Gaz Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Here it is, my first Huernia zebrina magniflora flower...result, one very happy grower Now there are 2 more buds developing on this fantastic plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Beautiful. I love this plant. I had one a few years ago, which only flowered once before I managed to kill it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Looks very healthy! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Thanks Stephen, it came from a good home before coming to me ;) Cheers Andy, now you're making me a bit worried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andreas Eils Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 WONDERFUL! I love these plants. I hope I´ll manage to get one or the other of my plants to flower this summer, too. I have no H. zebrina though. Winter is a tricky time for me to maintain them... How much is the appropriate amount of water the roots don´t start to rot?! It feels one drop too much could start the trouble! Regards Andreas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 I think it didn't like my unheated greenhouse one winter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Hi Andreas, through the winter I kept the plant indoors on a south-west facing windowsill. There is a radiator under the window which is on every day, also throughout the winter we have used a log burner in the room so evening temps can be around 27C, minimum overnight temps have been around 16C. The 2 heat sources make the humidity in this room very low, far too low for CP's. I first got the plant in December and didn't provide any water for a while as I read they should be kept completely dry, further reading told me that this might make the roots die off making it difficult to bring the plant back to life in Spring so then I started giving small amounts of rain water every week or so. I still worry about over-watering so now I just give it small amounts when it begins to look a bit wrinkly. So far so good but I am very much a beginner with these plants. Good luck with your plants this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malvo Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Very nice Gaz, looks really nice and healthy! By the way, is it very stinky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loakesy Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 Mine didn't smell of anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 (edited) Thanks Malvo. No, as Andy also found, I couldn't detect any smell at all. Lucky really as it lives on the living room windowsill and I haven't yet pointed out the "smelly" reputation of some of the asclepiads to my wife Edited March 20, 2013 by Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andreas Eils Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 Hi Gary, I have the Huernias and the Orbea variegata on the window sill in my kitchen. But the window faces North-East! I keep it reasonably warm in the kitchen - around 16 - 21°C all day and night. But I think it´s mainly a "light problem" as I´d actually need to install artificial light above the Huernias. Which I cannot afford this winter. The living room faces South-West but there´s a balcony above my flat so it isn´t much brighter on that window sill either. I have placed my Ceropegias on the living room window sill. My Ascleps are somehow victims of my move from a bright large flat to a smaller, "darker" one! Honestly I have now TOO MANY plants for the new flat! CPs, Lithops, a few orchids and additionally Ascleps! At least I have a balcony now which is perfect for Lithops and Ascleps (and of course also some CPs). But during the cold season I have to keep all these indoors - causing a lot of headache due to limited space and the mentioned light problems. I´m already running 800 Watt of light for all the CPs and Lithops...even more will simply ruin me...*d´oooohhhhh!!!* Yes, I also give my Ascleps a little water approx. every week. Just as much until the upper 2 cm of the soil become moist - plus: I only water on the corners and margins of the pot. And as I use a very coarse, almost pure mineral substrate (lava rock, expanded shale, a little pumice, fired clay pieces and finally very little peat) the soil is already dry the next day. I assume this would work comparatively well if only the light situation was appropriate...hummm! I was told when the temperatures are lower than 15°C I should not water at all. Low temps and moisture would easily cause rotting. Hm, when I have something to do in the kitchen I prefer it a little warmer. ;o) Regards Andreas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hi Andreas, thank you for your tips about watering, that's very helpful, and I like the sound of your substrate for future reference. Yes power usage is always a big problem, especially during the winter. Most of my CP's are in a greenhouse which I have tried to keep above 8C, so there is 2.4kw of tube heating and a 2kw fan heater just in case, plus some lighting and some of the plants are in a thermostatically heated propagator. Then there are more lights on the CP's and orchids in the house, like you say any more will ruin us...I hope you can find an answer to the problem :) . I thought finally with spring officially here and longer days I could soon put the heating and lights away but the weather forecast for the next few days looks like we are heading back into winter...oh well, nevermind. This year I am hoping to be able to squeeze a few more ascleps into the few small remaining spaces and wondered if you could advise a good online supplier for Ceropegias, Orbea, Piaranthus etc. I have been looking at kakteen-haage.de, kakteen-plapp.de & brookside-nursery.com (here in England), do you have any experience with any of these suppliers? Thanks and regards Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andreas Eils Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Hi Gary, spring is not gentle to us this year! I had hoped to be able to take the Lithops and some carnivores out on the balcony already in the middle of March. I wonder if I´ll be able to put them outside before June or so. *eek* I have received most Ceropegiae, Huerniae and the Orbea from private sources. Mainly as cuttings/Layers. I have ordered a lot from Kakteen Haage in the past but I´ve rarely been fully satisfied with what I´ve got from them unfortunately. Plants often don´t look very good. I wonder if they neglect the "other succulents" a little. Whatever...I was told you get the best "pieces" if you come to their nursery personally. I don´t know Kakteen Plapp. Kakteen Uhlig seems to be a good source. I´ve only ordered once at them. There have been problems during shipment. Some Lithops arrived broken. However I´ve got very nice replacements. I´ve just taken a look into their shop. http://www.uhlig-kakteen.de/header.php They don´t have the biggest assortment on Ceropegia and Huernia at the moment. My feeling is in general they have nice plants. A very good private source is Dr. Friederike Hübner and Dr. Ulrich Tränkle --> http://www.asclepidarium.de/English/index_e.htm They have a sales list for cuttings/layers. http://www.asclepidarium.de/Pflanzenliste%20Asclepiadaceae.htm They ship between May and September. A new list will probably be published between May and June. Good luck! Andreas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Hi Andreas, many thanks for the advice on suppliers, I'll certainly follow this up when the "real" Spring finally arrives. I remember last year I was actually able to have the first "outdoor" beer of the year in the garden in March! No such luck this year Best regards Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxima Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 congrats, looks wonderful ! i love this species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted April 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 thanks Maxxima, so do I. The same plant has just opened another flower with a 2nd bud ready any day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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