EvesGarden Succulent Moon Shadow Series: Shadow Verse Variety Introduction

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Thanks to the author [Eve] for theoriginal exclusive authorizationsharing

Editing and organizing: Encyclopedia Jun

Location: Kunming, Yunnan

Near Light

 Erased Tapes Collection IV

ólafur Arnalds 

00:00/03:24

Serene and quiet as an illusion, faintly visible.

Mysterious and dreamy colors change with the light, like a fairyland.

Elegantly wearing a light powder makeup, fresh and refined.

Splashing morning dew, playing with raindrops, shimmering with spiritual light.

The most dreamy spirit in the Echeveria family, "Moon Shadow."

Originally from Mexico and the United States, they are one of the earlier Echeveria species cultivated horticulturally. Because of their rich colors and strong regenerative ability, they are also the most commonly used species for horticultural hybrid cultivation.

The original species of Moon Shadow, like Echeveria agavoides, are actually not many, but due to continuous horticultural improvement and hybridization later on, many varieties were born.

Whether hybrid or original Moon Shadow, compared with other Echeveria, their traits are very special. Their rosettes are small and exquisite, compact and firm, most are mini-sized, with heads not exceeding 10 cm. A few varieties can grow to 15-20 cm. They like plenty of sunlight and a moderate amount of water. The powdery coating is relatively thin and easily rubbed off, but they have a very strong regenerative ability. Their colors have an obvious layered quality, normally showing multi-color gradients, and some varieties also have faint dark patterns.

In overall appearance, Moon Shadow has very obvious four-season change characteristics. Spring is their growing season; the rosette will open and begin to grow, turning light green or blue overall. Summer is the dormancy season; the rosette will close and go dormant, the powdery coating thickens and the color becomes lighter. Autumn is the growing season again; the rosette will half-open and half-close, the colors begin to become rich and they grow slowly. Winter returns to the dormancy season; the rosette will close and go dormant again, but their colors become extra vivid.

They very much like clustering, usually with the main rosette as the center, bursting out side shoots between the rosette leaves, especially in the growing season, when the number of heads can basically multiply several times over. (High-yield mother, side-shoot master, pup-bursting king... these are all their nicknames.)

Their stems are relatively slender and fragile, hidden beneath the many rosettes, not exposed. In the dormancy season they basically rely on dead leaves for protection.

They have weak resistance to fungi. If the ecological data is unbalanced, they are very prone to black rot, but it is not incurable (compared with Echeveria agavoides, their survival ability is not just a little stronger!).

Alright, the introduction is done, let's get to the main topic of this article! I'll share my personal "Moon Shadow" growing experience.

Seeing the pictures, are you going to ask again: didn't you say Moon Shadow is a mini variety, so why is it such a big cluster again?

Uh... alright, I only said their rosettes are mini, but that doesn't mean their overall size can't grow large, that is, the number of heads piles up into a large size.

From the above introduction, everyone should also have understood the attributes of Moon Shadow. They are a species that likes sunlight, a moderate amount of water, and a well-ventilated environment. At the same time, they can adapt to the different climates of the four seasons, and they have an extremely strong regenerative ability. Many succulent friends say Moon Shadow is small and cute, but very fussy, prone to black rot at every turn. Sigh, I can only say, have you got their point? Growing flowers is about focusing on them, not on your personal preferences, ok?

Let's first chat about the philosophy! A very popular common method of growing Moon Shadow now is controlled cultivation. Why? To see the color, to see the condition! (It seems this isn't only aimed at Moon Shadow; many other Sedum players think the same way. But stepping outside Sedum, what do those growing caudex plants, growing Adenium, growing cacti look at? Really, enough already.) In the previous article, a friend asked whether growing in a large pot or in the ground can bring out color. What I want to say is, what color exactly do you want to see? Red? Red until it vomits blood? Yellow? Yellow like jelly? Oh, enough. Craving beautiful colors is not wrong; everyone who grows flowers has a heart that loves beauty.

