DarkSpark

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Jul 16, 2014

#21

wow...I've got to get myself one of those spiral aloes...

 

VERMONTSKUNKS

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Jul 17, 2014

#22

I could almost see those growing in shapes of numbers, im medicated tho....really neat aloe there, cant believe ive never seen one before!

 

BeenBurned

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Jul 17, 2014

#23

Gandalfalfa said:

Anyone growing Aloe polyphylla? It's a way cool species with spairal growth.

View attachment 423883
View attachment 423884

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Fibonacci...the Golden spiral.
Beautiful representation.

 

Seamaiden

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Jul 17, 2014

#24

VERMONTSKUNKS said:

Those flowers appeared pinkish to me! Then again i may be wrong. That aloe pic seamaiden shared is an interesting color pattern.

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They look pink to me. And I haven't seen that species or type of aloe before. I'm pretty sure I have some pups of Aloe vera, I use it for burns and skin lesions and such, have had the mother plant for years.

 

VERMONTSKUNKS

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Jul 17, 2014

#25

I wanted to let the thread know that this particular aloe im growing.. japanese aloe i was told/ actually thrives under 600 hps light in my experiance i had to limit there exsposure at times because they were throwing pups like crazy and i w running outa room quickly. Id have no issue sharing at any time with anyone.

 

Seamaiden

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Jul 17, 2014

#26

:)

So, here's something REALLY weird. My own aloe vera? That I've had for decades? She came from SoCal. Grown out back, on the balcony, in the kitchen window, and then next to my mother's swimming pool in a southwestern area. Totally took the sun, never got too harsh for it. Up here? I absolutely CANNOT let it be in full sun or it turns brown and stops growing.

 

DarkSpark

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Jul 17, 2014

#27

Seamaiden said:

:)

So, here's something REALLY weird. My own aloe vera? That I've had for decades? She came from SoCal. Grown out back, on the balcony, in the kitchen window, and then next to my mother's swimming pool in a southwestern area. Totally took the sun, never got too harsh for it. Up here? I absolutely CANNOT let it be in full sun or it turns brown and stops growing.

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You could probably acclimatize it to full sun. ALL plants need acclimation to full sun if they've been growing in shade for a while, even the most sun hardy species like desert cacti. If growing in shade, they do not express high quantities of photoprotective chemicals; once moved into full sun, they will burn. Going red/brown is a sign of the plant trying to protect itself through pigment production. It might succeed at inhibiting burn, but it will cease growth at the same time. Given enough time, it will green up and continue to grow. However, if you acclimatize it slowly, it should stay green and actively growing for the entire process.

 

VERMONTSKUNKS

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Jul 18, 2014

#28

I learn something new daily here! thx spark excellent info!

 

Seamaiden

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Jul 18, 2014

#29

DarkSpark said:

You could probably acclimatize it to full sun. ALL plants need acclimation to full sun if they've been growing in shade for a while, even the most sun hardy species like desert cacti. If growing in shade, they do not express high quantities of photoprotective chemicals; once moved into full sun, they will burn. Going red/brown is a sign of the plant trying to protect itself through pigment production. It might succeed at inhibiting burn, but it will cease growth at the same time. Given enough time, it will green up and continue to grow. However, if you acclimatize it slowly, it should stay green and actively growing for the entire process.

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Do you think I needed to acclimatize it going from full SoCal sun to NorCal (looking at a map I think I'm central, but hey)? Almost the slightest exposure seems to turn it brown. Maybe the elevation is the problem, do you think? In SoCal it was at around 1,000', here it's 2,500'. That's what's throwing me, the fact that it was fine in full sun all its life, just a few hundred miles south of here.

 

DarkSpark

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Jul 19, 2014

#30

Altitude might be a factor, and it seems probable the more I think about it in your situation. Give slow acclimatization a go and see if it helps. Even if it turns brown, unless there is visible burning (actual tissue damage) it will be fine and will green up and grow again given sufficient time.

 

Seamaiden

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Jul 19, 2014

#31

Maybe that's my problem. Every time I see it turning brown, I bring it back inside. It's been up here with me for almost 10yrs now. I first got it back around 1982 or so.

 

Gandalfalfa

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Jul 20, 2014

#32

That is a long lived plant!

 

Seamaiden

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Jul 21, 2014

#33

And in the same pot. Pretty amazing, isn't it?

 

DarkSpark

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Jul 23, 2014

#34

bet it hasn't grown much during that time. Succulents and cacti are interesting in that once they become rootbound, their growth becomes imperceptibly slow. Is that the same pot for the last 10 years or since '82?

 

Seamaiden

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Jul 24, 2014

#35

It's been in the same pot for at least 15 years, then early this year it was looking pretty lanky, so I chopped it up, pulled it out of the pot and transplanted the best looking pups. Those are together in the same pot out on the back deck, in a shaded area but still getting some direct sunlight.

And you're right, the growth had slowed to almost nil these past few years at least.

 

DarkSpark

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Jul 24, 2014

#36

That's an impressively long time! Cutting it up with reinvigorate it, especially if it has more root room now.

 

Seamaiden

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Jul 25, 2014

#37

The other aloe, the one I pictured above? All those succulents were planted prior to 1989, and they still exist in a clay pot that's so old it's dissolving around them. Some of the cacti I collected myself out in the Yucca Valley area. :) My mother has that collection now, it wouldn't have done well up here. Now that they've moved back out to YV, it's gonna do great, she may even have to transplant it!

If you're in the area ever and want to see one of the most amazing collections of succulents, along with an orchid or three, there's an outfit in Morongo called Cactus Mart. They even have those African stone plants, just amazing!
http://cactusmart.net/

 

DarkSpark

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Jul 27, 2014

#38

Thanks for the tip! Cacti and succulents are an amazing bunch of plants, such crazy diversity. hard to believe some of them are even plants at first glance! such survivors too.