Hi, I wasn't sure if this should be on the ID thread but as it is also having problems, I thought I'd ask here first! I bought these Cacti and Succulants from Lowes about a month ago. Got everybody repotted and they are sitting where they receive light from a northern and eastern window as well as a strip of three grow lights hanging overhead about 3'. They were potted in Cactus soil with a sprinkling of sand over the top (cosmetic). Anyway, the tallest plant that looks like a Dr. Seuss Pine tree is losing its little fingers. They yellow, wither and fall off. Is this shock, too much water, not enough water, lighting issues? Everyone else in the group appears to be doing fine. So I need to know a few things. 1. What is the Dr. Seuss Pine and how do I care for it? 2. The crazy pom pom looking plant used to be nearly black in color. I assume it is some sort of Eicheveria. Any ideas on how to bring back it's color and stop the spindly growth to produce a more normal "chicken" look 3. The plant that looks like a forest of tall fingers. It has some pale scarring that I am curious about. To be honest it may have come that way and I didn't notice. I would like to know if there is anything I can do to heal it or prevent it from happining again. Thanks for any help!
Number two/three looks like something I am guilty of growing without knowing what it is... Something in the back of my head says it's a Euphorb, but when mine broke it didn't ooze milk like Euphorbs usually do. I treat it like it's a cactus - water it once a week or when I remember to. Mine made branches rather than Dr. Seuss-ing on me like yours seems to have done; however mine was also 4 feet tall when I started taking care of it. More sunlight! It will get leggy if it feels deprived. Number 4 is an Echeveria; give it more light to encourage it to fluff out and darken up again. It's skinny because it's reaching out for the sun. Sorry I can't help on the fingers one, but I have cacti with the same scarring and it doesn't seem to have hurt them any.
2-3. Austrocylindropuntia subulata 4. Aeonium arboreum 'Schwarzkopf' 5. Cereus sp. (?) (1. +Oreocereus trollii, Opuntia sp., Mammillaria sp.)
Thanks again, Lorax. I am not really sure what I can do about my lighting situation. Perhaps, I will try more grow lights if I can find a way to get them closer to the plants. I will read up on the Euphorb and Echeveria to see if there are any tips or tricks for growing desert plants in an alpine environment. Although, indoors I wouldn't think that it matters? Say, do you think elevation has any impact on plants? We are at 5000' here. hmmm
Well, I'm at 3,000 meters (jeez, that's what, 9,800 feet?) but I've grown those as low down as 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) with no difficulty. It might be having an impact on your jade, though. Listen to Lila - she knows whereof she speaks on plants! It is a cactus (Austrocylindropunia) so it should be treated like one.
Thanks! I just noticed that you're from Ecuador and Lila is from Hungary... How cool! As an FYI, Bozeman is Hardiness zone 4. I have always lived in more tropical climates so I've really had to adjust to indoor growing and cross my fingers. I have a Giant Peace Lily and with my Jade, they are the pride of my indoor jungle. Cactus and succulants are new for me and I see that I have some reading to do! Thanks again.
#2-3 is cylindropuntia subulata - yours is doing much better than mine (it fell and the side bits were damaged...) #4 looks like an aeonium. zwartkop possibly or a hybrid of/from it.
