No, I don’t think so, probably corking due to age. Lophs often have discolouration at the soil line.

Root mealybugs definitely have a smell, I rarely seem to find them these days, but I can remember the smell of infested Crassulas when I did have an outbreak.

There is no way to know which Huernia it is, although the most common species is H. zebrina, also possibly Orbea variegata. It’s rather late in the year for sowing seeds, unless you can provide bottom heat AND extra light, so might be best to wait until spring. However asclepiad seed can have short ...

Mike P wrote: ↑Sun Oct 15, 2023 3:32 pm Sorry I didn’t realise the winner got to set the next months competition.
Ok let’s go for something seasonal so ‘Any Mesemb other than Lithops’

You will need to set a new post, Mike.

Eric Williams wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 12:24 pm Beautiful plant Diane, may I ask if that is one plant that has divided over many years ?

Yes it is, Eric.

Ray, just standard mix of JI2 or 3, grit and moler granules. But that was when JI compost was decent stuff! It hasn’t been repotted for years, is on a top shelf, and only gets watered when I remember! Mike, don’t do yourself down! Very nice plants! (I do have a much larger one, over 40 years old, bu...

Tina wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 2:24 pm Beautiful, keep em coming. Did you grow most of them yourself ?.

Just shown me up as took a couple of 'in the greenhouse snaps' & you do nicely set up ones, I can't show em now unless I get the velvet out

Yes, grown myself, Tina. Let’s see yours!

It IS old, maybe 30 years, I’d guess.

Time for Ariocarpus to start flowering! First, Ariocarpus scaphirostris , 23 years old in a 9cm pot: IMG_1606.jpeg Ariocarpus trigonus in a 14 cm pot: IMG_1607.jpeg And Ariocarpus retusus (var. confusus?) in an 18 cm clay pot: IMG_1610.jpeg There are others, but I chose these as the best at the mome...

My very old plant of Lapidaria margaretae flowering nicely: