Flyleaf.Horticultural

It's a crazy big deal that teachers have had to navigate these many months. And though our part in saying "Thank you!" is miniscule, it's sincere nonetheless. Thank you.

Euphorbia stenoclada. This one is native to the dry and rocky soils of Madagascar and grows to 10' or so tall and half as wide. This week I'm planning on giving it some selective pruning - I'd like to limb it up a little to start developing more of a tree-like canopy. Maybe a bit of bonsai. Then I'll let all of the trimmings callus for a week or so before sticking them into cell trays for root development. I'm very excited about growing and developing this tree, and even more so about growing a crop of baby stenocladas. My only concern is that I won't be able to find anyone to hold the plant still while I prune it .

A quick shot of our setup at: https://fb.me/e/1j3bybwjX We are here until 6pm. No tickets are required for the marketplace (where there is a LOT going on!)

This is the 54 day progress of the euphorbia aeruginosa cuttings that I took and posted about March 7th. Some of the cuttings were essentially tip cuttings - a growing tip was included with the 3" cutting - and others were sectional cuttings which had no tip, just a cutting from the middle of the branch. It's still a little early to talk about best practices since I haven't pulled any of the cuttings from the cell tray to determine root growth, but having new tip growth and ...a few new shoots on several of the cuttings is a sure sign that the plant is developing very well. These have been watered twice in these two months. Once, when I first stuck them. And then again today. They have also been lightly misted a few times per week. They've had a good amount of indirect, natural light but very little additional light. Pretty simple. And though the pictures don't really do the plant justice, once we pot them and probably give them a light trim in a few weeks, these are going to grow into some uniquely beautiful plants. The circled areas in the pictures highlight the new growth.

Once you've run out of space on all the flaming bright windowsills at home, tradescantia may be an option for those sills and shelves that receive indirect light. Or you can wait until I invent and produce the Flyleaf Universal Windowsill Extension kit.

A few people have requested albuca over the past several months but it's not one that we've had a source for. Well, we found a few. Three to be precise. So we've begun propagating them for future availability. Here's a little pictorial guide:

A little bit of beautiful at Flyleaf. If you'd like to get in to see and to shop the collection, today is the last day we'll be open for a week or so. We'll then be embarking on our maiden voyage to inspect the succulent scene in Tennessee. As always, you can hit the Book Now button on our Facebook page to schedule your preferred time, or you can do the same at www.flyleaf.market.

Aeonium. Ay.oh.knee.yum. Judging from the number of species and cultivars that we've grown at Flyleaf, it seems safe to say that the species in general prefers a medium light setting - less than a cactus or an echeveria. The pictured plant - 'Sunburst' - gets about a half day of indirect, artificial light. And indirect is key with this one as it can burn with very little provocation (did it) and the plant will unfriend you in a most inglorious manner. In addition to lower li...ght requirements, aeonium seem to be a little more forgiving than most succulents when it comes to overwatering. But it's not so much that they want more water (or that they'll tolerate it too much), but that they use it a little bit faster. Another couple of aeonium cultivars that we frequently grow are 'Zwartkop', 'Variegated Suncup', and 'Luteovariegatum'. The pictured rosette, by the way, is planted in a 6x6 pot. Its leaves hang a couple of inches or so beyond the edge of the pot in each direction, so this rosette is close to 12" in diameter.

Graptopetalum 'Ghost'. It wins the award for the flower of the day at Flyleaf.

Pachyphytum Compactum. At least a few of the reasons that we've decided to carry this plant at Flyleaf are probably obvious. The patterned leaves. The color. Its general form. But more than all of that, I believe that more midwesterners need access to a tiny tree that grows upside-down, blue bananas. If you'd like to see these or several thousand other little delights, we are open by appointment between our events - including today and tomorrow. You can pick your day and time at www.flyleaf.market

Why did my succulent lose its vibrant color? It could be one or more of a few reasons. Temperature influences the color of many succulents. It's not uncommon for the blues and reds of succulent foliage to fade to green when the temperature is hottest, yet with some the opposite is true. Poor lighting could also be a cause. Most of the more vibrantly colored succulents that i'm familiar with will turn green if they don't get enough light. They're also likely to stretch with ...poor lighting. General health can also influence the colors. A sickly plant often develops a sickly color. Chemistry could also play a role. Particularly when careful feeding/fertilization hasn't been part of the growing program. And last: water. The plants in the video are pachyphytum 'Fittkau'. Those that are much greener sit below a hanging basket with drip lines frequently leaking onto them. I've seen the same with several different species. First they're vibrant, then they're green, all the while they're wet, and then they're off to that great plant playground in the sky. The moral of the story? Be careful with that watering can.

Crassula Commutata in bloom.

Plants People: Thank you all for visiting yesterday! It was great to get to spend so much time with many of you talking about plants, planting plants, and talking more about plants. It's very enjoyable to slow things down a bit like we did yesterday so we can take time with you and make sure you're getting all the information you need to have a successful experience with your new plants. We will plan another event like this soon to keep the tradition going. For those of you w...ho weren't able to make it yesterday, we will have plugs available again at our Christmas event on December 5th. At this one, though, we'll have all the sizes of plants, all the selection, and a bunch of giftable type items. There is a little better description on the event page if you'd like more info. We'll also post pictures over the next month showing you the new plants that we'll have and some of the gifts available. Here's the link for the Christmas event: https://fb.me/e/1PP4vDUJp

$3 Plugs. 10:00 this morning. This one is Crassula 'Coral'. We'll have a couple dozen other varieties, as well. Apart from the cacti and the "Buddha's Temple" all cost $3. We also have many, many pots to choose from. Need help planting? We'll have a potting bench set up and an Andrew there to help. Free soil if you'd like to get them potted before you go. Or $0.50 to go bags. 4205 Watson Road... St Louis, 63109 10-2 Today only. Cash or card. See more