Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

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Astro
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by Astro »

Euphorbus wrote:I'd be interested to hear what strength of lighting you use, and how close you keep it to the plants. I've also been wondering how best to administer water, given how fussy these plants seem about having water on their bodies. I usually water from the bottom, but perhaps a largely pumice mix wouldn't soak up water adequately for any to reach the roots using this method?
I have 4 6400K 32W T8 fluorescent bulbs (spaced out over about a foot), about 1'-1.5' above the plants in the light box (which I think is 5'x2'x2'). The Pseudolithos are near the center of the box, close to the brightest spot.

I water the plants from above (the mix is quite porous, and even if I could successfully water from the bottom I'm not sure I'd want to soak the medium). I water between the edge of the pot and the plant body so there's not too much splashing. I doubt it'd make any difference, any drops or wet patches generally dry off within a few hours given the low RH.
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by KarlR »

I kept mine under 2x400W MH bulbs. Probably 30-35 degrees ambient temperature or thereabout when on. Around 18-20 when off. Kept slightly underpotted (not really intentionally - they grew too fast to keep up with) in very porous 100% mineral mix. Watered at least once a week - properly soaked (above/below no matter).

In these conditions they grew very fast. From seed it took about 3 years for P. cubiformis to reach 5 cm in diameter. None ever rotted or died. I grew P. cubiformis, migiurtinus and mccoyi. I'd never grown any of them before so I was a complete novice. Personally I think it's the high temperatures coupled with the frequent watering (and fertilizing) that did the trick. They're now in more ordinary greenhouse conditions and they don't seem quite so happy anymore.
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by Euphorbus »

Many thanks for all the responses, very interesting and much appreciated.

I'm thinking of germinating some p. migiurtinus from seed, using a heated propagator, couple of small T5 lights, and a soil mix of 50% coco coir and 50% pumice.

I've heard good things about coco coir (for seedlings at least), but I haven't actually used it before. My usual mix is 50% sieved cactus compost and 50% pumice (varied slightly depending on species). I'm wondering a couple of things about the coco coir:

a) does coconut husk really contain anti-fungal properties as some claim,
b) how does its water retention compare with a soil mix of equal %, and
c) would this total lack of nutrients necessitate always including diluted fertiliser with water, even for little seedlings?

Any thoughts or discussion would be most welcome :)
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by Euphorbus »

The project progresses :)

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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by HaoBao »

I was looking for some advice please, I have a pseudolithos migiurtinus that hasn’t really gotten any bigger in two years. Last time I checked the roots they looked ok.

Does anyone have any advice for growing these? The previous people in this thread suggested weekly watering when under lights and mine hasn’t had that much at all. Should I just start giving it more water with fertiliser? it’s in inorganic akadama at the moment and under growlights.
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by Diane »

Well, they look very healthy! I have some seedlings of Pseudolithos cubiformis and Whitesloanea crassa in a heated propagator under T5 lights, growing in a mineral potting mix (lapillo, akadama and moler clay) which have been watered regularly, say once or twice a week, from below, and they are growing steadily, if slowly. If yours are also in a heated propagator I would say water them, but I’d hate for you to lose them with that advice! Maybe start cautiously and see how they go, and give a weak feed too.
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by Herts Mike »

Be nice to get some seed to try again. I’ve never managed to get them beyond 2 year.
Re having them grafted on Hoodias I suspect we got them from the same source but the roots on my Hoodia were like pieces of dried string and never got going. Tried regrafting on Stapelia but they didn’t take and faded away.
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by HaoBao »

Hi Diane, mine is indoors so the temperature is around 16-21C maybe a little higher under some LED lights but probably not much as they don't give off much heat and there is a fan on them.

I probably water it about once a month with the other plants. I guess I should just water more?
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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by Pattock »

This article by Bally, Horwood and Lavranos suggests that they are happier with a minimum temperature of 21°C. Somalia is only cooler than that at high altitudes. They warn against overwatering to get lush plants.

Also, they are called Dinah by Somalis, meaning "tortoise", for obvious reasons.

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Re: Ideal Growing Conditions for Pseudolithos

Post by HaoBao »

Thank you Pattock, I’ll have a read, I did sign up for jstor the other day, I mentioned a helpful article I found on there in a different thread where I was asking about what substrate to use. The article I found was an old BCSS one by Roy Mottram in 1986, Nutrients for Succulent Plants.

If you haven’t seen the other thread I thanked you there for giving me a nudge to look up some more things. The trouble is there’s so many issues with my plants at the moment it’s like spinning plates trying to sort them out.

I just need to sort out the soil mix, the water, the light and position, the fertiliser and now a potential fungus issue lol.
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