[Active/Kratky] Ghost Succulent (Jun 22, 2021)

[ERR0R1755]

This is somewhat of an experiment - I know that AeroGarden advertises (or used to advertise?) growing succulents in their devices, but I'm not sure how well a hydroponic succulent can grow.

I propagated 30-40 of these from leaves recently, and I thought it would be interesting to try growing one hydroponically. Worst case it's no big loss, and best case I now have a very low maintenance Kratky plant.

I placed it in a 32oz growler I got from a friend - filled with nutrient solution at a rate of 5ml AG nutes and 1ml CALiMAGic per gallon.

[Shawn]

This will be fun to watch.

[ERR0R1755]

This has been a fun and easy experiment. I had to add water every 3-5 days at first until the roots started growing downwards, but now it has been two weeks since I last touched it and it still has almost all of the nutrient solution.

[Shawn]

pretty plant.

[campingcorgis]

Wow!  I agree!  Very pretty...it looks like the ones that you can buy at a craft store and don't require water?  ;-)

[ERR0R1755]

It's always amazing to see how fast succulents and cacti grow in hydroponics. This plant still has 2/3rds of the nutrient solution that I gave it five months ago.

[campingcorgis]

Amazing...and beautiful too.  Thanks for sharing this with us!!

[Shawn]

These are so pretty

[lynnee]

Those little succulents could easily be transplanted to soil now, if you wanted to. I guess it's not surprising that succulents will grow in a hydroponic setup, but it's interesting to see it happen.

I grow outdoor succulents in pots, so that I can move them to safety when the homeowners' association sends destructive maintenance people (painters are the worst). From time to time I have to behead and transplant them, and they're never fazed by the seemingly drastic operation.

[ERR0R1755]

I'm interested to see how much water / nutrient solution this drinks in the long run, since if I can have a plant that I only have to water every 6-12 months, that sounds like something that would be a good gift for people who have a hard time growing plants.

[campingcorgis]

Nov 20, 2021 15:38:36 GMT -5 ERR0R1755 said:

I'm interested to see how much water / nutrient solution this drinks in the long run, since if I can have a plant that I only have to water every 6-12 months, that sounds like something that would be a good gift for people who have a hard time growing plants.

Someone in our club grows them and there's always one or two on the silent auction table at our dinner meetings.  (The silent auctions raise funds for our chosen charity of the year.)  They write little stories about them too, a history of sorts?  Super cool.

[ERR0R1755]

I am very happy with how these are doing! I just added 6ml of Hydroguard to help prevent any root rot issues that may appear.

[Shawn]

These are so pretty.  I wonder how they would do in an AG.  If you think well I would plants three in a Harvest.  I just need to see where you got the seeds.

[ERR0R1755]

Jan 4, 2022 10:35:48 GMT -5 Shawn said:

These are so pretty.  I wonder how they would do in an AG.  If you think well I would plants three in a Harvest.  I just need to see where you got the seeds.

I think they would do great in an AG! They do fine in weaker light as well (I keep mine off to the side of my Bounty) but they can make their own sunscreen powder to prevent damage from too much light.

You might be able to find seeds - but the best way to propagate these are by the leaves. I have a lot of spare leaves, so if you want, I can try mailing you a couple - all you would need to do is place the bottom end of the leaf in the pod.

[campingcorgis]

Shawn and ERR0R1755, here's an interesting link.  There are lots of Etsy sellers that sell succulent "seeds", but many photos look more like pieces of plants?  Quite the variety on Etsy!  

[Shawn]

I have looked and there are some on Etsy that have seeds but I am hesitant on there.   I appreciate the offer but I would hate to take from you. 

[campingcorgis]

Jan 4, 2022 11:05:21 GMT -5 Shawn said:

I have looked and there are some on Etsy that have seeds but I am hesitant on there.   I appreciate the offer but I would hate to take from you. 

Did you check the link shown above?  It isn't Etsy...but I liked looking at the pictures on Etsy too!

[lynnee]

Jan 4, 2022 11:05:21 GMT -5 Shawn said:

I have looked and there are some on Etsy that have seeds but I am hesitant on there.   I appreciate the offer but I would hate to take from you. 

If you're growing succulents from seed, I hope you'll track the experiment here!

All of my succulents began as small plants purchased from a nursery, and what propagating I've done has been by beheading or by dividing plants that sprang up around the mother plant. The plants do flower, and sometimes they have reseeded (because I found small plants in areas where I never planted any).

[ERR0R1755]

Some succulents can be grown from seed (the ghost succulent even has flowers that produce seed if you take great care of it), but growing from seed tends to be more random with the resulting plant's genetics.

I'm planning to try it at some point, but at the moment I have enough to grow

[ERR0R1755]

I gave this one a R&R since it was looking a bit sickly. The nutrient solution had a PPM of 12, so all of the nutrients were gone... and the water at the very bottom was green with algae

I added some hydrogen peroxide when I refilled it, but the plant might be getting too big for the container - I'll have to keep a closer eye on it and see how it does.