Skip to main content

Repotting succulents from Africa

Both Director A... and B... were back in the greenhouse this week, having been away last week.

My first task was to pot a couple of cactus-like plants in the aster family: Kleinia pendula (inchworm plant); and K stapeliiformis (pickle plant). Both are finger-like succulents with spines like a cactus or euphorbia. They originate from Africa. Each variety had approx 8 10-inch stems which (previously calloused overnight) I inserted into an arid mix, all in one terra cotta pot.  The plants were donated by Madison (I assume UW at Madison WI). I was asked to bury a label deep in the base of each pot with the plant’s name, date, and my initials.

I also repotted a couple of small agave-like plants in the asparagus family, which originate from S. America: Furcraea guerrerensis. They were each planted into 6-inch terracotta pots with an arid mix. The plants were donated by Madison (I assume UW at Madison WI). I was asked to bury a label deep in the base of each pot with the plant’s name, date, and my initials.

I noticed the bin of arid mix was pretty low, almost empty. I refilled the arid mix bin, approximately ⅔ full. I rolled the bin into the well-ventilated hall next to the store room. I mixed the soil with a spade in that hallway because the charcoal is so dusty when agitated. The charcoal dust is overwhelming if mixed in the small storeroom.

During the weekly morning meeting I grabbed a pail and sheers, visiting the display rooms to trim and pick up dead leaves.

Finally, for the day Director A... asked me to shield the vanilla vines from the spray of the nearby mist tent. The vanilla pots were too soggy from the excess spray. Rather than shield the vines using a fabric barrier, we decided to put a shut-off valve on the spray head nearest the vanilla vines (see photo). A showed me to the boxes containing spare parts, located in the store room. The tubing parts are similar to those that I use at home.







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Sensitive Plant and Common Weed

Mimosa pudica, also commonly called the sensitive plant  was a popular houseplant when I was growing up in the 1970s. It was popular for its ability to quicky change shape by folding up its leaves to protect them from herbivore predators. At the slightest touch the plant is able to expell water from special cells in the leaves, changing the shape from frond-like to a stick-form. The plant creeps along the ground, never for than a foot or so in height. In tropical parts of the world this plant is considered and invasive weed. Today, as I was treating plants to remove pests I happened to touch the leaves of a Mimosa pudica , one with a pretty puff-like flower. Sure enough, the leaves all folded up to almost nothing. Mimosa pudica , the sensitive plant Other more routine chores during my four-hour shift at the U of M Conservatory included cleaning three plants of Hibiscus clayi, native to Hawaii. These three plants in particular have suffered repeated infestations with a variety of in...

A Thames River Walk Through Time: Repurposing Tow Paths

I love it when old technologies are repurposed to solve entirely different problems. A perfect example is the extensive system of canals and tow paths throughout England. Before the Industrial Revolution and the advent of railways, these canals were built to transport goods between cities and towns. Narrow boats pulled by horses or mules along tow paths were a common sight. Today, however, these tow paths have found a new purpose: recreational walking. They offer picturesque routes through the English countryside, allowing people to explore the beauty of the canals and rivers. The commerce that once flowed along these waterways may have shifted to railways, but the paths themselves continue to serve a valuable function. This year, I had the privilege of joining three other hikers on a journey along the River Thames tow path, from the city of Oxford to its source, a distance of about 50 miles. Farther upstream, the river gradually narrowed, eventually transforming into a swollen creek b...

Plantulary: Botanical Dance

The title of the dance performance was Plantulary. The theme, botanical. On a whim, my partner suggested we attend a performance of a new dance work by a small immersive arts collaborative, Aniccha Arts. Through the arc of a single year—from growth through to dormancy—the dancers describe the story of plant life using percussive dance rhythms, music, literary, and various vegetable props. For me, this dance performance was a challenge to appreciate; it was no Swan Lake. I didn’t fully understand the connection between many of the sound and dance elements. But, curiously, the memory of it has stuck with me for the past few days. To set the scene, the stage consisted of a simple dark room lit by spotlights and early evening sunlight coming in through large windows. Along the baseboard of the stage were narrow trays of green seedlings lit by fluorescent grow-lights, forming the outer limit of the performance space. To further imbue the stage with plant life, several moss balls (kokedama-l...