But! All plants are life. I personally think the entire ecological process of a plant is what is most worth appreciating! I relatively revere the natural ecological growing method. Of course, by natural I don't mean I completely leave them alone (then what would they need me to grow them for?), but rather not excessively intervening by hand (one could even say controlling) them, such as insisting on using small pots with pure grit for controlled cultivation, or forcing growth with heavy fertilizer and heavy water, and so on. Succulents grown by these extreme operations either freeze and stop growing, or become watery stems with brittle heads. (Friends who have grown them for many years should all know this.)

So what did I do? What I did was, based on the environment and based on the variety, first configure the soil that "they" need, then do the greatest possible to satisfy the space, sunlight, wind, water, and other natural ecological conditions they need, and let them grow naturally. If sick, treat them; if not sick, do mild prevention in high-risk seasons, and then just "watch," watching them slowly change, watching them slowly grow!

It's that simple!

Then what do I ultimately harvest? Napa cabbage? A bunch of fake flowers completely divorced from green? Friends who keep reading my articles should all be able to feel in every reversal story that I will not let my succulents go to any extreme. Growth is the ecology of a plant, and consumption and metabolism are too. When a plant, because of excessive controlled cultivation, stops growing due to insufficient nutrition, consumption will not stop. What does this mean? You should all understand! Growth and consumption are always addition and subtraction, and plant life is always solving this equation! But the equals sign is drawn by you, the owner!

Then condition, what is condition! Condition also includes health condition, includes growth condition. It is not only color that is the so-called condition!

If you give them enough of the basic ecological conditions they need, such as sunlight, water, and temperature, and satisfy everything they need, do you dare say any variety will fail to grow the appearance it should have? What are you controlling? What should you control?

Why spend so much thought researching how to artificially torture succulents into color, how to artificially control the growth form of succulents? Instead of spending time figuring out how to control your growing environment, that is, the ecological values about to exceed the standard, and spending effort researching what threats your current environment poses to them, what life dangers they may encounter? Why? Think about it yourselves!

My succulents are always constantly changing through the four seasons, growing continuously year after year. There will be color, but it will not always be one single color!

In my eyes, succulent color is just: Green! So full of vitality; Red! So tenacious; Yellow! So brilliant; White! So calm. Transparent! Transparent....transparent...transparent...so heart-wrenching... Because once transparent, then...gone to the heavens~~~~~ Alright, even in death succulents don't forget to give you the most beautiful moment. Can't you truly consider their feelings from their perspective! What they truly need, and what have you given them?

Alright, the ranting is over, now let's talk about Moon Shadow systematically!

Moon Shadow soil: Moon Shadow is actually similar to Echeveria agavoides, a species that is not picky about soil. As long as the soil is not too barren, too stuffy, or strongly acidic or strongly alkaline, it can grow. The Moon Shadow root system is medium-sized, and the fibrous roots regenerate extremely quickly, so in terms of soil mixing, what is emphasized is: mix according to your growing environment! In hot, stuffy, humid places, increase the proportion of grit to achieve the effect of draining water, dissipating heat, and resisting bacteria. In places that are too dry and too cold, replace with heat-retaining root-protecting grit materials and increase water-retaining soil materials to achieve heat preservation and water retention. In places with obvious four-season changes, you can choose a moderate soil mix to satisfy the climate of the four seasons. In addition, fertilizer is completely necessary, because although Echeveria roots are shallow, they basically all consume a relatively large amount of fertilizer.

So for soil mixing, the following types can be recommended:

Hot and humid southern regions: humus soil 30%, powdered grit 40% (pumice, diatomite, coal cinders are more suitable), hardened grit 28% (maifan stone, green zeolite, volcanic rock, mountain stone), the grit can be chosen a bit larger. Fertilizer 2% (slow-release fertilizer is more suitable). In the growing season, liquid fertilizer can be added.

