Edithcolea grandis Solved

[Guest]

Does anybody out there grow this successfully? I have no problem with germinating seed (even 3 year old seed germinates) and growing it on for the first year but how do you get it through winter? I have tried warm, I have tried very warm, I have kept it dry, I have watered it. Still it capitulates.

Last years seedlings are just on the verge of waving goodbye to me.

Mike.

[Aloenut]

Mike,

I have lost a few plants in the greenhouse over the years. They do well in summer but invariably rot in winter.
Last summer I got a plant from Specks and kept this one indoors. So far it seems ok. No water and the brightest windowsill available.

Aloenut

[Guest]

I think that you could do this with a larger plant but I have tried it inside on a souith facing window without water but then it seems to shrivel up and die.

Mike.

[David]

I had a plant in 2005 which was apparently healthy until we went away for a week at New Year. When we came back it was clearly a goner. That week happened to be the coldest of the winter, but the temperature in that greenhouse did not fall below 11C. The plant had not been watered since September. I concluded that it had needed an even higher winter temperature, but Herts Mike says that he tried very warm so I just don't know.

David.

[Trevor]

There was a discussion about Edithcolea on one of the stapeliad groups a while back and a few people were saying that it appears to like lots of warmth and above all lots of humidity. Success stories involved growing it in hothouses with Orchids and in a PET bottle hanging outside over a lake in Brazil where the climate resembles that of the Amazon rainforest!

[SteveH]

Mike
I tried this last year, I got 10 seeds from Doug and Vivi Rowland, 6 germinated.
This pic is March 2006.
[attachment 2452 edith1.jpg]
that was the easy bit, they had probably adverse conditions being sown in multi purpose compost with no added drainage. I agree that humidity seems to be a key factor with the Ascleps, also last year I put a couple of mature Hoodias in my propagator and within 2 weeks fresh green growth appeared on the crowns.
I potted my Edithcoleas when they were very small (because of an infestation of compost flies) into standard cactus mix.
I'll post a current pic on the next thread as I'm being told I've reached my max no of attachments
cont........

[SteveH]

this was taken today
[attachment 2453 edith2.jpg]
They have been overwintered on a sunny windowsill and I give them a tiny amount of water every 2 weeks as previously I've kept all my Asclep seedlings dry in the winter and have found they go into a terminal shrivel which no amount of spring watering reverses. I have to admit that I'm amazed I haven't lost a single seedling and can't profess to know the 'secret' of keeping them alive as I haven't given them any more special treatment than any of my other plants, but there's still a long way to go, they could just as easily keel over.
steve

[Trevor]

Mighty fine success rate Steve, keeping all 6 going. I've yet to see an Edithcolea plant in the flesh down here, but I'm hoping to try some seed next season. If I can get 6 plants like that I'd be chuffed !

Good work!

[Guest]

You've done well Steve to get them that far. As I say, I have no problem germinating them (I have 6 up at present this year) and growing them on.

My south facing window is in the bathroom so it would get some winter humidity. I will try them there again plus a little water as you have done.

Mike.

[Nick]

Presume you could graft them - would that make things easier?

I`ve only had attempt at grafting stapeliads - that was Caralluma defersiana onto S. flavirostris. Graft never did anything though - mind you it didnt die either!

Anyone had any better luck with grafting of Staps?
Nick