small (hopeful) soil improvements, question about roots

[Jess]

After having a poke around and a few discussions I've decided that a lot of my small collection needs repotting into more suitable soil. I've started with a John Innes No. 2/coarse grit mix (roughly 50/50), and with repotting the things that seem most desperate for it and/or were aesthetically awkward as I'd potted them weirdly to begin with!

So here is a before and after of my Euphorbia hybrid (of some kind???), before is on the right, current on the left:

IMG_20150615_165646 copy.JPG (133.13 KiB) Viewed 1728 times

And here is my Euphorbia enopla and Graptosedum "Alpenglow" (no before pictures, sorry):

IMG_20150615_170551 copy.JPG (141.34 KiB) Viewed 1728 times

They all look much nicer to me now.

I have a question about roots though, as when I unpotted my hybrid I encountered roughly what I'd expected, roots a bit smaller than the whole of the plant itself, then I unpotted and got all the old soil off the E. enopla I was really surprised by just HOW much of a root system it had, definitely longer by far than the plant itself, and then the Graptosedum which has really worried me because it appeared to barely have any roots at all! I almost couldn't see what was roots and what was soil. I'm pretty concerned by that, and wonder if that species just doesn't have a large root system or if I damaged it without noticing orrr?

It has such a small amount of roots it's actually really unstable in the pot... I hope it likes the new mix enough to recover, but I wonder if it ever will.

[matchat]

I wouldn't worry too much Jess. Some plants have rootballs that disintegrate upon removing them from the pot. Others have that many roots that you can barely clean away any of the old soil or tease the roots apart. As long as you have removed any solid masses of peat the plants should be happy enough. Try watering gently from below so that the plant has to make an effort to send roots down in search of water.

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[MikeT]

Jess

Is the colour of your Alpenglow in the photo accurate? If it is, where's it growing? It looks rather pale, and lacking the yellow/orange colour that gives it its name. If you're growing it on a windowsill, it may appreciate a spell outside for the summer, to get a bit of a tan.

[Jess]

Mat: I think I will try watering it from below for a while, thank you for the suggestion. I'd like to encourage it to grow (back?) roots. I feel like it might just have had super fine roots that disintegrated when I tried to get rid of all the dirt... which I did manage, but it took a little bit of shaking/a soft paintbrush but that might have been too much for it. That definitely sounds right. Good to know that can happen! Hopefully the new soil suits it and it will bounce back.

Mike: It is on a windowsill! I'd love to get it outside in some direct sun, but alas, I have literally no outside space. Not even a window box/ledge (third floor flats make for an interesting growing challenge, haha).

I THINK alpenglow is accurate, but TBH, given how many of the plants I have have turned out to not quite be what they were sold as I wouldn't be surprised either way. It has recently been moved fractionally further out of the light than before which I think has meant it's gone a bit paler (and a bit taller than I'd like)... I might try and have a reshuffle and get it some more light.

Oh how I would love some more space...

[MikeT]

Jess

This is 'Alpenglow' growing in the greenhouse, with a fair bit of shading from next door's trees, but still a few hours direct sun daily.

Please excuse the cobwebs - hadn't spotted them before seeing on the screen. Older leaves show why one of its alternative names is 'Bronze', partly due to loss of the waxy covering.