Jade Plant Experiment

I chose the plants for my personal experiment. The numbered ones are just strictly water. The ones with M are the ones that'll get the funky mixture from the recipe I listed earlier.

I really thought I had several Gollum clippings but I could only find the one which I decided to use in Team M.

Plant Name	Numbered	Team M
1. (Dwarf?) Jade Plant	8.5"	7"
2. Hummel Sunset	8.5"	6"
3. Gollum Jade Plant		8"
4. Hobbit Jade Plant	7"	5.5"

I thought it'd be interesting to have the taller plants to have just water and see if the shorter plants in Team M would grow faster and end up being taller.

March 1st is when I plan to water them and then just let my personal experiment start.

Using Epsom Salt on Jade Plants

Over a week ago, I asked on a forum to see if anyone had ever used epsom salt on succulents. My mother's roses are doing very badly so I did a lot of looking around online for tips such as using bananas and coffeegrounds. I stumbled across someone suggesting epsom salt and how it was a miracle.

I looked around for information on epsom salt and with people giving raves about epsom salt, I wanted to know if anyone ever used it on succulents. I asked on a forum but it was kinda interesting. People had great results on other plants but either heard good or bad things about it from others.

Not only that but one member provided a recipe that involved epsom salt. The recipe goes like this:

1 12 oz. beer
1 cup epsom salt
1/2 cup ammonia
2 cups water
1/2 cup molasses

You mix it together and store in a container of some sort. This is the fertilizer. You use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.

I've decided I'm going to group apart some clippings. A few will get water as it usually does and a few will get this mixture to see if there's any big improvement. The worst is that a few plants could die and the best is that the jade plants respond really well. I have a couple clippings that I'm more than willing to test it on. None of my big jade plants will be subject to it.

Sad thing is, most of my clippings are from this dwarf jade variety. I may use one from the gollum jade to see how big it can actually grow if it reacts well.

Variegated Jade

Variegated Jade
Originally uploaded by dragonslumber.

The variegated jade plant that I purchased from ebay arrived in the mail with a small dried rootball but I'm hoping it's enough for the plant to establish itself. I'd really like for this one to survive and not fall apart like the other did. Maybe I'm just being slightly paranoid about the variegated jade plant even though all the other types of jades I currently have have grown well.

Variegated Jade

Variegated Jade
Originally uploaded by Fordjones.

I had no idea you could blog photos that other people uploaded. Isn't this a beautiful plant?

In 2005, I received several variegated jade clippings and none survived. I really wanted one for a long while and to have it die on you, well, it was discouraging.

I keep dancing around on ebay when it came to trying to buy a variegated jade plant. I finally purchased one today when the seller told me it was rooted in a pot. I figured I'd have a better chance of buying one that was growing in a pot rather than as a clipping.

If the plant survives just fine, then I'll have to start some cuttings just in case the main plant up-n-dies on me.

Gollum Jade Plant

Gollum Jade Plant
Originally uploaded by dragonslumber.

I have this 'bad' habit of tossing clippings into unoccupied pots. Sometimes if leaves fall off, I'll gather them and toss them into a pot. Some root and some don't.

This picture here is of several gollum jade plants growing from the leaves I've tossed into the pot. Eventually I'll split the random cuttings into different pots (I have an easter cactus and some leafy plant growing in this same pot as well).

Dragon Arum (Dracunculus Vulgaris)

Dragon Arum (Dracunculus Vulgaris)
Originally uploaded by dragonslumber.

This one I am excited about. I got this back in 2005 and potted them up. It grew a plant but it went through an accident where the plant broke.

The bulbs struggled in the pot after which I don't know why as they did really well before. They were relocated to a bed but... no one knew where. Totally slipped the minds of us, it did. Not a good thing!

They never made a peep in 2006 so it was agreed that they died off. Imagine the surprise when we saw this! Apparently, over the long warm spell in December and January, they've been growing.

Sad thing is that we're now getting freezes, sometimes several nights in a row, so it's gonna be tough. The bulbs rested for an entire year and was ready to burst free but now winter seems to finally be giggling its way here.

I have placed a bucket over it in a lame attempt to protect it from the freezes but I have to face the possibility that they'll die down to the ground and will have to peek up when spring finally comes around.

It's just frustrating because everything actually grew during the warm spell. Nothing peeked out or budded or... No, everything grew and grew and now winter is coming around. Oy!

Another glimpse

Tangerine bloom
Originally uploaded by dragonslumber.

Blooms on a lemon tree. At least, I think it is. It has just started blooming and supporting fruits. All are still green so no idea yet.

Hm, Any idea on how to post more than one picture to a post?