like to get as much sun as possible for teh few months it is available. If there is a chance of sunburn, it's one I'm willing to take. I've worked out the process over the past 20 years or so to prevent the kind of die-offs I've had in the past. I guess it'll always be a little risky, but it is a risk I'm willing to take.

    Joe 'we all find our level of risk' DeRosa

  • elsier
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a question for one of you. All of my Sans. trifasciata developed some yellowed leaves this spring. Not all, but just one or two per pot. So I just whacked them off and they look fine now.
    Do you think this was from too much water or maybe too strong light? Also they had not been fertilized for a while.

    Thanks,
    Leta

  • Michaela
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Elsie,
    Where was this yellow? On the leaf edge? Some Sansevierias are supposed to have yellow markings. If the rest of your leaves are all green, maybe you have 2 different varieties in the same pot. The next time the yellow appears, leave it alone and see what happens. These plants prefer a little dryness. When in doubt whether or not to water - don't..
    Mike

  • elsier
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No, Mike, the whole leaf turned a light yellow color. The rest of the plant remained it's usual green with markings. It was not a new sprout, but an individual leaf on an existing plant.

    Thanks,
    Elsie