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Cacti & Succulents
neiljcard

Wish Me Luck on Salvage Attempt!

11 years ago

I was given these ..I can't even call them cuttings, pieces maybe of plants that have been improperly cared for from a very nice lady around the corner from me. Her English was at a minimal conversation level so what I gathered is she waters all her plants every other day including the succulents.

Her plants including non-succulent ones were dead or dying.

She also waters the giant euphorbia tree outside on the front of her property the same way. I knew the previous owner and he would have a coronary if he
knew. I'm afraid the euphorbia will just topple over on her house from rot.

I tried my best to tell her...even counting on my fingers for her..on how many days to wait between waterings but I don't think she understood me at all.

She seemed very distraught over the whole loss.

Here's what I think I can salvage from her garden:

This was the only healthy piece. The rest was mush. Senecio Jacobsenii or Kleinia <?>
Graptopetalum superbum...I don't know about this one. Half of this is already mushed and

it looks to have some parasite attacking it.


I'm not sure what this is. I thought maybe a darley sunshine but then i have some of those and the leaves on mine are pointier. Also this has a heavy farinous coating.

I had planned on giving these back to the lady if i was successful but now, i'm not so sure that would be a good thing for the plants sake.

I welcome any and all suggestions. : )


Featured Answer
  • 11 years ago

    Neil progress photos man! C'mon here lol

    Comments (32)

    • 11 years ago

      Certainly need some luck for this one. Are you going to try to save them as a whole or are you just going to propagate by leaf?

      As for the lady, if you know what language she speaks then google translate works wonders. Can just type a few simple statements to her so she gets the general idea.

    • 11 years ago

      If you have the opportunity to give back, I would do so! She must care otherwise she would not have given you anything.

      I saved my wife's aunt's aloe and she was so excited to get it back. Asked lots of questions about the soil and how I cared for it.

      Maybe you can spark the right idea of proper care.

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    • 11 years ago

      Those are great ideas! thank you both.

    • 11 years ago

      Leaf prop definitely on the g. superbum. the stem is in a state of decay.

    • 11 years ago

      You are bold to take them, just make sure you keep these away from your healthy plants just in case. Good luck with their rehabilitation !

    • 11 years ago

      Yes- I will keep them away even though my own plants are treated with systemic I still won't risk it. If they don't recover I will probably give her some of my plants as she really seems to love them. I will find a way to communicate with her somehow. She has a son that comes to visit with his kids and when I see him I will talk with him. If not, I will do a google translate as Nicholas suggested but first I would have to know which language, lol.

    • 11 years ago

      Thats very generous of you Neil. She probably thinks the more water, the better, and yeah we all know how that goes. Definitely approach her son, hopefully he can communicate things more clearly to her. If the language barrier persists, maybe find a calendar and place giant X's over an image plant being watered on the days she should not be watering and then an image of a plant being watered with a smiley face on the days she should, Idk. haha.

    • 11 years ago

      Neil

      Why don't you give her sign - something like this:

      and write days NOT to water besides...watering on schedule may work well for her

    • 11 years ago

      RINA YOU JUST MADE ME LAUGH HAHAH. I needed that : )

    • 11 years ago

      Oh, how are these guys?

    • 11 years ago

      Thanks for remembering

    • 11 years ago
      last modified: 11 years ago

      I cannot allow you to believe something that is not true, it would be misleading and dishonest.

      it came up as a suggestion and I saw the picture and clicked on it. That was when I recognized it.

      I'm very awkward. Lo siento.

    • 11 years ago

      huh? Lo siento?

    • 11 years ago

      ???

    • 11 years ago
      last modified: 11 years ago

      It means "I'm sorry" but the literal translation is "I feel it".

    • 11 years ago

      Well, i am lost,lol!

      The cuttings are doing well and have rooted! This weekend they will be going back to her. I need every inch of space for my own cuttings : )

    • 11 years ago

      Hahaha, did you ever get Rina's sign made?

    • 11 years ago

      ??

    • 11 years ago

      I think we know what 'Lo siento' means, it's the rest of the message...?

    • 11 years ago

      Rina- LOL

    • 11 years ago

      Minty- i'm so tired : ( and today is watering day. it takes hours to do. especially since its a special treatment day.

    • 11 years ago

      Does everyone get extra top dressing today, Neil?

    • 11 years ago

      not top dressing but doing a lot of re-plants and my soil conditioner has not arrived. i may have to use perlite, which i'm not fond of and my pumice i have only 2 or 3 lbs left of that.

    • 11 years ago

      I ran out of washed and sifted perlite while making a batch of gritty last night. Hopefully the plants don't die.


    • 11 years ago

      They'll be fine they said they could hold out til tomorrow when it arrives.

    • 11 years ago

      Updated Photos as requested

      The cutting of her Senecio Jacobsenii/trailing jade.
      Not only has it rooted and colored up nicely, it has new growth as well!

    • 11 years ago
      last modified: 11 years ago

      The graptopetalum superbum looking a lot better than when i had gotten it.
      Now fully rooted, nice coloration coming back and also, New Growth!

    • 11 years ago

      Sedeveria looking a little better but now a whole lot. It is fully rooted though. Tomorrow these three "saved" plants will go back home!

    • 11 years ago

      Great job, Neil!

    • 11 years ago

      They lived!! Yay! Well before you hand cuttings over, did you make that specialized Calendar we were discussing ^^.

    • 11 years ago

      Crenda- Thank you!

      Minty- No, i didn't!! yikes!

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