i have inherited some cacti and some succulents, I'm not sure if i should keep them as indoor houseplants, all the other cacti & succulents have been outdoors.... some not doing so well (i think) but i have only one window in my basement suite. i fear that there isn't enough indoor light, and i'm not sure i should put them out in the sun daytime. or in the shade? i heard clay pots made it difficult to maintain the plants requirements without over watering... any ideas/ tips? indoor or outdoors? lighting? sun? i live in BC, and the days are between 19 - 25 degrees C. ( 66.2 - 77 degrees F) nights hit lows of 14 C (57.2 F) The window faces north, and is kept almost always open. In total, i now have 3 cacti in a 2" pot (one in middle looks sick and withering at the base), two in a 4" pot ( been outside all spring/ summer and looking a little faded... crunchie brown spots, too). And an unidentified 3 succulents in a styro foam divided container. i also have what i think are two aloe vera plants. 1 in a 2", one overgrown the styro foam container my mom had her in, along with the two other plants i don't know the name of. One of the succulents are flowering, and the other two are looking okay. however, i lifted one up to see if it was dry, and i noticed that the dirt had kept the shape of the original plastic pot it had come in, and it wasn't growing in the dirt she put in the styro foam for it! it appears she didn't have the level of dirt high enough for the plant to sit in and root. Also, the one i lifted up is infested with what i call "potato bugs" and my partner calls a "wood bug". they are the bugs that are the size of a childs' finger nail, they are grey in colour, and they roll up into a ball when they are disturbed. i expect to find the others the same way. I hope you can help answer my questions. I've recently killed the only other houseplant we had, and I'm terrified to make more mistakes! some things i'd like to know are: What are they? Can i plant them all in a rectangular container, 18" X 5" X 5" ? Do they all need the same kind of care? How do I keep watering / lighting in a basement suite without much light? If they do go by the window, can i still keep it open for fresh air, even at night? How do i get rid of the potato bugs? ! The other 2" cacti do not have bugs. Should i still plant them all together? What is the white, hard substance the three 2" cacti growing in? It looks like plaster, and is Hard! When replanting, do i plant that white stuff with the plant into the dirt, or see if i can break it off? Can anyone tell me what is wrong with the one 2"? why the withering at the base? i have a (i think) jade tree in a 4" pot. is it a succulent? can i keep it by the same window? lighting? watering? outside? i know i've asked a lot from you. i plan on buying some gardening books, but there are so many i get confused, and i can't afford more than one or two. It's also hard to find books specific to Canada or BC. Answers to any of my questions would be soo appreciated! Truely!
2 & 6 hens & chicks, so is 4 1 possibly a mammilaria, next possibly a ferocactus and the third one looks like an aloe 3 not sure on first one, second is probalby a mammilaria 5 first one, not sure, second is a jade with cactus, it's the flower that really is the tell for id's. there are so many and they can be cross-bred, so their shapes can be very similar...and they can be completely different species. spine shape and color can also vary within a species and it can change as the plant ages. so, pics of the flowers are needed for true id's. does the previous owner have any pics of them in flower? or even descriptions? size, color, time of year they bloomed, etc.
In the first pic, the one on the left is a Mammilaria sp. The second I agree with Ferocactus sp., and the 3rd, is an Aloe, Gasteria or similar. I would need a closer shot to get closer. The 4th tall cactus may be Cleistocactus winterii. 2nd pic: The one flowering and the other plant of rosettes are Semperviviums, the other is an Aloe sp. 3rd pic: Sempervivium, as before. 4th pic: Definately appears to be a Crassula family plant, but it does not look like Crassula ovata to me, the leaves are too big and smooth. Personally I like this plant most of all. It looks in great shape. In general, these plants look like they have had a rough life. I would suggest that the Sempervivium are divided and repotted, and they appear to want more sun. All plants could use to be repotted on a cactus type soil (1/3 potting soil, 1/3 coarse to medium sand, 1/3 pumice or perlite) if they are not on something like that. The plants in general, appear to want more sun. In general, you can keep all these plants outside now, especially if it reliably stays above 45F. The Ferocactus and Mammilarias can take colder if they stay dry. The Sempervivium are typically Zone 5 perennials. They should all be exposed to full sun if you can, or the brightest lighting you can provide short of that. Ideally they should get 6-8 hours of full sun. I would consider potting the mammilarias together with the ferocactus, as culture is similar, but I would keep the Aloes, Semperviviums and Crassula out. The Sempervivum are the most different in they do not need a dry winter. The Aloe and Crassula would like to be lightly watered in the winter. I think what you call Potato Bugs are mealie bugs, they are the #1 pest of succulents. Get some rubbing alcohol and put it in a spray bottle. Spray liberally on the plants and bugs. Mealies lay eggs in the soil, so you will need to spray every few days for a couple of weeks untli all the young mealies are dead. The alcohol destroys the wax on the body of the bug, and it dies quickly. Walmart and a few other retailers buy plants that have plaster or a resin over the soil, often it has rocks or sand in it. Remove it now, it is impeding the growth of the plants. And get them out of the 2" pots, they will love you for it. Most look to be plants that want to be in 4 to 6" pots. There is alot of good cultural information on the web. You really don't need many books unless it is hard to get on line. For specifc information it is best to use the Genus and species names, not the common names.
sorry! i missed reading part of your post...went straight to the pics and opened them up for a better look! more sunlight IS needed for all...if you can't do natural light, use grow-lights. they come in the usual fluorescent tubes as well as incandescent style so you can use an old lamp instead of having to buy special fixtures. i agree with the above recommendations on repotting. as well as with the rubbing alcohol treatment to get rid of the mealy bugs. i actually didn't enlarge the one pic...it may or may not be a 'jade'...definitely in the same family though (crassula).
would you mind checking out my other thread.. "genus and species names"? i would like your opinions on what to do with the white growing medium(?) i found 3 two inch cacti in...
