Stapeliad thread

[Diane]

A super plant, Rob, but I don't think it's S. hirsuta either. There are so many hybrids around these days, it makes proper identification difficult!

[Herts Mike]

Whatever it is Rob it's spectacular!

[Ali Baba]

This is hirsuta, an old photo as it hasn’t flowered yet this year

[Roatavator]

I really love Stapeliads but I’ve managed to kill off the few I’ve had over the years. Any advice on compost, watering, shading, winter temperatures would be welcome. I’d really like to start a collection again if I thought they weren’t doomed!

[ralphrmartin]

One thing that is probably important in successful cultivation is to note that many species grow by "running along" i.e. new shoots form on the previous new shoots, while the back end tends to lose vigor and dies off. This doesn't match up well to growing them in a pot of a fixed size and shape. Perhaps the best strategy is to remove a fewest newest end shoots every year or two and treat the plant as a cutting, rather than trying to keep the "core' of the plant.

(This obviously doesn't apply to Hoodias and the like).

[Roatavator]

Thanks Ralph
I’ll give that a try

[Herts Mike]

In my early days of Stapeliads I read an article in Asklepios magazine written by what was obviously a top grower judging by his plants. He went through compost, watering, heating etc but at the end said the most important was temperature. I keep mine at about 11c and some of the trickier ones e.g. Edithcolea spend the winter in the propagator at about 20c.

I never shade mine.

Watering can be tricky particularly early and late season when they don't dry out which is when rot sets in. As a result I have switched about 90% of the collection to pure cat litter and feed weekly. Still early days to say whether it is a success.

[Herts Mike]

Duvalia caespitosa

[Roatavator]

Thanks Mike
I suspect you might have hit the nail on the head.
My winter temperatures are closer to 7/8c.
I can’t bring plants indoors as the window cills are already full with my wife’s plants!

[Diane]

Huernia hislopii (I think)

Huernia hislopii

and Huernia kennedyana :

Huernia kennedyana