Dry and cold northern regions: humus soil 40%, powdered grit 35% (kanuma soil, akadama, charcoal cinders, river sand are more suitable), hardened grit 23% (mountain stone, sand stone, Kiryu sand, maifan stone and the like), the grit can be chosen a bit finer. Fertilizer 2% (organic fertilizer can be used in dry regions). In the growing season, additional fertilizer can be applied.

Regions with distinct four seasons: humus soil 35%, powdered grit 35%, hardened grit 28%, fertilizer 2%. Materials of moderate choice are fine.

The above formulas are only for reference, not absolute! In practice you still have to adjust according to your home environment, growing method, and personal habits!

Moon Shadow water: Compared with the Echeveria agavoides line, the Moon Shadow line needs a slightly larger amount of water. At the same time, water is also crucial for producing color, because only good water can nourish good roots and grow beautiful rosettes. Health is the foundation for blooming gorgeous colors, not relying on drying, controlling, and torturing! (Personal opinion.) In the growing season, when the temperature does not exceed 25°C, you can water the whole pot (the powder coating won't wash off, don't worry; even if it does wash off, it will regenerate). Above 25°C, you can use misting or spraying to moisten the soil. Above 35°C, cut off water and go dormant. In the growing season, also pay attention to changing pots to give them enough space. Moon Shadow, once it starts bursting heads, easily cracks the pot, making it impossible for you to water. In southern regions, if sun showers plus high temperatures occur, you can appropriately block some rain. (I previously blocked it completely in Shenzhen, to be honest, and just relied on them to eliminate, evolve, and adapt themselves!)

Moon Shadow sunlight: Moon Shadow, like other Echeveria, likes relatively more sunlight. Normal urban sunlight of 6-8 hours of direct sunlight is enough. In areas with strong ultraviolet light, 5 hours is sufficient. In places like Kunming where sunlight is too intense, too long a time will directly cause them to stop growing, so you can appropriately choose a better position to reduce sunlight time. (After being sunburned the color is very beautiful, but you also have to consider the plant's own feelings.) In cities with smog, there is no need to shade, and summer is no exception (the sunlight is already insufficient, so what are you shading for?) Etiolation and resistance in all aspects will weaken. (Rather than being glass-hearted and spoiling it into a greenhouse flower, it is better to carefully study it and think about what it actually needs!)

Ventilation Moon Shadow needs: If it can be fully open, try to use fully open ventilation. If the growing environment cannot be fully open, use fans to strengthen the airflow at the ventilation opening. Note, it is the airflow at the ventilation opening. If you seal it at home with no natural ventilation opening, even a hundred fans are useless, because without fresh air for airflow exchange it is still stuffy! The same in all four seasons!

Moon Shadow temperature issues: Moon Shadow's temperature needs are similar to the Echeveria agavoides data in the previous article. The red-line values can perhaps be stretched a bit wider; they are not afraid of either high or low temperatures. What they fear is high or low temperature plus humidity. So when the temperature values exceed the standard, relatively reducing water and increasing ventilation can let them fall asleep and calmly pass through the dormancy season.

Moon Shadow diseases: The most common for Moon Shadow is black rot, mainly caused by bacterial infection due to excessively high temperature and too much water. The treatment method is very simple and also very easy to save. If you find water-soaked leaves, immediately remove them. If the stem and head also develop black rot, do not hesitate, cut directly. Cut away all infected parts cleanly, then apply disinfectant powder or carbendazim. No need to feel pity, because Moon Shadow regenerates and bursts heads very quickly. If you are unwilling to cut, causing the infection to spread, then the whole plant will go to the heavens. After treatment, they need a period of quiet recovery; do not touch water for a short time. Sunlight can be maintained, and ventilation is best increased! After the wound heals, the next year they will burst out a large number of side shoots again. In this respect, compared with Echeveria agavoides, Moon Shadow is far stronger.

