Today's deep thoughts about plants

[Azuleja]

I wanted to show you the same plant now that the leaf has opened. The photo orientation is reversed unfortunately, but the leaf managed to open without damage.

[Azuleja]

Some more seedmates.

[Steph115]

Azul those seedlings look better and better. Such gnarly marginals. My A. Cubic has been growing quickly and is starting to mutate more too. This newest leave has two slits(?) and four marginals on the back. From some other pictures on the internet it looks like it can even develop more and in even more bizarre conformations. Definitely one of my favorites at the moment.

[Azuleja]

'Cubic' is really fun. Mine is recovering from cold damage but growing out quickly. It will pop out a couple of extremely bizarre leaves and then some with totally smooth backs and then bizarre ones again. Has yours ever done that?

[Steph115]

Yes! Mine has also had a totally smooth leaf and then a weirdo. Glad yours does that too. Also very happy it was able to survive the cold damage.

[Stan]

One thing about the world of plants? If you dont early on latch on to a favorite type- ferns,orchid or C&S, you are perpetually jack of all trades,master of none. I'm reminded of this looking at YouTube vids of growing aquatic epiphyte plants on driftwood in aquariums. I had aquariums or some type of pond for 40 years..then stopped all for the last ten. In that time,that hobby has really changed.
I must have grown all the aquatic plants in those years..but these new types are mostly "new" to the hobby.
SO here I am,now catching up,and feeling the re inventing the wheel once again.
Never ends..because I just could not stop at one area,one aspect or specialize. Like a curse!

[Gee.S]

I was once a world-class duckweed and foxtail grower.

[Azuleja]

I was rough on my plants this year. Tested them in the cold with mixed results and then for their recovery period, treated them to a long brutal summer. Thankfully, we've had a lengthy fall and they've done some catching up. This winter, I'll leave fewer out for sure.

My A. kerchovei seedlings remain favorites. Thankfully they're as tough as they're pretty.

As far as my thoughts. Don't save important things on your phone. Well, you probably don't need me to tell you that. This summer I lost my plant lists, where I had every one of my plants xeric and otherwise in alphabetical order with habitat notes and provenance. Now I have to rely on memory so

[Gee.S]

They look fabulous Azul! And they seem to have enough meat on their bones to manage some bad weather. Word of warning tho -- A. kerchovei is notoriously tender. Adult plants may manage mid-twenties with some tip damage, but anything below that is a likely death sentence.

[Azuleja]

Thank you for the reminder. I see a greenhouse in my future. Someday.

[toditd]

You know you are a xeric plant nerd when you're watching hockey and as the last names of players are called out you think of xeric plant names.

Green -> Aloe greenii
Hoffmann -> Aloe hoffmannii
Murphy -> Agave murpheyi
Palmieri -> Agave palmeri
Pearson -> Aloe pearsonii
Perry -> Agave parryi
Shaw -> Agave shawii
Thompson -> Yucca thompsoniana
Weber -> Agave weberi
Wheeler -> Dasylirion wheeleri

Is it time to seek professional help yet?

[Gee.S]

I have a few Sans indoors for the winter due to cold, and am dosing them with strong artificial light for roughly 8 hours one day per week, since I am concerned about otherwise low-light conditions in front of a NE facing window. Three of these Sans are now blooming, and I became concerned with not extending the duration of their light on days under the artificial lamp. I hempen to know of at least one plant that can be adversely affected by even a single day of receiving light for a little longer than expected while blooming.

Beyond that concern, I noticed Sans flowers open at dusk, in order to attract crepuscular pollinators. It strikes me that artificial lighting is often very abrupt -- on/off with no in between -- and I wonder if this can have an adverse effect. Plants that are completely reliant upon artificial light do not experience dawn or dusk. Hmmmm....

[Gee.S]

^ Too deep?

[Azuleja]

Still thinking about it.

[Spination]

I have a few Sans indoors for the winter due to cold, and am dosing them with strong artificial light for roughly 8 hours one day per week, since I am concerned about otherwise low-light conditions in front of a NE facing window. Three of these Sans are now blooming, and I became concerned with not extending the duration of their light on days under the artificial lamp. I hempen to know of at least one plant that can be adversely affected by even a single day of receiving light for a little longer than expected while blooming.

Beyond that concern, I noticed Sans flowers open at dusk, in order to attract crepuscular pollinators. It strikes me that artificial lighting is often very abrupt -- on/off with no in between -- and I wonder if this can have an adverse effect. Plants that are completely reliant upon artificial light do not experience dawn or dusk. Hmmmm....

Since photoperiod is the most normally known trigger for blooming, I would agree that changing the duration (photoperiod) of light while blooming would or at least could have an adverse effect as far as disrupting the blooming process.

