This Plant Stinks

[Daethen]

I have 2 stepelia now. Don't really know how to take care of them but they are growing like crazy. I water a lot and give lots of sun. One looks like a stinky donut when in bloom.

[katrina]

Thanks, Paul. I would say that I'm growing them pretty close to what you explained...with one exception - I could probably increase the watering a bit. Will start that this spring. Hopefully that helps.

What about fert...do you guys fert these very much? I'm awful w/fertilizing all cacti and succulents.

[RosieC]

What a fascinating flower. Cool.

(PS. I've moved this to the off-topic area as it's not an orchid. )

[smweaver]

Very cool blooms and a nice-looking plant too. A friend of mine grows huernias, and he delights in bringing them into work whenever they're in bloom just so he can laugh whenever an admiring passerby stops to take a whiff.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by katrina

...I can't get blooms....

The take a lot more light than most people give them. In habitat most have reddish stems from all the sun. Too shady and they won't bloom.

They bloom on new growth. More water = more new growth. They survive months without water but don't grow.

More fertilizer means more new growth and more blooms.

They're highly susceptible to mealy bugs, which hide on the undersides of the stems where roots attach. Wet stapeliads in cool weather with mealybugs don't survive long. There are two ways to deal with mealybugs: Put grub granules containing imidacloprid into your soil. Or put a 1/2" layer of gravel over your potting mix. Set stapeliad cuttings on top of the gravel. They will root through the gravel into the soil. Mealies seem not to like being up in the air above the gravel.

If your plants aren't growing rapidly during warm weather and blooming in season they aren't getting enough water or they have mealy bugs.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by estación seca

If your plants aren't growing rapidly during warm weather and blooming in season they aren't getting enough water or they have mealy bugs.

The take a lot more light than most people give them. In habitat most have reddish stems from all the sun. Too shady and they won't bloom.

No mealies...I'm vigilant in watching for them on these guys because when I first started growing them I lost two to mealies. So, no, no mealies.

I'm watering a lot during this time of the year...but from the sounds of it I could give them more light. They get some full sun in the morning but the rest of the day it's just bright shade. They got so purple in the past and I started seeing what looked like sunburn that I moved them to lower light and have never pushed it since. I'm getting some growth but not a lot. Upping the light...acclimation process starting today. Thanks! Wish me luck! As stinky as they are reported to be...I want to see flowers.

[Tindomul]

Gorgeous!! Once upon a time I had the Stapeliad bug. My wallet cured me.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by katrina

What about fert...do you guys fert these very much? I'm awful w/fertilizing all cacti and succulents.

Stapeliads grow more and flower more with more fertilizer. They'll easily take as much as tomatoes. Keep them veering towards purple with high light so they're as tough as possible. They can easily tolerate drying out for long periods of time but grow better with regular warm season water. In most of the Midwest rain will be enough through the summer unless you have a 2-week dry spell.

In the winter, unless you have really bright indoor lights, try not to let them grow by restricting watering completely. Numerous plant explorers have described finding bits of stapeliads in pockets many months after returning home, and the bits appearing exactly as when put there.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by estación seca

The take a lot more light than most people give them. In habitat most have reddish stems from all the sun. Too shady and they won't bloom.

They bloom on new growth. More water = more new growth. They survive months without water but don't grow.

More fertilizer means more new growth and more blooms.

Mine get full Texas sun all year long and are pretty happy! I might up the watering though....