I inherited a bunch of succulents

neosapien

Well-Known Member
Most are cacti, some are not. So whats the lowdown? I've had some Aloe forever. Is it the same procedure, just water and feed them whenever I remember that they like that? Any cool facts or tips? Not sure what their exact taxonomy is.
 

mr.bigpot

Member
i got a bunch of stupid cacti i keep buying em so i got something to do w all my old dirt dont want to just dump it in the yard
 

neosapien

Well-Known Member
i got a bunch of stupid cacti i keep buying em so i got something to do w all my old dirt dont want to just dump it in the yard
Yeah, I inherited 20-something from my mom's friend who lost interest. I couldn't just sit by and watch them die.
 

GrnMn

Active Member
Different varieties prefer different treatment. Nearly all cacti and succulents store water and don't exactly need it often, but some thrive with bi-weekly watering. Cacti hate nitrogen, but a little phosphorous a few times a year can help them reach full potential. During the summer I water once or twice a week, using arid soil or sand depending on the variety. If you know what you've got, I may be able to help you figure out who likes what.
 

neosapien

Well-Known Member
Different varieties prefer different treatment. Nearly all cacti and succulents store water and don't exactly need it often, but some thrive with bi-weekly watering. Cacti hate nitrogen, but a little phosphorous a few times a year can help them reach full potential. During the summer I water once or twice a week, using arid soil or sand depending on the variety. If you know what you've got, I may be able to help you figure out who likes what.
Thanks for the info. I'll take some pics after my coffee. Unfortunately I have to spread it around, lol.
 

GrnMn

Active Member
The bottom is neither succulent or cactus, a type of euphorbia (I think echinopsis). It's a tree, should grow leaves in the summer and is HIGHLY toxic/poisonous. If you ever do much with it and touch the milky white sap, make sure you clean thoroughly, it can kill you. It prefers heat and lots of water during the summer, easily acclimated to full sun exposure, and responds well to a little nitrogen every once in a while.


The next above that one is a cute little stretched out jade plant. I usually top mine before that to let them bush out into mini trees, but they do great with water once or twice a year, not frost hardy and do well indoors during the winter and great in partial sun during the summer outdoors. They are sensitive to changes, so to put outside you'll have to acclimate slowly over the course of a month or it'll burn up.

The top picture from left to right is a type of mammilaria, not certain which. pretty flowers in the summer time, usually white, pink or purple. No nitrogen ever, or you'll get black blisters which can cause rot and kill the plant eventually. Once or twice this summer you might like to give it a small dose of phosphorous only, about 6 weeks apart. Same thing, if you go outside, acclimate slowly, hour a day at first until reaching full sunlight.

The center is an ornamental variety of aloe, still usable for burns, but not as effective as the most common found in stores. It's mostly for looks. Keep that one in shade and partial sunlight, best kept indoors and watered once or twice a week. Fertilizer is almost never necessary, but a weak mix of all purpose once a year helps keep them fresh and vivid.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the one on the right up there, I've had a few before, but treat it the same as the oreocereus and It'll do great. You can either leave the pups on it, or cut off cleanly and dry for a week or two until the cut calluses and pot on sand in the shade to make several new plants. No water til they root, and rooting takes about six weeks.

Hope this helps, enjoy!





I just noticed I said the jade likes water once or twice a YEAR.... I meant once or twice a week. Damn alcohol makes you say stupid shit sometimes... though I'm sure none of you know what THAT'S like.... ;)
 

neosapien

Well-Known Member
The bottom is neither succulent or cactus, a type of euphorbia (I think echinopsis). It's a tree, should grow leaves in the summer and is HIGHLY toxic/poisonous. If you ever do much with it and touch the milky white sap, make sure you clean thoroughly, it can kill you. It prefers heat and lots of water during the summer, easily acclimated to full sun exposure, and responds well to a little nitrogen every once in a while.


