How do you water your collection? I have to divvy mine up into thirds-- Saturday, Tillandsias and Lithops, Sunday, other Mesembs, Monday morning, Cacti....
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| Not entirely organized.... |
Of course, sometimes, I'm not so clear cut, my collection gets ahead of me....
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| Too many happy Tillies.... |
That's a full table of fast-growing Tillies-- But overall, my system is working, mas o menos. Since Sandy ate my outdoor garden, I have more time for the indoor plants.
How do you organize your gardening?
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| "Water Me Now!" |
Given that I have a greenhouse with an uncountable number of orchids, I water with a hose, so everything gets thoroughly sprayed approximately once a week in summer, and every 2 weeks or so in winter, except for the shelves with things that are having a "dry winter rest". Because my schedule is so erratic, I just water when I have a block of time. The good thing is that orchids are very forgiving and can go for long periods without water. They may not be very happy, but they can survive for weeks or even a few months without water. My kind of plant!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a very practical and effective method. Our water is so extremely alkaline that I have to filter it and add a little vinegar so it doesn't kill the mesembs and cacti. I can't wait to explain all this to a plant-sitter this winter!
ReplyDeleteWe're really fortunate in having some of the best water I've ever experienced anywhere, right out of the hose. I appreciate it every time I water.
DeleteYup, I have to divide watering up too, but I can't say I'm as organized and have specific days or any sort of "schedule" haha, but everything gets checked on at least once a week.
ReplyDeleteSo everyone mentioned your name when it came to Tillandsias. I see yours are in pots, are they just sitting in there or is there more going on than I can see in the picture? I only have 2 at the moment, mounted, but I'm curious as to how they do potted.
Hi, Melody! I make "tilly bowls" from ceramics, in different sizes and shapes depending on which types of Tillandsias they'll hold. There's no soil inside, they just sit in the glazed pots! But you can line the bottom of the pots with orchid mix and keep it damp, to give the Tillandsias a little extra humidity if your house is on the drier side.For some Tillandsias, like juncea and caput medusae, it's important that the base of the plant gets plenty of air circulation. They are prone to rot at the base.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I went back and forth on whether to mount or pot them for a while, it's very dry here from the forced air heating in the winter, but very humid the rest of the year as I prefer open windows over the A/C. If it gets too dry for them, I may try your pot without, or a little media idea next.
DeleteHi Marla! I only water my Lithops in summer months, and only when the soil is really dry & on hot days etc as you know. I've only watered them with a spray bottle of about 20 sprays per pot/plant, which is tedious and hard work, but I'm too afraid to water them out of a cup/glass in case I drown them. Gee, your plants look good!! Congrats on the new leaves on the Lithops seedlings.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great way to do it, Ngeun. I think that would also work really well for Pleiospilos, Argyroderma, and so on.
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