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Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 11:56 am
by RachelTurner
Hi everyone,

Well I guess I'd better introduce myself! As you might have guessed from my username, I'm Rachel. I'm from Chesterfield in Derbyshire (the one with the crooked spire), and I'm a (very) novice succulent herder. My other "hobbies" are creative writing (I started writing a novel when I was 18 and I've still not finished it!) and I'm also a perpetual student. I started teacher training after school, but had to leave university on medical grounds, but eventually did a degree in psychology with the Open University.

Since then I've done a number of short courses with them, including a web design qualification, which I did for a while a few years back, just doing sites for friends and local charities. I've always had a fascination with how the human body works though (or not works in my case!), and 18 months ago started another degree in health sciences with the OU. No idea really what I'm going to do with it, but I'm bored of my current job.

I currently work part-time in local government in social housing, and I've been with my current employer for 22 years now! :eek:

Even before Covid came along I worked mainly from home, just going into the office one day a week, because I have a number of health problems and I'm a wheelchair user, and the travelling every day was getting too much for me, so my bedroom is also my home office.

It's also home to my small (but growing) collection of succulents. With working from home, over the years the room's got quite cluttered, but my succulent babies are spurring me on to get it cleared up...basically if I clear up it's another space to put a succulent in! :lol: My current herd members (I give them all names and have regular conversations with them) are:
  • Tradescantia zebrina (Zack) (I know tradescantia's aren't really succulents, but they're an old favourite of mine)
  • Crassula perfoliata (Pericles)
  • Crassula Marnieriana Hottentot (Cressida) (bit of a Shakespeare theme developing :lol: )
  • Haworthia Fasciata 'Big Band' (Howie)
  • Pilea Peperomioides (Chris)
  • Peperomia Caperata Rosso (Jane)
As I said, I'm a (very) novice succulent herder - I've built my collection over the last six weeks, so expect lots of basic questions from me. I've done a lot of reading about succulents, but I'm working on trial and error at the moment - my very first succulent, a C. perfoliata, I managed to kill with over-watering, so I quickly learned that lesson! All of my herd though are healthy now and doing well, though Howie's got a slight issue with the tips of some of his leaves browning, which I think was due to under-watering, but I'm just pleased they all seemed to come through our short but very intense heatwave okay. Like I said though, expect loads of fairly basic questions - I'm eager to learn about the wonderful world of succulents.

So that's me! I'm looking forward to getting to know you all.

Rachel :smile:

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:04 pm
by juster
Welcome to the Forum Rachel, this is a good place to learn more, so feel free to ask your questions. Enjoy your plants. :welc:

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:07 pm
by el48tel
Welcome to the forum Rachel.
Looking like passion for plants. Quality rather than quantity!
I have a few of Howies' extended family ... sharing similar features. Let me know if you find a solution.

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:15 pm
by RachelTurner
Thanks for the welcome.

I've read somewhere that you can trim off brown ends on Haworthia leaves with a sharp scalpel, but I've been reluctant to try it because I don't want to do any further harm.

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:55 pm
by MikeT
Hi Rachel

Welcome to the forum.
A number of our Sheffield branch members are from Chesterfield. I'm guessing that the BCSS has allocated you to Sheffield as the nearest branch. Our current meetings venue is fully wheelchair accessible; if you're up to travelling to Sheffield on the 2nd Friday evening of the month, you'll be very welcome. Our speaker on August 12th is Ray Stephenson, who is the chair and main driving force in the Sedum Society, always a very knowledgeable and entertaining speaker. There will be plants for sale.
Branch details, including the venue, are at http://www.sheffield.bcss.org.uk/index.html

Regarding the brown tips on Haworthia leaves, they'll often snap off easily, or use scissors/secateurs. It tends to be an indication of getting too dry, but some species seem to do this regardless of watering regime. Or you could decide that it's they way they grow in habitat and just leave them alone.

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 1:15 pm
by MatDz
Welcome Rachel!

Mike, I must admit the Sheffield branch meeting schedule is of an outstanding quality, I wish most of them were repeated somewhere closer.

"Caudiciforms and ceramics"? Wow! Grafting, judging, "this and that" :mrgreen: , everything's covered!

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:22 pm
by RachelTurner
Sorry I'd not checked back again on this thread - work's just gone completely crazy recently!

Howie's doing okay, no worsening of the brown ends. It's only the very ends of the tips on some, so not really noticeable. He's got a couple of ends that have snapped off on a couple of lower leaves which I may just trim so they don't look so obviously 'broken'. I'll have a look this afternoon, as I'm planning to repot him and one of his friends as I'm not entirely happy their soil's well-draining enough.

He has gained a few more friends on the window-sill recently though, who are all doing well. I've been re-potting them from whatever they arrive in to a mix of coir (I've got some in little compressed 'tablets' that you add warm water to to reconstitute them which is nice, as it doesn't have great huge 'tufts' of coir in it), a little cacti/succulent compost, and some perlite and horticultural grit.

I did have a look at the branch website and have looked into getting to the Sheffield branch meetings, Mike, but the venue's just a bit too far out of the city centre for me unfortunately. Evenings generally don't tend to be good for me, as I get a lot of fatigue, but trying to get a wheelchair accessible taxi to the station in the evenings is a nightmare in Chesterfield, and I know from experience of trying to get them from Sheffield station, many of the taxi drivers, even those with wheelchair accessible vehicles aren't keen on taking wheelchairs because it means extra work for them, and the whole process gets very stressful!

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:01 pm
by Skribbane
Hi Rachel,

Welcome! I am also in Chesterfield and one of the folks Mike mentioned that goes to the Sheffield group meetings fairly regularly.

Unfortunately I won't make the next one (going to a festival) but I'd be happy to give you a lift to and from future meetings if my car is suitable - pop me a message if you'd like to chat :smile:

Jen

Re: Hello from Derbyshire

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2022 6:04 pm
by RachelTurner
Hi Jen,

Thanks for the offer. I'll drop you a message. :smile: