How to bring this Cissus Tuberosa back to life
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:06 am
Hey there,
Glad to be aboard the forum. I have lots of posts I’d like to do, but, one at a time.
Over the last ten weeks I've purchased a small collection of succulents, because I have in the past enjoyed planted aquaria and all of that hobbies intricate requirements, and as living decorations for my cramped apartment as it is besieged by yet another fiercely cold, sunless winter in NYC.
Half of them I've purchased locally, the other half from aridlandswholesale.com in Arizona (opinions?).
All plants are alive. Though none have shown signs of growth.
The Cissus Tuberosa I got from Aridlands, which I paid the most for and from photographs I think I'll be most fond of, is just barely hanging in there and I’m afraid about to die.
It arrived with all vegetative growth clipped, but sprouted tiny young leaves. I repotted into 75/25 potting soil/perlite and a 10" pot, but the soil remained essentially waterlogged, even two weeks later (metal pot). At that time, the (very) small green leaflet shriveled and I assume died though interestingly the stalk/vine/thingy, did not.
Because of these sprouts, I don’t think the specimen was dormant.
I repotted in the same pot (with the cauldex potted down to wherever it had been before, and checked for root rot, found none) with a thick bed of Growstone brand "hydrostones," and a 15/85 mix of soil to perlite. I don’t know what these “hydrostones” are used for, but a bag of them is light and easy to carry. Think they are an artificial highly porous rock.
I have seen no change in the attached photographs since then.
Advice much appreciated!
Summary:
Soil: 15/85 soil/perlite (that is, 85% perlite)
Light: East facing window with sheer blind + six hours 3’ underneath 60W LED grow light, 8AM-2PM (I'm handy with electronics so I modified the light and replaced 25 red LEDs with 6500K LEDs. Being in the room with the light before this modification was unbearably psychedelic, and from the street on a cloudy day it looked like I was growing... something else.)
Water: Watered to complete saturation upon initial repotting, 4 weeks ago. Repotted two weeks later into soil above. Have not watered since.
Temperature: Fluctuates from 70F to 74F
Glad to be aboard the forum. I have lots of posts I’d like to do, but, one at a time.
Over the last ten weeks I've purchased a small collection of succulents, because I have in the past enjoyed planted aquaria and all of that hobbies intricate requirements, and as living decorations for my cramped apartment as it is besieged by yet another fiercely cold, sunless winter in NYC.
Half of them I've purchased locally, the other half from aridlandswholesale.com in Arizona (opinions?).
All plants are alive. Though none have shown signs of growth.
The Cissus Tuberosa I got from Aridlands, which I paid the most for and from photographs I think I'll be most fond of, is just barely hanging in there and I’m afraid about to die.
It arrived with all vegetative growth clipped, but sprouted tiny young leaves. I repotted into 75/25 potting soil/perlite and a 10" pot, but the soil remained essentially waterlogged, even two weeks later (metal pot). At that time, the (very) small green leaflet shriveled and I assume died though interestingly the stalk/vine/thingy, did not.
Because of these sprouts, I don’t think the specimen was dormant.
I repotted in the same pot (with the cauldex potted down to wherever it had been before, and checked for root rot, found none) with a thick bed of Growstone brand "hydrostones," and a 15/85 mix of soil to perlite. I don’t know what these “hydrostones” are used for, but a bag of them is light and easy to carry. Think they are an artificial highly porous rock.
I have seen no change in the attached photographs since then.
Advice much appreciated!
Summary:
Soil: 15/85 soil/perlite (that is, 85% perlite)
Light: East facing window with sheer blind + six hours 3’ underneath 60W LED grow light, 8AM-2PM (I'm handy with electronics so I modified the light and replaced 25 red LEDs with 6500K LEDs. Being in the room with the light before this modification was unbearably psychedelic, and from the street on a cloudy day it looked like I was growing... something else.)
Water: Watered to complete saturation upon initial repotting, 4 weeks ago. Repotted two weeks later into soil above. Have not watered since.
Temperature: Fluctuates from 70F to 74F