Cheiridopsis SCHLECHTERI

Cheiridopsis SCHLECHTERI - Schlechter's cheiridopsis, Cheiridopsis schlechteri.

"Living Stones" seed series.

Cheiridopsis is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family (Aizoaceae), comprising about 40 species distributed across arid regions of Namibia and the Cape Provinces of South Africa. In the wild, members of the genus occur on sandy and rocky plains, dry slopes, in quartz and gravel habitats, often in winter rainfall zones where growth is more active during the cool season, while summer passes in dormancy.

The plants usually develop as low clump-forming or cushion-like succulents with short shoots and fleshy paired leaves. Leaves can be trihedral, boat-shaped, finger-like, keeled, or pointed, often glaucous-green, gray, bluish, or covered with a waxy coating that reduces evaporation in dry climates.

The flowers of cheiridopsis are diurnal, daisy-like, usually yellow, orange, white, pink, or purple, opening under good illumination. The fruits are dry hygrochastic capsules that open upon moistening. Seeds are very small, so during sowing they are distributed superficially and moistened only by fine misting.

Schlechter's cheiridopsis has oblong, juicy, fleshy leaves, green or bluish, 2-8 cm (0.8-3.1 in) long. Young leaves appear in the fissure between old leaves and feed on their remnants. Flowers are solitary, typical for members of the family, featuring numerous long and narrow petals.

Cheiridopsis seeds are very small, light brown or brownish, rounded or slightly oval. Seed germination under careful greenhouse conditions is usually about 60-80%.

Sowing is best carried out in autumn or early winter, and with stable grow lights and moderate temperatures - year-round, avoiding severe summer heat. A sterile fine-grained mineral substrate based on fine washed sand, perlite, mineral grit, and a small amount of sifted peat or coconut component is used. Seeds are distributed over the surface and not buried. The sowing is moistened from a spray bottle with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or biofungicide with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon. The container is covered with a transparent lid or placed in a mini-greenhouse.

Germination is carried out under bright indirect light and a temperature of about 18-24 °C (64-75 °F), without direct overheating under the sun. The surface is maintained slightly damp but not wet; moistening is performed only by fine spraying. Sowings are ventilated daily and condensation is removed, since moisture stagnation is particularly dangerous for ice plant seedlings and quickly causes fungal damage.

First sprouts can appear after 7-14 days; the usual germination period is about 2-3 weeks, and the maximum possible period under cool conditions or partial drying of the surface can stretch up to 4-6 weeks. After seedlings appear, the cover is gradually opened; seedlings are maintained under bright indirect light and very careful moistening. Pricking out is carried out only after noticeable strengthening of the plants and formation of the first true fleshy leaves, with minimal damage to the roots.

© Greeniverse. All rights reserved.

For cultivation, the brightest possible location with bright indirect light and several hours of soft direct sun is selected. South-, southeast-, and southwest-facing windows with good ventilation are best suited, while supplementary lighting is used during the overcast season. The plant is acclimated to harsh midday sun after a dark period gradually to avoid burns on the leaves.

Active growth usually occurs in autumn, winter, and spring, when temperatures of around 12-22 °C (54-72 °F) are maintained. In hot summer, the plant is kept drier and cooler as far as possible, with protection against overheating. Overwintering is carried out bright and cool, without heavy moisture. Under high temperatures, weak light, and moist substrate, leaves quickly stretch out and become susceptible to rot.

Watering is carried out cautiously, taking seasonality into account. During the growth period, the soil is moistened in small portions after most of the substrate dries out. During the hot dormant period, watering is sharply reduced, with only rare light moistening permitted if the leaves wrinkle excessively. Stagnation of water in the tray is not allowed; spraying leaves is not required.

A very loose mineral substrate with high content of coarse sand, fine stone chips, pumice, zeolite, perlite, or other inert aerators is used. The organic portion is added minimally. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, and a shallow, wide container with drainage holes is selected.

Fertilizer is applied rarely, only during the period of active growth, no more than once every 6-8 weeks with a weak solution of fertilizer for cacti and succulents with low nitrogen content. Excess nutrition causes loose watery growth and disrupts compactness. Repotting is carried out at the beginning of the growth period; after repotting, the plant is kept without watering for several days. Pruning is usually not required; only dried remnants of old leaves are removed.