Jardinerong Sunog (the Burnt Gardener)

The one on the left receives direct sun from about 12 PM to sundown. The one on the right gets full sun from around 7 AM till the sun vanishes from the horizon. As far as insolation is concerned, both plants benefit from direct sunlight, and yet the results are vastly different. Because as you can see, not all "full sun" are equal. A week ago, I saw a post on Facebook about an Echeveria 'Black Prince' that appears etiolating, with conspicuously brightish green leaf bases. According to the owner, her plant receives "full sun", but having seen hundreds, if not thousands, of succulents, I know what "full sun" does to plants. And her plants certainly do not fall into the category. When I inquired about the length of time, she said it's 8 hours. My plants (when pertinent, because this logically excludes the ones that prefer more shade) receive roughly 11 hours of full sun every day. It would have been more if not for the mountain range th...

Have you eaten grapes and noticed the whitish, powdery coating on the skins? That is called the pruina. Studies on its purpose appear to be few or lacking altogether, but because it is prevalent on plants that receive high amounts of solar exposure, the pruina then can be construed as an adaptation for the purpose of bouncing off elevated light levels and heat, thus preventing the occurrence of sunburn. Additionally, the pruina may help in the regulation of transpiration. An interesting adaptation seen in a number of plants from different families with known representatives inhabiting very dry localities is the so-called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). Most plants transpire, or breath, day and night which allows them to release unwanted gasses and also moisture. However, in dry habitats, moisture is a valuable resource and releasing it during the heat of the day can expose the plants to risk of dehydration. And so in plants that have resorted to the CAM, transpiration is only don...

Echeveria is arguably the most popular among non-cactus succulents, and for good reason. Their colorful rosettes evoke flowers springing directly from the ground, and often with a coating of waxy bloom which lends an opalescent and otherworldly quality that is not easy to resist. In this post I will be illustrating my typical approach on the potting of these plants. Here is a plant that I presume to be E. cuspidata var. zaragozae , though I will be most glad if somebody can point me to the correct name in the likely case that I am mistaken. At any rate, note the soil used, which is crumbly sedimentary clay. Even though clay, which is also a mineral, is often advised against due to their potential for impeding drainage, I have often used this material without any incident, provided that these are used in small quantities. The chosen container is a re-purposed glazed bowl drilled with a single hole at the bottom. A fourth of the bowl is then filled with gravel and medium-sized...