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Plant ID (maybe) and care help
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just_a_penguin
Just Arrived
Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 26
Location: Tacoma, WA (Map)
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| Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 1:54 am Post subject: Plant ID (maybe) and care help |
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This is one for you gardening slueths out there. 
I was helping a friend move today and found a few plants in the back of the house, apparently abandoned by an old roommate. They've been ignored completely for at least 9 months.
I took two of the less-dead ones home with me. But now I don't know what to do with them.
They're both succulents, so I probably don't have the light for them anyway, but I might be able to pawn them off on my mom. Though if I could keep them it'd be nice.
One's a very small cactus...it's in a 4" plastic-from-the-nursery pot, VERY root bound, and shriveling up in a few places.
The other I'm only assuming is a succulent, it's got thick leaves, but otherwise I'm not sure. It's very spindly at this point and has sprouted roots along it's vines hanging over the pot trying to find water I assume. This is the really cool plant though. It's got long-pear like shaped leaves with jagged edges. On the edges grow very small round leaves that almost look like clover leaves. The round leaves are only on some of the leaves, so I'm wondering if it's another plant growing on top of this one, and if so is it a parasite or symbiote?
I wish I had pictures to post, but my digital camera is in storage for now.
Sorry if this is a weird post, I'll try to provide any info you ask for about these plants.
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
 Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 10348
Location: Scotland (Map)
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| Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:03 am Post subject: |
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I wonder if your second plant could be a Mexican Hat plant? It's difficult to say though as photographs really would help us to ID them for you. Could you maybe borrow a camera and post piccies of your two plants for us?
I think both plants would benifit from being re-potted to give them the best chance of survival. The root bound one will need to have the roots teased out before putting it into a bigger pot. If they are a cactus and a succulent then you can buy soil which is specifically for these types of plant. Don't over water them as you could actually do them more harm than good if you do.
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just_a_penguin
Just Arrived
Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 26
Location: Tacoma, WA (Map)
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| Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:34 am Post subject: |
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Hey, good job Eileen! I googled Mexican Hat Plant and that's definatley what I've got. 
Now, any suggestions as to what to do with all these little roots hanging about in the air? Should I cut them off?
I'll try to get pictures up, but that will take a few days since the only thing I can think of is to borrow my Dad's camera Monday and use his computer to post them probabyly Wednesday (my old slow computer dosen't have the capability).
In the meantime I'll try to get some pots and repot them.
Thanks
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 10348
Location: Scotland (Map)
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| Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:02 am Post subject: |
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If the plant is really spindly and is putting out feeder roots then what I'd do is remove some of the little round 'leaves' (they are actually new plantlets) and simply place them on damp soil and before you know it you'll have lots of new plants growing. You can then cut back the mother plant in the hope that it will thicken up with new growth. If not then at least you'll have the babies if it dies. 
Can you give me a more detailed description if the other plant you have and I'll try to ID it for you too? Thanks.
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just_a_penguin
Just Arrived
Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 26
Location: Tacoma, WA (Map)
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:07 am Post subject: |
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Thanks. I'll try that. There's a lot of little babys in the soil around the hat plant too.
I think I've almost identified my other plant. (It isn't a cactus, I was wrong) The closest thing I've found is Astroloba dodsoniana. I id'ed it from this site.
http://www.plantcare.com/encyclopedia/astroloba-dodsoniana-86.aspx
The one I've got is much smaller with closer clumping leaves though that might be from crowding...the poor thing's got 11 columns crowding a tiny pot and the soil's almost completely eaten away at the bottom of the pot. Compared the the picture in the link, my plant is darker green, less spread out (as mentioned above) and has 5 ridges running vertically along each leaf with white pokes or short horns coming off. The top, smaller leaves have more pronounced pokes than the bottom leaves.
Thanks again for your help, and I'll probably get pictures up this week. I'll definitely be re-potting them tomorrow!
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
Moderator
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 10348
Location: Scotland (Map)
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| Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:16 am Post subject: |
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I'm pleased to hear that you seem to have an ID for your second plant. It certainly sounds as though replanting is the best thing you can do for it. I hope both plants, and the babies, survive for you. If you have any more questions please don't hestitate to ask. I look forward to your photographs when you have a chance to post them.
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