"Fat Plants" : cacti,succulents, caudiciforms, whatever..

[johnw]

Kris   - Your mesembs are incredible.   I was mad about them in my early 20's.  Lithops were not so difficult (except to identify properly) but they rarely flowered for me.  Here at latitude 44-something the Conophytums were a disaster; they would grow at the darkest time of year and etiolate.  It amazes me how true to form your plants are, and those for that matter of other growers in the UK.

johnw

[Darren]

Wow Kris - those trays of Lithops are amazing!

Here is a picture of part of my Conophytum collection, at this time of year:

[Darren]

 

Interesting Darren , then you have the same problems to I suppose ?

You mean lack of space?  Not to mention lack of time because I have to go to work... 

[krisderaeymaeker]

You mean lack of space?  Not to mention lack of time because I have to go to work...

That's exactly what I mean Darren. !

[krisderaeymaeker]

Kris   - Your mesembs are incredible.   I was mad about them in my early 20's.  Lithops were not so difficult (except to identify properly) but they rarely flowered for me.  Here at latitude 44-something the Conophytums were a disaster; they would grow at the darkest time of year and etiolate.  It amazes me how true to form your plants are, and those for that matter of other growers in the UK.
johnw

Thanks John .I grow them really hard  : no feeding , no repotting unless it is absolutely necessary , only 5 times water each year , ful sun , in winter a very dry rest and low temperatures and never shading in the glashouse. Most Lithops I grew from seed wich came directly from South Africa (professor A. Cole )

[krisderaeymaeker]

Wow Kris - those trays of Lithops are amazing!
Here is a picture of part of my Conophytum collection, at this time of year:

Very impressive to Darren . How old are those plants ?

[Darren]

The biggest would have been around 7 or 8 years old,  when the picture was taken. The bigger cushions of some start to deteriorate of flower poorly after that and get re-started from cuttings. The nice cushion of C.hians (upper right of picture) is still looking good but patches occasionally die off or scorch.

[ranunculus]

Very interesting postings, Darren and Kris ... and super images.

[Darren]

Thanks Cliff 

Conophytum are great plants for me as they take up little space and have nearly the same requirements and watering timetable as my Cape bulbs. I wish I could grow Lithops as well as Kris does!

[Leon]

Thanks John .I grow them really hard  : only 5 times water each year ,

I am definitely over-watering.  Would you treat seedlings the same way?

[krisderaeymaeker]

I am definitely over-watering.  Would you treat seedlings the same way?

Seedlings stays fairly moist during the first year Leon .But after the second year (after pricking out )they get the same hard conditions ...

[krisderaeymaeker]

Very interesting postings, Darren and Kris ... and super images.

Thanks Cliff . If you have good models then it is easy to make good pictures 

[Rogan]

I have just returned from a journey to my future home in the southern Cape; these are some of the succulents I saw en route:

#1 Scores of Muiria hortenseae (Gibbaeum hortenseae) at the foot of a fence post;

#2 Gibbaeum petrense at the foot of another fence post;

#3 Two common Gibbaeum's in the area - G. petrense and G. album.

The Little karoo was experiencing a spell of cool, rainy weather at the time, hence the saturated colours and wet succulents!

[ranunculus]

Wonderful and totally desirable, Rogan.  Many thanks for posting.

[fleurbleue]

Amazing pictures for us, Rogan  Thank you