twitcher said:You might want to try a really fast draining mixture for the semps. Morning sun, or sun that comes from a strong angle (not vertical) is likely the best. Also I've heard of people growing them outside, but under a rain shield. Think a carport with a roof, or an awning attached to the side of a building (but do not use those paper umbrellas that people put in drinks!).
I've grown some semps for two years now in just a pure mixture of chicken grit. Small gravel, mixed with course sand, would be what I would try there. Over time, the mixture will gradually pick up bits of dirt, leaves, etc that will provide some nutrients. I'm assuming that you are growing them in pots. If the pot is sitting on the ground, make sure water does not pool around it. I've also had a few plants sit in or under water for a few days without serious problems. They were, however, healthy plants when the problem occurred and they had a chance to dry out after.
Once the plants have established in their pot, they should do much better for you. Since your conditions are somewhat extreme, try to limit moving the plants, transplanting and propagation to the cooler times. During the heat and rainy seasons, just leave them alone, out of the rain if you can. Any injury when under that kind of stress could lead to problems. I'd find a way to get a rain shield going. Have you looked into hoop houses with plastic or a rain shedding shade cloth? Might be the easiest way to go.
Those of us in the colder climates also go through periods when the plants don't look too well, with dried up leaves or poor color, etc. Sometimes we are lucky and have snow cover, so we don't get to see and fret over them at that time.
So far that is what I have been doing and so far so good.
Hi every one! My first post after reading your informative comments.
I just joined this morning.
I am in Zambia Africa. I love semps a lot. I have had one for around 5 years and made lots of babies from it., so decided to order a tray of 50 plugs from Mountcrest gardens USA.
They have arrived 2 weeks ago, in a brown paper bag all squashed in, but after reading a lot, I realized that not all seps are equal in surviving our conditions.
This is a picture of my semps after I washed from the soil they were covered in and planted them in just building sand without any organic matter in it, but very small particle sand.
A picture of the ones from USA when they just arrived
And few days later:
They are under a tree getting morning sun and late afternoon sun. Our winter is just starting but we dont go bellow 6C and that is at night only. In summer we are not too hot compared to Texas. We are 1400m above sea level.
This is another picture of them a couple of days ago.
When they came they were terribly etiolated, and all the leaves hunging down vertically. Now I can see new leaves and they are growing upwards. I also removed some chicks from them and planted them.
I check them every day, and so far I dont see any big problems. I watered them ones when they came, and then waited for the soil to dry. Perhaps I shall water them again today since you said they need moisture. I was so scared not to rot them.
I also bought some semps from SA less than a month ago, and those I put in full sun and so far they are doing well. They have actually grown and are getting many pups.
I shall try to take a picture of them today also:
This is a picture of the semp, I had for 5 years. It is planted just in river sand (large particles) but it is mixed with lots of clay inside so gets hard like a rock when it dries. I was contemplating repotting it in another mix.
I dont have perlite here, or even peat mix or compost. I import the compost from abroad but perlite never had, so I use just sand, and some pine bark (also imported)
This are some of the pups I planted from my old semp. I must be honest, they were totally neglected up to now. In full sun, and rarely watered by my gardener. In summer under rains almost every day. Some pups that were planted in garden soil even got rotten a bit but I dried them up and replanted them and they are fine now.
Now I am wondering if this semps from USA will grow and survive here, since they come from totally different climate and reversed summer plus that.
Any tips for me?
