Dudleya edulis "Pachyphytum" Care and More (Part 2)

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Thanks to the author [Eve] for theoriginal exclusive authorizationsharing

Editing and organizing: Encyclopedia Jun

Location: Kunming, Yunnan

Wild Child

 A Day Without Rain

Enya 

00:00/03:48

This is the second part of the Pachyphytum piece, and it's now fully updated!

Hello everyone, I'm back again. Three days have passed in the blink of an eye, but I only slept for one day, hehe. Why? Because the previous article (see the previous part in "Care of Dudleya Succulents: The Thumb Dudleya "Pachyphytum"") caused controversy due to an oversight, and I tossed and turned for two nights without sleeping over it... It was about a fellow succulent lover condemning the purchase of wild Dudleya. Well, this is a very serious matter, because I had been painstakingly writing and sharing my personal experience with Dudleya care, and I overlooked a problem that nature-loving friends care deeply about, which is "no buying, no harm"!

First, let me state my position: I absolutely do not support illegal poaching of wild Dudleya or destroying natural ecosystems. I didn't specifically state this in the previous part, but from my explanations about plant condition, everyone can probably sense that I said rough harvesting causes plants to fall apart, damages the original roots, affects plant growth, and can even lead to death. That was actually me taking a stance on this issue!

But as for domesticating and cultivating wild Dudleya, I absolutely support it. First, everyone should understand that the earliest ancestors of every plant in your hands came from nature. Even if it's a man-made hybrid improvement, its parent plants couldn't have been man-made.

That is to say, their only path can be obtained from the wild. Of course, this doesn't mean large-scale destructive harvesting, but rather selective collection of seeds, mother plants, or some research samples. Then domesticate and propagate them. Well, friends who have been growing plants for many years should know this.

The photo above was taken by my friend "Kun" at last year's California Succulent Plant Show. For the exchange of plant culture, this kind of exhibition is often held in the United States and even many European countries.

The main subject in the picture is a wild-domesticated mother plant. You could say it's wild, or you could say it's a domesticated original. From the picture, everyone should be able to feel its age.

Also exhibited were its next-generation offspring, as well as hybrid improved varieties. As part of the exchange, some seedlings and mature plants can also be purchased at the show. That is to say, after domestication, wild Dudleya can legally flow into the global market as horticultural commodities. In other words, not all Dudleya are the products of illegal poachers!

This Pachyphytum x Brittonii was purchased by this friend at the show. It grows very strangely and is a very successful second-generation hybrid. It's quite fun, isn't it.

Of course, for foreign countries, this whole series of operations is very systematic and ordinary, because it belongs to researching species, propagating species, and protecting species survivability. Otherwise, where would we get so many varieties to grow? The expansion and development of human living space causes inevitable damage to nature. Once the ecosystem changes, it is very likely to cause a species to be unable to survive and reproduce. Whether animals or plants, they all face this problem caused by humans. So nature is destroyed because of our survival, causing wild species to continuously decrease. Then won't people who love these species do everything to protect them? If they can't protect them, won't they think of every possible way to preserve them through artificial domestication and breeding? Of course, we humans are emotional and also rational. Our emotions tell us what we hope for, but rationality makes us face reality.

Likewise, the Mexican axolotl native to Mexico (don't call them monsters, they are my pets!) became endangered in the wild due to ecological destruction, and they survived because of human research. Of course, they also went through all kinds of cruel biological research, and even experienced a tragic fate on dinner tables when they entered China, but in the end this species still survived as pets in fish tanks across the country and even around the world among enthusiasts. Although they have completely said goodbye to their original ecology, at least they are still alive.

Although many of them experienced all kinds of misfortune because of humans, and for the entire species humans caused a devastating disaster, in the end it is also we enthusiasts who work hard to keep them alive and reproducing to make up for this trauma! In our emotional dictionary, business is about profit and reality, but without this business, may I ask, where would they be now? Probably only a few would live in research institutes as samples.

Let's take another example: our China's national treasure, the panda. If not for artificial domestication and breeding, and being sent around the world for exchange, how many could survive in the wild? Which nature lover would dare stand up and say, let them go, return them to nature? Do you have the ability to stop human cities from expanding, stop their environment from being destroyed, stop their numbers from declining? Think about these things for yourselves!

Using Dudleya as an example, the saying "no buying, no harm" is not wrong. Without buying and selling, there wouldn't be more Dudleya injured by illegal poaching and harvesting, and they wouldn't die in illegal transport channels because of trade. But! If no one buys anymore, will no one harvest anymore? This is the simplest and most ideal method that our emotional intuition tells me, but what about reality? Reality is that as long as people keep opposing and raising initiatives, more and more people will pay attention, and more and more people will feel that it is rare and precious! And what does that lead to? Some people feel even more that it is hard to get, rare, precious, and beautiful. It also becomes a topic of hype, and even gives the market a reason to raise prices because someone was arrested for illegal harvesting!

Friends who know about Dudleya should know that wild Dudleya entering China is not a matter of just the past one or two years, but why has there always been opposition, and why has illegal wild harvesting become more rampant in recent years? Why? Because enthusiasts kill them and then buy again! If they keep them alive, they want to buy even more! Because more people pay attention to Dudleya due to hype, which leads more people to want to own them! This is an undeniable reality in China's succulent community today. Opponents want to protect the original ecology of Dudleya, while poachers can also play a psychological game with growers who want to own them.

What kind of game? Gambling! Just like the Yulin Dog Meat Festival, a topic stirred up because of animal lovers, and a consequence brought about because of opposition. Dog meat dealers bring dogs onto the street to "gamble." Gamble on what? You love dogs, right? The dog is mine, so how I treat it is my freedom. Even the law can't do anything to me. What can you do? Will you buy it for 3000? Will you buy it for 5000? If you don't buy, I'll kill it! And in the end? Buying is wrong, not buying is also wrong... Was it wrong? Who was wrong? So what? Every year piles of unsold wild Dudleya die from being left to waste away and are thrown out, but every year overwhelming numbers of wild Dudleya appear again. Do you buy or not? Humans are not ants or bees, guided by one ruler. We are all individuals with our own thoughts!

The unethical and immoral sales phenomenon of poaching and stealing is not only about Dudleya, not only about succulents, and even more not only about plants. Stealers in all walks of life have existed from ancient times to the present. Some skin animals alive, some dig and harvest indiscriminately, and some even dig up people's ancestral graves. Once this stealing trade ends, there will be more. Can just shouting with one mouth, "I oppose!" stop it? Can relying on one idea, "I want to expose it, I want to stir social attention," stop it? I don't want to make any personal definition of these issues, because these things will always remain topics that we ordinary people are still discussing, opinions still in controversy... and there will never be a result!

As an individual, I have my own ideas, and I will take action for my ideas, not just move my mouth to talk. I will try regardless of whether it's right or wrong, because no matter what I do, someone will hold opposing views. It doesn't matter, I'm used to it. I wander with my succulents all the way, and along the way people gossip about me, and I'm not afraid. