About how "Living Stones, Meat Cones" survive the summer dormancy period
About the relevant experience of this succulent plant, Living Stones, Meat Cones, and how to survive the summer dormancy period, the details are as follows:
There are many articles on how "Living Stones, Meat Cones" survive the summer dormancy period, with many gardening experts sharing their personal experiences. From the native environment of the Living Stones to the root characteristics of the plants, from theory to practice, everything is covered to help us master the maintenance knowledge of Living Stones more quickly, reduce losses, and avoid detours. Here are some of my personal planting experiences, with the simplest method to explain the maintenance techniques, hoping to provide help to fellow gardeners.
1. For most Living Stones (adult plants), it's necessary to start reducing water intake before entering summer. Adult plants can be watered off when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees, and this should continue until September when the weather cools down (with consecutive 5 days below 30 degrees) to resume moderate watering. As the weather cools, Living Stones enter the growing period and can be watered normally.
2. For seedlings sown in the fall of the previous year, young Living Stones can be watered moderately in summer due to their characteristics. This method should not be applied after they are one year old. The watering method is to use bottom watering, as the soil used for sowing is mostly granular, so immersion for about 5-10 seconds is sufficient. It is essential to ensure the potting soil is dry before watering, which can be determined by the weight of the pot (this can be mastered after a few attempts).
3. Maintenance environment: It's best to place Living Stones outdoors (April to November), and in summer, if possible, choose a north-facing or south-facing balcony. Moderate shading is necessary in summer, using a shading net (with a shading rate of about 60%) available at the flower market. If a shading net is not available, 3-4 layers of window screen can be used. After safely surviving the summer, it is not time to relax as the early autumn sun has the strongest UV rays of the year and cannot be ignored. If they cannot be placed outdoors, indoor maintenance requires windows to be opened for ventilation.
4. For some varieties that do not enter a deep dormancy in summer, it is recommended to stop watering and let them dormancy until the technique to keep them growing is mastered.
5. For the summer survival of Meat Cones, from personal experience, they are easier to care for than Living Stones. The method for young seedlings can be used, with some water supplementation at the bottom in stages. However, if there is no control over the watering amount, it's better to stop watering the adult plants, as the priority is to ensure their survival.
However, it should be noted that even with the most perfect summer survival method, some Living Stones will still die every summer due to too many factors that cannot be covered. Even in their native environment, many Living Stones die, so gardeners should be prepared for this, or they may become discouraged and lose confidence in caring for them.
Let's take a look at my Living Stones and Meat Cones maintained outdoors for reference:
Don't be fooled by the bright color of this plant, which is a sign of illness. The color will be off after shedding, indicating it won't survive the summer. Those seedlings that suddenly grow tall are a sign of impending death, as the connection between the base and the main root is too tender and prone to death. Therefore, outdoor placement, ventilation, temperature difference, and sunlight are most important.
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