Re: Top-heavy Jade plant

In addition to the pot within a pot, I also add large heavy rocks around the base of the plant plant. A bit of decoration as well as stability.

Jane
On Monday, February 23, 2004, at 07:18 PM, Catherine Ratner wrote:

I have a lot of north wind where I live, and my reed-stem orchids (the ones
that used to be called epidendrums) always blew over because they were in
small pots but were tall plants. I solved this by setting their pots into
much larger, heavy clay pots (with drainage holes). This might work with
the jade plant. Cathy

From: Tony and Moira Ryan <tomory@xtra.co.nz>
Reply-To: tomory@xtra.co.nz
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 11:16:33 +1300
To: Organic Gardening Discussion List <OGL@LSV.UKY.EDU>, Mediterannean Plants
List <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Subject: Re: Top-heavy Jade plant

Susan Setzler wrote:
It isn't only that the pot falls over, the plant can fall over pulling
the small root ball out of the soil.

susan
This perhaps actually a natural problem as quite a few plants in the
wild do seem to mange with astonishingly small root systems. Proteas are
apparently a prime example of this, but I can see it applying equally to
those succulents which occupy a similar eco niche. Let me explain..

It seems it may be an adaptation to growing in rocky ground where the
plant may be more or less confined to quite a small soil pocket. What
these wild plants seem to do is to try and get at least the odd root
firmly into a crevice or under a heavy stone, which serves to anchor
them quite securely. I know I have often seen it recommended for outside
growing that one finish off the planting for such subjects by putting
some heavy stones over the root area so they can get the support they
need. For Proteas is specially important in the windy sites where many
of them prefer to grow naturally. I had one ( a King Protea,
P.cynaroides) which I grew on a high stony bank which faced straight
into the prevailing (very strong) wind. When it was planted I put three
very large stones over its root area. Though it eventually became a very
large bush and suffered a few major storms it survived for over 40 years
(some sort of record I believe) before simply dying of old age. At one
time half the bush actually shattered above ground level and fell away,
but there was never the slightest sign of the roots being disturbed and
it eventually grew back as big as before.

Though not really germaine to this discussion people may be interested
to know that this bush was probably so hale and hearty because it lived
it all its life on the most spartan of diets. I never fed it at all
beyond a little compost at planting, and only under the most severe of
drought conditions did it ever receive even a drink of water, but it
grew enormous, always looked healthy until its last year and flowered
with the utmost profusion, producing up to fifty huge blooms each
season. Proteas seem happiest and longest lived when growing on the
"smell of an oily rag".

I am not sure if this idea of using stones for support could be modified
in some way for plants growing in pots. Perhaps your ingenuity will
suggest a way.

Moira

--
Tony & Moira Ryan,
Wainuiomata, North Island, NZ.     Pictures of our garden at:-
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/cherie1/Garden/TonyandMoira/index.htm
NEW PICTURES ADDED 4/Feb/2004




Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index