Alright, let's summarize. What Moon Shadow actually fears is damp heat and damp cold. Solve these problems, and Moon Shadow's survival is no longer a problem! Dry heat and dry cold can both be passed through dormancy (actually, last year in Kunming, with frost below 0°C plus 85% humidity, my Moon Shadows had 0 deaths. This is a real experience. Whether it is because they have cold resistance or because my wild-grown succulents are more frost-tolerant still needs further confirmation, so for now let's conservatively say they still fear damp cold). However, Moon Shadow's dormancy time is relatively not as long as Echeveria agavoides and Echeveria 'Pretty in Pink,' and its stem is very fragile, so its characteristic is to endure by having many heads. In unsuitable seasons or harsh environments, they may sacrifice many heads, but it doesn't matter, because their regenerative ability is very strong. Never treat a succulent's side shoot as its young! That is just their individual organ. To put it plainly, when necessary it will also be metabolically sacrificed. For a species like Moon Shadow, the death of one side shoot is no different from the death of one leaf on an Echeveria 'Pretty in Pink'!

So bursting out a large number of side shoots in the growing season or when the mother plant is about to die is a survival skill of Moon Shadow. This point needs to be deeply understood. Of course, you can also use this advantage to divide and clone at an appropriate time, to increase their number of individuals and strengthen their survival strength. Of course, this is not reproduction in the true sense. At least that is what I think, because this is only using the plant's characteristics for contemporary cloning, not truly synthesizing the next generation.

Let's talk about true reproduction. Yes, pollination and sowing. The opening introduction said Moon Shadow is a variety very suitable for hybrid improvement. Then hybridization can first only be completed through pollination, so in terms of pollination, besides being able to reproduce as a pure line, they are also a type very suitable for hybridization. Their genetic genes are very strong. Basically, after one generation of crossing with the original Moon Shadow, or the third-generation Moon Shadow crossed with a second-generation hybrid, the Moon Shadow traits are still very obvious, such as the second-generation hybrid Moon Shadow X Echeveria agavoides shown in the picture, that is, the third-generation "Hermes" (I also don't know why it is called this name, I just heard many people say so.) It still has very obvious Moon Shadow characteristics: easy to cluster, gradient color, with faint dark patterns. So this shows Moon Shadow's strong genetic dominance in hybridization. Mm, if sowing, Moon Shadow is very suitable for SP. Try more, hahaha! (By the way, my Moon Shadows when flowering all random-cross with bees, so every year there are surprises!)

Alright, this first article of the Moon Shadow series, "Shadow Verse," is about here. I was really afraid the text would be too long and the babies would read until they vomited blood, haha.

In addition, succulents in most regions have now begun to sleep. Sharing some experience with everyone is not to tell you to start doing things right now. Plants are very sensitive when dormant, so don't mess around. Mm, if you really can't stay idle, you can exercise your brain more, think more, and plan more. When autumn comes and they all wake up, then you can start working on them.

Summer is not scary. The scariest is an owner who worries blindly and acts blindly, hahaha, just kidding. But it is necessary to control the various indicators of the environment, because this lets the succulents sleep comfortably and come back fully revived in autumn! Reversal? Easter egg?

Uh, alright, the reversal will be omitted in this article, because the pictures were used in a book that has not yet been published. For the confidentiality of copyright before the book is published, I will not use the book pictures in the article. I ask for everyone's understanding. (Actually, if you carefully look at the Moon Shadows in a few articles from the year before last and compare them with this article, you can find the reversal, hahaha.)

As for the Easter egg, it is that the Moon Shadow series has a side-story chapter! It is a part separated from this article. A dramatic plot; friends who like reading stories can watch for an inserted chapter immediately after this one.

End!

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This article has beenexclusively authorizedby the author. WeChat public account: Succulent Plant Encyclopedia (ID: duoroubaike). The content of the article does not represent the views and stance of the public account.

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