As far as the abrupt on/off aspect of artificial lighting, I have seen no adverse effects that I can detect... and this after several years of using LED's to modify the photoperiod by lengthening it to create a more constant year round photoperiod. During the summer, my lights go on and off pretty much in tandem with natural daylight, but as the days get shorter, the lights set to come on early and off late in effect make the amount of daily light summer-like year round. Marlon (who talked about growing in the Sans forum) talked about his growing in Brazil where photoperiod is regulated by proximity to the equator - resulting in a rather constant year round daylight length and warmth. Such growing, which would also include the Thailand growers (again equatorial tropical climate) who also favor growing Sans rather extensively, seems to result in an ideal growing situation year-round. Marlon had mentioned that his plants do not experience what we see as far as reduced growth and activity in the winter. This makes sense to me as far as the plants having evolved in Africa where equatorial conditions prevail for most of the species. I would say the abrupt on/off is a non-factor according to how my plants deal with it for at least the whole winter part (including late fall and early spring) of the year when our days are shorter.

[Gee.S]

I think this is great fodder for an experiment. It would require a plant light that dims and brightens less abruptly. I believe there are LED aquarium lights that do just that. If there is some notable difference in seedling development over a multiple year period, I might expect the greatest difference in plants like Sans, that have a particular reliance on dawn and/or dusk low lighting conditions. It seems to me that if nothing else, we may be driving some of our plants quietly insane.

[Azuleja]

We were in Southern CA this weekend and I stopped in at Armstrong's, which is a chain nursery. They sometimes have fun, interesting stuff. I was pretty excited about these extra large sansevieria. Called 'Mohawk', I assume it's just a form of S. cylindrica? The tallest was about 3 ft. and the leaves are extra thick compared to normal S. cylindrica, which they also had. I did purchase one. Couldn't help it. It's very rare for me to see fan shaped sansevieria at a nursery, let alone this large. I also picked up 'Starfish' which I believe is just 'Boncel' and forms a very short fat fan.

[Stan]

Once again I hear "He likes to move things around"..about my plants and gardening. Exasperating since I think it's obvious that things grow. In ground or pots and the needs change. Of the plant or mine. But I get that "moves things for fun" as if it's just mindless time killing. My back keeps the moving to only when needed. I don't get THEY don't get it.

[Gee.S]

You OK? Erm, no one has posted to this thread in over a month...

[DesertDweller]

Once again I hear "He likes to move things around"..about my plants and gardening. Exasperating since I think it's obvious that things grow. In ground or pots and the needs change. Of the plant or mine. But I get that "moves things for fun" as if it's just mindless time killing. My back keeps the moving to only when needed. I don't get THEY don't get it.

Must be the same "THEY" who see a nice yard with years of work put into it and remark, "You're so lucky!" as if 'luck' dug the holes and watered the plants too.

[Stan]

Another deep thought? This year more than any other in my life the last few years? I feel like I crossed a line into old man..boy is everything i do now pure willpower compared to just doing it like before. I don't remember being this bad even last spring. Plus,I've lost weight since last year ( more to go by 10 or 15 or 45 pounds!) so didn't expect this. Dr. says "Getting older"..but running blood tests. Maybe more Geritol?

[abborean]

or Serutan (Natures spelled backwards). Old man hit me recently also. going to give up most of the side jobs gardening in the fall. 66 this august and feeling it.

[Stan]

When I was 30? I felt the same as I did when 20. When I was 40 ,I felt much like 30. At 50? Dog hiking in the hills became dog walks. Now over 60? ..Not diabetic. No heart issues. Back yes, but I tell ya digging big holes..or one..is a day old project just about. Stamina stinks!
I have tried using weights..hand weights. Helps keep the muscle.
Still,a less intensive yard is now the goal. Having it LOOKING intensive is still fine.

[Stan]

Here's another deep thought. I've been at it hard for over 20 years,and overall about 40 something. So with no more room for large new plants,I've been removing this spring and summer plants that wore out their welcome mostly for being too much for the space they occupied. Yucca aloifolia was just like my A.americana..I had to prune it so very much,it looked tortured not so much artistic. Gone..plus that Yucca would catch Magnolia leafs..and try to reach in without gloves..no way.
I had grown a Ficus elastica 'Ruby' from 4" to taller then the studio. I just pruned it far back in April and today when I leaned it on its side? I saw two huge roots had gone into the asphalt. Since concrete is under that? It still needed much water. So,I not finding ANY saucers for 24" pots for sale? I bought a 3' kiddie pool at Walmart ($5 CHEAP!) and put that under the now root pruned Ficus.
Basically ..that saying about men and their toys? I think when you have so many plants..10,20, 40 years old,they are not toys any longer they are like pets. Right?
That's what I'm seeing more of right now..I have big potted tree ferns you never see because its the dry board. But,those too are like pets. Started very small 10 and 15 years ago. Potted large Cycads...same deal.
But since things die..I learned not to go all nuts over a dead plant. More of what makes them great.
Plants can really be pet like. My deeeeep thought for the day, Deepra.

[Gee.S]

I'll just add that Yucca aloifolia is a very dangerous plant, and ill-suited toward the crowded growing conditions you enjoy maintaining.