PUSHING THE BORDERS

In the spring I was given a wee section of Stapelia gigantea. It has grown well making several "fingers" and now has a flower forming.

So how do I go about overwintering this?

Thanks in advance....................

I lost all mine, after they did ok in a cold greenhouse and I got a bit carried away and tried them outside.

Anyway A cold greenhouse should be fine. If I remember correctly you have one you are going to keep around 0?

Chrisg wrote:I lost all mine, after they did ok in a cold greenhouse and I got a bit carried away and tried them outside.

Anyway A cold greenhouse should be fine. If I remember correctly you have one you are going to keep around 0?

I knew that you would have the answer!
I'm aiming for 3 to 5°c minimum really. Will I lose the bloom?

Trying not to get too cocky with the dry plants, but had two more of these today on my Opuntia.....................


Plus I found a flower spike on my Haworthia attenuata v caespitosa for the first time in three years!

I find they tend to be far tougher than we think, I used to leave my shed unheated and as long as it stayed above -5 most of plants were fine. I think if you keep it above 0 then you may get lucky with the flower. Main thing with all succulents is to cut down or out the watering from now. I will maybe water my plants once more if we have any more hot weather with a tiny amount of water, but aim for them to be totally dry by the first frosts.

I have a few reasons for this slightly indulgent temperature target;

My fledgling collection of Lachenalia and other South African winter growing bulbs.
3 flowering size Echium candicans.
19 Isoplexis isabelliana seedlings.
Various Salvia and Lobelia seedlings, including L.gibberoa.
Most importantly - my Cantua buxifolia.

I picked up a Stapelia in my local garden centre of all places. Nothing special there but it was advertised in the outdoor section and label says good to -5C. At a couple of pounds I couldn't resist and planted one, which will get rain cover. Suspect it could turn mush .....

My Stapelia is growing prolifically and it spends most of its time in the conservatory roof, summer, winter, it just goes on getting bigger.