Lithops Seed Growth

Lithops come up fast (2-14 days) because they  do not get many opportunities in the wild. When it rains they have to get a root down as far as possible as quickly as possible before the water evaporates. I think its a case of the quick or the dead.

Maintain a below 25degree celsius temperature with very bright light. Keep everything moist.

How Much Sun is Full Sun?

Just because nasa open area or bakuran ang plants, that doesn't mean full sun na agad sila po :) FYI

TERMS:

DIRECT SUNLIGHT

- diretsong nasisinagan ng sikat ng araw

INDIRECT/BRIGHT LIGHT

- usually reflected light na nanggagaling sa mga dingding (lalo na ang white walls), mirrors, tiles

-maliwanag na area, usually windowsills

FILTERED LIGHT

-light that passes through something that softens the intensity of the light like netting, or a tinted window

DAPPLED SHADE

-areas that receive changing sunlight throughout the day due to the shining of the sun through leaves of trees

SHADE

-in full shadow

*You have to take note of the movement of the sun throughout the day sa garden ninyo. The sun moves and the angle of sunlight also changes. If may walls kayo there will be time when the wall will form an overcast shadow. Count the number of hours na direct ang sikat ng araw. a lot of times, you will be surprised to find out na minsan kulang pa sa 4 hours ang direct sunlight ninyo :)

Also if your CnS are on racks, they would most definitely be covered by shadow after the sun reaches a certain point sa sky. Most likely by afternoon, yung nasa tuktok na lang ang naaarawan at yung iba nasa shade na dahil sa shadow ng racks.

DURATION:

FULL SUN -gets at least 6 hours of DIRECT light. Bright light the rest of the day

PARTIAL SHADE 3-6 hours of DIRECT light from morning to early afternoon sun

PARTIAL SUN 3-5 hours of DIRECT light from the morning sun only, shade in the afternoon

FULL SHADE 1-3 hours of DIRECT sun only, in shadow the rest of the day.

Info From Odie Pineda.

The Perfect Potting Mix - The Best Soil For Your Succulents

Thee most common question is "Ano ang soil mix ninyo?"

The answer, as it is in all aspects of gardening, is "Depende." (It depends).

Finding the right soil mix that works for you is important pero what works for one may not work for the other. I'll list down some common materials used for soil mixes, and hopefully from here, you can choose and mix your own ;) However, the first thing to know is the ID of your plant. Knowing the ID will help you in knowing how you can play around to make your own mix. The important thing to remember in general with CnS is they appreciate very good drainage but if you have too good of a drainage, the plant might not have been able to absorb the water by the time it dries up.

MINERAL

These are components that don't have humus or organic matter. The plants get their nutrients from the minerals dissolved in the components themselves. The following are considered mineral components for soil mixes (na common sa atin)

-PUMICE

most popular component. Made from a stone that is naturally filled with air bubbles making it light and fast-draining. Used to give superior drainage in mixes. Comes in different sizes, the bigger the size, the faster it drains.

-VERMICULITE

another popular component that could be a good substitute for pumice. However, vermiculite acts as a sponge holding in a little bit of water inside. A very good medium for seed starting as the moisture retention is excellent without making the soil soggy

-SCORIA (Lava rocks)

comes in variety of colors depending on the dissolved mineral content. Provides superior drainage as well like Pumice since it also has trapped air inside it but it is slightly more dense. Most common has high iron content making it red.

-MARBLE CHIPS 

Usually used as the toppings on planters, it actually traps moisture beneath it and reflects light. It absorbs heat in the morning and radiates the heat at night. Could be a good topping for plants in colder areas.

-RIVER SAND/ SAND

a coarse mix of worn out rocks. Provides good drainage. Considered sometimes as coarse sand.

Do not use beach sand as this might have too much dissolved salt.

-SILT

the fine sand in rivers or bottom of ponds. Holds moisture and has a good mix of minerals.

-CLAY

soil that has the finest particles. Used to make clay pots. Has superior moisture holding capacity and is very compact. Red clay has a high Iron content. Some of the soils coming from Baguio has red clay. Akadama soil is a type of Clay found in Japan

-DIATOMACEOUS EARTH 

Fossilized shells of diatoms from prehistoric times. This is used in mixes to provide a physical protection from ants as the microscopic shells wound ants.

ORGANIC

Materials coming from living organisms.

-HUMUS/COMPOST

most popular garden soil type which is usually a mixture of decayed plant and animal products. Excellent moisture retention and High nutrient content, mostly Nitrogen.

-VERMICOMPOST

similar to Humus but is a byrpoduct of earthworm turnings/castings.

-RICE HULL

provides good drainage and aeration but is very loose, however,it has little nutrient content as it has not decomposed.

-CARBONIZED PLANT MATERIAL

provides good drainage and aeration, has more easily accessible nutrient content than plain rice hull. High in Phosphorus and Magnesium. Usually is a common component of soi-less potting mixes.

-COCO PEAT/COIR

a nature-friendly substitute to Peat Moss. Has superior moisture retention and High Potassium Content.

-PEAT MOSS

harvested from swamp lands, this makes soil slightly acidic and provides superior moisture retention. It is however found, to be not environment-friendly. (CnS prefer slightly acidic soil)

A good mix includes components that provide drainage and moisture retention. The percentage should be based on your microclimate. If it is very humid in your area, a mixture with less moisture retention is better while if it is a very dry area, more moisture retention is needed.

Experiment with your own potting mix whether it be pure mineral or a mix.