The next above that one is a cute little stretched out jade plant. I usually top mine before that to let them bush out into mini trees, but they do great with water once or twice a year, not frost hardy and do well indoors during the winter and great in partial sun during the summer outdoors. They are sensitive to changes, so to put outside you'll have to acclimate slowly over the course of a month or it'll burn up.

The top picture from left to right is a type of mammilaria, not certain which. pretty flowers in the summer time, usually white, pink or purple. No nitrogen ever, or you'll get black blisters which can cause rot and kill the plant eventually. Once or twice this summer you might like to give it a small dose of phosphorous only, about 6 weeks apart. Same thing, if you go outside, acclimate slowly, hour a day at first until reaching full sunlight.

The center is an ornamental variety of aloe, still usable for burns, but not as effective as the most common found in stores. It's mostly for looks. Keep that one in shade and partial sunlight, best kept indoors and watered once or twice a week. Fertilizer is almost never necessary, but a weak mix of all purpose once a year helps keep them fresh and vivid.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the one on the right up there, I've had a few before, but treat it the same as the oreocereus and It'll do great. You can either leave the pups on it, or cut off cleanly and dry for a week or two until the cut calluses and pot on sand in the shade to make several new plants. No water til they root, and rooting takes about six weeks.

Hope this helps, enjoy!
Damn, Thanks GreenMan! I had no idea some of these are poisonous. YIKES! You very well could have saved my life! Or in the very least an irritating rash! I'm going to find a higher elevation for the Euphorbias so my dumbass doesn't ever touch them. I'm going to take acouple more pictures, as I was bequeathed so many, if you wouldn't mind identifying acouple more if you can. I'd really be upset if I died. ;-) Great info. Thanks for taking the time!
 

neosapien

Well-Known Member
Alright, here's the rest. Duplicates omitted. I think.
DSCF1747.jpg
DSCF1750.jpg
DSCF1751.jpg
DSCF1755.jpg
DSCF1757.jpg
DSCF1759.jpg

If you can help again, it would be greatly appreciated!
 

GrnMn

Active Member
No problem, I'll identify what I can for you. It's perfectly safe to touch euphorbia, but the sap is deadly. It's a species of tree from Africa, and its toxicity was accidentally discovered by explorers who used it for firewood. They never woke up :(. The sap is extremely toxic, but the outer area of the plant is safe, both trunk and leaves.
 

GrnMn

Active Member
Wow, you caught me out of practice for terms. Ok, I know them all, but can only remember the names of a few. I'll tell you how to care for them, but you may want to go to entheogen.com to the cactus forum for identification of the ones I don't remember.

The top picture has two I've owned before, but don't remember the names. The one on the right does better indoors with partial sunlight, watered once every two to four weeks (pull that strawflower off and throw it away, it's just hotglued on there).

I think the one on the left is a pilocereus, but i'm not certain; same care as most of the others, good when acclimated to full sun, water every 1-3 weeks during the summer, bring indoors and store in a dark cool closet for the winter unless you're just keeping it in a window.

pretty sure second pic is another variety of mammilaria, but I could be mistaken, treat like the other in the previous post (a lot of this will get redundant with the cacti)

Third pic is one of my favorite species, Old man of the Andes (oreocereus) and can be treated the same as the others. no nitrogen, acclimate to full sun and hot temps in the summer, bring indoors for the winter, water every 1-4 weeks, likes phosphorous a couple times a year.

Fourth pic is a common aloe (you know about those) and another variation of oreocereus.

Fifth pic left is a type of Crassulaceae, not sure of the variety. It's pretty stretched, likes partial to full sunlight (needs acclimation like jades) and water once or twice a week. weak mix of all purpose once or twice a year. right side is an ornamental aloe, treat the same as the first.

I don't remember the names of either of those in the last pic, but the succulent likes water, once or twice a week, easily rooted if you want to trim and make more in a bigger pot. The Cactus is not a mammilaria, but I don't remember the name atm. If i recall, I'll post back and let you know. You might want to check entheogen.com, cacus forum. those guys and girls know their stuff.

Hope this helps!
 
Top