Three-leaf-schooneesii update

Just a little update on the Aloinopsis schooneesii seedling, now one year old, that grows in three leaf sets. This is the 4th set so far ;)

(Click to enlarge)

Anacampseros seed capsules (3 pics)

I honestly don't know much about Anacampseros except for my own observations but I remember reading somewhere that they are or can be self-fertile. Since my Anacampseros filamentosa ssp. namaquensis is currently flowering (I missed almost all of the flowers) I was wondering whether any seeds will develop. Some of the faded flowers drop their heads and fall off very soon.

Others stay upright and push the remaining sepals up like a hat with only some hair-like see-through fibers left. If you look closely you can see something is inside that looks like the rests of dried anthers. But in fact those are seeds!

The unusual and pretty unstable seed capsule measures only 6mm but there are over 60 seeds. The seeds are placed loosely inside and fall out at the slightest touch.

Aloinopsis peersii (3 pics)

I got these two Aloinopsis peersii back in November 2013 and was really worried they won't get acclimated. You see, they are quite big and fat and meaty and under my conditions plants grow compactly. Each time I purchase a "fat" plant it has huge problems downsizing. Especially Lithops simply don't make it through regeneration in these cases. On the photo below you still can see the large fat leaves I got it with but all the new ones, grown at my place, are much smaller and more fitting and appropriate. They grow in a 7x7x10cm container and are downsizing gradually and in a healthy manner. There are many side branches, too :)

This plant's special feature is the fluffiness of the leaves. Yes, they are as soft as they look ;)

The picture below was taken last November.  Check out those carrot roots! I think with these guys watering from the bottom would make sense but I water them from above and it seems to be fine.

Rhinephyllum muirii seedlings

I'm very surprised and excited to see what quick growers the Rhinephyllum muirii seedlings have turned out to be (there are 2 plants on the photo). They were very slow and weak during their first months but then had a growth spurt. And yes, they are that green ;)

Neohenricia sibbetii 2014

One of the cuttings of my Neohenricia sibbetii has already started the flowering season. I had to stay late just to take the pictures - the flowers opened fully around 23:00!

Aloinopsis spatulata

I got this plant in December as a "blind buy" and it was half dead when it arrived. Unfortunately all the specialized nurseries out there, online as well as printed catalogue based, don't let buyers see the plants they buy. You have to just hope they'll pick a healthy and strong plant for you. It's rarely the case. Why should they? For this reason I prefer ebay when I buy plants - what you see is what you get. Anyway, I didn't expect the plant below to survive, it was small, had a lot of dry leaves and the growing points were damaged. From the overall shape I could barely tell it was an A. spatulata at all. Basically I just put it in a pot with some other plants and forgot about it. It wasn't until recently that it flipped back into consciousness and suddenly started growing new leaves and branches. I'll have to do something about the long leaves to bring it into a proper, spatulata-appropriate shape but I'm hopeful. With a sunnier spot on the windowsill and a tougher watering schedule it will eventually be a happy  and handsome plant. It has already earned itself an own container :)

Transplanting Lithops in pumice substrate (video)

I was transplanting some Lithops today and thought I'd better catch it on video because I always receive questions about how to dig holes in pumice. The answer is you don't. You fill the container with dry pumice stones up to the brim, make sure the tip of the root is in and then wiggle a stick to make the stone collapse and pull the plant down by the root while slightly pushing from above. You don't have to be afraid to damage the roots. If you followed the rule to transplant dry-to-dry it'll all be fine. The pot in this video is 5x5cm small but you can get up to 16 young seedlings in it using this method. No need to dig holes or use the common cacti transplanting method by laying the plants on the side. Anyway, I find it quite easy and fast :)
(Sorry the video is not good..)

Monilaria pisiformis seedlings

These Monilaria pisiformis seedlings are now one month old (actually younger, the seeds were sown on the 5th of April) but they already are growing their first true leaves, the bunny-ears kind, somehow breaking through the sides but okay, whatever :)

I'm very excited to grow them because of the two different kinds of leaf sets situation. I'm not sure how they will grow in their first year but I'm ready for all the surprises they'll throw at me!

The fat seedlings in the back are Cheiridopsis pillansii, sown 20th of April, by the way.

(Seeds from Mesa Garden)

Anacampseros namaquensis flower (2 pics)

It took my Anacampseros namaquensis 3 to 4 weeks to fully develop flower stalks and now the flowers open one by one. I missed the first flower but here is the second one. Very cute but short-lived - it stayed open only for 2 hours after opening around 16:30 today. To not miss this kind of Anacampseros or Avonia flowers here's the rule: If you see something red (or white) at the tip of the bud around midday or even earlier the flower will open in the evening. This way you can make arrangements like cancelling all plans you had with your friends that day :D

Growth spurt for Lithops seedlings (2 pics)

I know I've posted the second pic recently but you can only really appreciate the first one in comparison :)

The L. aucampiae seedlings have increased in size a lot in only one month between 7.04 and 3.05. This is not what I had in mind as I transplanted them to give them more room to spread. But I'm glad they liked their new 8,5cm deep container!