Fenestraria Aurantiaca

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JonNo
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Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by JonNo »

Another plant doing strange things...

Or at least I assume that the habit this plant has developed recently of creating "joints" in its stems is not normal behaviour? I wonder, can anyone offer any advice please as to what might be causing it - over watering, under watering, too much feed?... It would be good to know what I might be able to do about it. Thanks.
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by esp »

They have split from over-watering. Cacti sometimes do this, normally with vertical splits. Some other very succulent mesembs tend to split along the length of the leaf.

It's a useful warning and unsightly for a while but will grow out as the leaves are replaced.

Standard succulent advice is to water throughly and then allow to dry out completely before next watering, but it can be better to water lightly so the potting mix is just damp but not let it get bone dry when the plant is active.

Compare a north american cactus getting floods of spring melt water or periodic storms during summer, to something growing with very little rain but daily dew in some other habitats in parts of South Africa or the Atacama desert. The total amount of water received by the plants may be the same, but the plants ability to cope with periodic drenchings versus little-but-often watering patterns may be very different.

Iann did a great write up on Fenestrarias here:
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by TJa »

Excellent reference to Iann's post.

Back at the time, I kept them in full sun in the greenhouse with infrequent watering, very little at a time. Essentially due to their origin at the north west coast of South Africa, they evolved towards fog-oriented plants. They almost never see any rain, but regularly get some humidity from fog coming land inward from the ocean. The consequence is that they don't know anymore when to stop drinking, so humid soil for a prolonged period of time will inflate them till they burst and/or rot. So like Iann suggested, water very little at a time and chose a fast draining mixture allowing it to go bone dry in between.

Don't attempt to grow them like in the field, I've tried to grow seedlings in harsh ways this way, but never really succeeded like the pic here in Beauvallon:
FenestrariaaurantiacaBeauvallon1.jpg
In the field, plants can form big mats, but plants look more neat in culture when splitting up before they become too large. Rejuvenating via cuttings is very easy.

Bye,
Tom
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Aiko
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by Aiko »

Have you been watering the Fenestraria in the last few months? They are winter active (but could still be opportunistic growers in summer, I suspect). So best to keep them dry in summer and start watering about later this month until the spring.
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by JonNo »

Thanks all, very helpful and much appreciated. I've also now read Iann's write up which as you say is great.

The plant is in a fast draining mix in a small clay pot so dries out very quickly. It is certainly bone dry before it gets watered again. I also haven't given it what I would think a huge amount of water when watering, though I have increased it a bit this last few weeks when it has got very hot on my South facing window sill. Presumably that's where I've gone wrong and will cut back again.

The references to it being a Winter growing plant are also very useful and interesting. This is something I didn't know and from what I've now read I should "give it a rest" at least mid Summer, and indeed possibly for a spell mid winter too. I think in fact this is a subject area I need to look into more as it is quite likely I have other plants that may be "Winter growers", because my plants are house based it is something I've never really considered before.

As regards the stems on the plant that have developed "joints", would you advise that I should snip them out, or simply leave them to shrivel naturally?

Thanks for the help.
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by el48tel »

Aiko wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:43 am Have you been watering the Fenestraria in the last few months? They are winter active (but could still be opportunistic growers in summer, I suspect). So best to keep them dry in summer and start watering about later this month until the spring.
Mine started showing growth just after the first heatwave in July. It was as though the cool spell resembled the end of winter / start of autumn ..... so they began to grow and really green up.
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
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iann
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by iann »

"Winter grower" can be a bit misleading when the plant comes from a place with no real winter. They don't have an obligate dormancy like some mesembs. They're certainly not completely dormant in our summers, but won't grow much or at all when it is very hot, and won't really grow in the depth of our winters. That leaves quite a lot of time when they will grow and even flower. I've had flowers in July and November, and a few months in between. Spring is when they flower best for me, but mostly they try to flower in autumn when it is very dull here.
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TomInTucson
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by TomInTucson »

iann wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:16 pm
(tu)

"Winter grower" can be a bit misleading when the plant comes from a place with no real winter. They don't have an obligate dormancy like some mesembs. They're certainly not completely dormant in our summers, but won't grow much or at all when it is very hot, and won't really grow in the depth of our winters. That leaves quite a lot of time when they will grow and even flower. I've had flowers in July and November, and a few months in between. Spring is when they flower best for me, but mostly they try to flower in autumn when it is very dull here.
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by JonNo »

iann wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:16 pm "Winter grower" can be a bit misleading when the plant comes from a place with no real winter. They don't have an obligate dormancy like some mesembs. They're certainly not completely dormant in our summers, but won't grow much or at all when it is very hot, and won't really grow in the depth of our winters. That leaves quite a lot of time when they will grow and even flower. I've had flowers in July and November, and a few months in between. Spring is when they flower best for me, but mostly they try to flower in autumn when it is very dull here.
Thanks Iann. When I increased the amount of water I was giving it a bit over the last few very hot weeks I obviously did completely the wrong thing! Lesson learned. Thanks for the help and advice.
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Re: Fenestraria Aurantiaca

Post by iann »

You can get large mats in pots if you wait long enough, but they're never quite the same as habitat.

F. 'Fireworth' is vigorous for a Fenestraria, but it sill takes about 20 years to get to this size. It tends to either look very thirsty or push up overcrowded bunches of leaves.
fireworth-0824.jpg
This F. rhopalophylla is even older. It is easier to keep compact but the old leaves show its age.
rhopalophylla-0824.jpg
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