Strange behaviour of Andromisches

[nachtkrabb]

Hi there,
last year I got a flowering Andromisches from the Succulents Collection in Zurich. It looked healthy and happy. Its many "leaves" (how should I call them?) were very close to each other and dark green.

Since about a month, the plant is "spreading out", the "leaves" now leave lots of space between them. The branches are not upright as they had been, but bent to the outside. Many leaves are turning pale or falling out.


In the picture above, the part to the upper left still looks pretty normal to me, the rest makes me shiver.

Is this a normal behaviour? Does the plant do that, when it has outgrown its pot? Or does it do that, when it has been a bit too dry for some period? Or is it simply time to cut offshoots and move on? Or...?

And: what kind of Andromisches may that be anyway?

Thank you very much for your help!
Ruth

[Mark]

I think it need more light.

[nachtkrabb]

...more light? This is next to impossible, so long as I do not add artificial light. Ok, the winter has been dark and long, but the plant has stayed at the same place in a west-facing window where it has direct sun from early afternoon to sunset.

Has the winter been too long and dark...?

[templegatejohn]

Hi, Adromischus will drop their leaves if you look at them, never mind touch them, and this is quite normal. However the colouration of your plant is not. Light could be the problem as already said. Also they should not be watered in winter and not too often in summer either.

Your compost may be soured or all the nutrients have been used up in it. I would repot it and check the root system while you have it out of the pot.

Don't forget that with Adromischus, you can grow a new plant from a single leaf. Simply place a leaf (or several) on damp, almost dry sand and the leaf will make a new root system and a small plantlet will begin to grow. Leave the old leaf attached to the new plant.

John

[nachtkrabb]

Hi, John,
you seem to be familiar with this kind of pet. Can you tell me, which kind of Andromischus it is?

And you say it should not be watered too much: if I don't give it more water than I think it should have, the leaves start to shrivel and the branches to drop. Or is this another sign of malnutrition?

Not watered in winter: do you really mean "no water at all"? For how long, from October to March incl. as a Lophophores?
By the way, my cacti are not in a green house, but during cold seasons within an oriel of our flat, during summer outside on a windy terrace.

Anyhow, I will repot it asap. And offshoots are on their way.

Thank you very much!
Ruth

[cactuspolecat]

Hi Ruth, the plant you have there is not an Adromischus, but in fact an Anacampseros,a member of the Portulacaceae family.
It looks like A. tomentosa, which is now recognised as a subspecies of A. filamentosa. Sorry I'm not sure how to help with the leaf problem though.
If it were mine, I'd be unpotting and looking at the roots though in case there is a noticeable problem down there, then place in fresh compost. Also do you fertilise it when you water, maybe it is a stress problem realting to forced growth? It's just an idea.... I have A. rufescens and it seems to thrive without any extra fertiliser.



CP

[cactuspolecat]

Ruth said...

but the plant has stayed at the same place in a west-facing window where it has direct sun from early afternoon to sunset.

I would have thought that this situation should provide sufficient light. Although I grow mine in the glasshouse, I'm sure it'd do as well with a cooler situation.
Since this is not an Adromischus, I'm not sure how well it'll grow from a leaf, it's something I've never tried with Adro's, I've only ever grown from seed, maybe a stem cutting will work better than just a leaf.
Best of luck with it, I hope you can save it.

CP

[templegatejohn]

Hi Ruth and CP, I am afraid my eyes seems to be letting me down a little these days, but the basic that I gave for the Adromischus still apply to the Anacampseros. No water during the winter (October-March) unless it is in a centrally heated room and then only a little once a month to stop the plant shrivelling.

My own Anacampseros seem to benefit from a little fertiliser about twice during the growing season (I do not give any of my plants much more than this amount).

I am sure you are correct with your ID CP, because I can just make out the hairs which are a dead give away for Anacampseros, but until you said I would never have spotted it as an Anacampseros if I had looked at it till the cows come home.

By the way they will grow from a single leaf but are nowhere near as easy as Adromischus.

John

[cactuspolecat]

John said...

By the way they will grow from a single leaf but are nowhere near as easy as Adromischus.

That's handy to know, thanks John.

CP

[nachtkrabb]

Hallo, John and Cactuspolecat,
that is funny to learn that the famous Zurich Succulents Collection gave away a wrong name. After rechecking some books I do believe your version. Also the way the flowers of your A. rufescens grow and are arranged is just the same as with yesteryears flowers of my plant. (Look at http://www.palkowitschia.cz/sukulenty/G ... ntosa.html - this looks very familiar to me. On contrary the plant in http://www.grossipiantegrasse.com/schede/ae_03_big.htm has more peaked tips. Thus A.filamentosa seems to be even better.)
Anacampseros is a lot nicer name: in German they are called Love's Rose.

Well, I fertilized all my cacti once in April and May, and I planned to do so in June. The Plants Encyclopedia of the British Hort. Society advices monthly fertlizing for the Anacampseros during growing periods. You don't?
After repotting, I won't do it for a while. I just wait for a good repotting day according to the moon. (No, I do not believe in this moon system. But my plants seem to do so, as they react incredibly well on it.)

By the way, the leaf cutlings I planted look very well.

[templegatejohn]

Hi Ruth, I tend to grow both my cacti and succulents 'hard', by that I mean not too much fertiliser and also less water than many people would give. It is just the way I have always cared for them. It keeps them true to their correct shape and growing habit.

However many people get excellent results from giving weak feeds to their plants every two or three weeks. Everybody has their own ideas and as long as you do not overwater or overfeed there should be no problems.

Cheers, John

[nachtkrabb]

Oh dear...
I got the Anacampseros out of its pot: what a mess... Actually, they are three plants. Their caudice all have next to no roots and look as if somebody had nibbled on them. I never watered them that strongly, but the earth was pretty wet. Small wonder the plants look that poor...
Well, I will let them rest and dry without any earth for a fortnight, and then replace them in earth with a lot of sand.

I am glad to announce the Anacampseros has tried to stay with me: Last year it looked like this.

Now I found 6 miniature seedlings hidden below the big plants. Really miniature, ranging from 2mm to 6mm - never had to repot something that small. But they're beautiful.

[templegatejohn]

Hi Ruth, There is always a danger of overwatering if the plant has a small or poor root system and unfortunately this only makes matters worse and the roots tend to die off altogether. Hope your seedlings grow well for you.

John

[cactuspolecat]

Ditto as John says, Ruth, the seeds germinate quite easily so I'm not surprised that you found seedlings in the pot. Glad you showed the pic of your plant from last year, the flowers comfirm my ID as A. filamentosa.

All the best, CP

[nachtkrabb]

Thanks for your help & assistance - those seedlings with the shocked roots will need all good wishes they can get to survive.
In the meantime the bigger plants (yes, those without roots and earth) are starting to drive buds. Aren't succulents mad creatures? I know why I love them.
Ruth