Very very pretty, Harry.

Thanks Marguerite,

Ofcourse you meant the plant. Here it is:

Is that Adromischus, Harry?

Yes, Adromischus leucophyllus originally found in Muiskraal South Africa with a nice white farina.

Titanopsis

Ah, another South African. Flowers very gently in late summer.

Very nice both of you. Harry, I hate to ask you a dumb question, but does that coffee cup have a drainage hole? Or is that really a planter made to look like a coffee cup? lol

Breathnez I love little pots like yours. hard to find for me though..at the right price anyway.

Hi Neil,

No drainage hole. (don't tell further: I use a lot of non-drainage-holes pots) So it is realy a coffe cup.

Harry

Harry: If there where a way to cultivate an over potted adro in a pot with no drainage I'd be doing it

Hey Neil did you ever find out what that white globe thing was ?

Nomen- White Globe Thing?? The Moon comes to mind!

Harry - I am shocked and saddened by this news.

Neil: ?????

Nomen-Nudem: here are few

an old A. cooperi - for many years in another coffee cup and flowering

A. mariannae in a glass pot about 4 cm high

greets

Harry

I have always been taught that all plants need adequate drainage. Is this not true?

Neil - my take on it...

Harry is very experienced grower.

He uses well draining potting mix.

I believe that some of his more sensitive plants are under the roof so they are protected from rain...

Harry, did I get any of this right?

For majority of us, drainage holes are important....I would never advise (especially newbies) to use drain-less container. Good drainage is important, and there is so many other things to consider-why to add such a 'big' one to worry about? With experience, I think one can relax lots of rules...JMO

Rina

Hello Rina,

Yes, you are right: they are rainprotected and the mix is very poor and gritty. Non -drainaged pots also have at least 1 cm pure stone on the bottom and if possible more. The watering is the hardest part. I lift pots to know when to water. (and ofcourse - like everyone - I have rotting plants now and than)

H.

And yes: everybody use drainaged pots; your plants will do a lot better!!

I see. thanks for the explanation everyone.

Neil:

is not the moon nor a globe' http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3173583/share-your-props-please?n=62

See your question referencing pics Comment #4

Harry Considering that the best draining potting soil in the world does exist in all your drainless pots Question , where does water go if it has no place to go ( or drain).

Second question I totally get it and I understand the under cover thing for the white farina of any leucophyllus but what about mites ? scale? mealy ? How do you handle them ?

Yes, the watering is the critical part. I'm not sure what I'm doing exactly: every plant has it's own demands. Most times I take a look and know; or -as said- I lift the pot and I know. And ofcourse they get as little as I dare to give. The two plants in the next picture are in the same pot since about four years now. I did not fertilize; took very good care of the watering and checked them very often. The soil is very poor now and I suppose they drink the water that comes in about once a month.

Mealies, scale: it is to easy to say, that I don't have that: ofcourse I have that, but not much. Suspected plants are taken out and I clean them completely untill the roots are thourougly clean. They get a soapbath or alcoholspray and I leave them for a day or so in the water. I tried to find a picture, but no succes.

Ofcourse I had and have my failures, but over the years not that often anymore.

greets

Harry

Nomen- is it a Dischida?

Neil: Nope but it is a leucophyllus

Harry: Be warned the grape vine rumor is Neil is fond of white fatinas Myself I'm kind of tempted to try out the drain-less pot idea on a spare

With or with out drainage them are some nice Adros awsum pot sizes ( Minus the tall coffee mug) a lot to be noted for some

Maybe just taboo but let me pass this by you Where did the water go a it once was sitting on the bottom ?... It found a way out via up

I would think if one were very knowledgeable and careful like Harry, and one used rainwater or similar, and one did not fertilize, one could plant succulents in non-draining pots.

Pat: Look up You'll see it shining the question is where did water go ?

...evaporated...Harry would never put so much water that it would sit in the pot, and they are not watered very often either (he already answered that question I believe).

It's an un answerable question. Nobody can determine where water goes. Evaporated is how it left not where it went.

Harry also mentioned rot which would indicate no matter how careful he may be he does at one time or another, one pot or the other a pot had been over watered. ( Delivery by air adding to that could also be by hand.)

Whom do we agree with ? ( Half of what we see) The other 'knowledgeable" and "experienced" person that had suggested several times on this same forum that succulents benefit by flushing the pot on occasion ? (None of what we read)

well, I guess you are right nomen.

seldom and little watering, water trickling thru very gritty substrate, being absorbed by thirsty roots, not enough to 'sit' at the bottom of the pot (probably not even reaching bottom of the pot!) - that's where I think it went.....

"And ofcourse they get as little as I dare to give. The two plants in the
next picture are in the same pot since about four years now. I did not
fertilize; took very good care of the watering and checked them very
often. The soil is very poor now and I suppose they drink the water that
comes in about once a month." - I don't know how much more there is to be said to answer.

I am sure everyone would have a casualty at least once...rot could and happens in the pots with drainage too...

edited to add:

*take a see-thru pot same size (width and height) as Harry's

*fill it with gritty (Harry's type) substrate

*die water with green-red-blue- whatever color

*pour same amount of water Harry uses to water that sized-pot

*watch the colored water where it goes

*take photos

I think this question may be answered? JMO of course...Rina

Flushing containers benefits plants by flushing excess salts build-up. Hole-less container can't be flushed but could be tipped and emptied of excess water. Without use of fertilizer, the salt build-up will be minimal (while it still can occur unless water used is distilled) - I think. Pls. correct me if wrong.

There is a book I was reading last night that had an excerpt on watering pots that lack drainage:

"Now that you have rules for watering potted succulents, bear with me and set them aside.

Consider: if you carefully limit the amount of water your potted succulents receive to only the amount they need to survive, it is possible - and even desirable in light of the creative opportunities - to grow succulents in containers that have no drainage.

In other words, if you merely and only occasionally dampen the growing medium (using filtered water free of salts), you can cultivate succulents in a sugar bowl." - Succulent Container Gardens

Although I do not recommend it because people have a hard time with the concept of not have a drainage hole and most people love to water their plants. I hate to water and try to avoid it as much as possible. But the majority of my pots do not have drainage.

This was the first summer I had pots that were floating because of all the rain we experienced. When that happens I just tilt the pots and the water drains out. I have never lost a plant from too much water. I only water once during the winter when they are inside. As I said when they are outside and they get too much rain I just tilt them. I have over 100 succulents and they do fine and have been growing succulents for over 20 yrs.

On my table

This has been in this pot with no drainage for 2 yrs now.

Marquest- what size shoes are those?

The shoes are 9" long and about 4" wide. I put the cuttings in them last winter. They will probably have to be put in larger combo pots next summer. If I do not give then away by next summer.

I get a lot of pots from the thrift store and because I visit nursing homes I try to take small succulents to the patients that talk about the houseplants, and gardens they use to have. These little pots with no drainage are good for them. They can give them a little water without water going everywhere and there is a little garden for them to enjoy.

I use to have little tubs that I would put water in for them to have a little watering can that really only held a dribble of water. I cannot find them anymore.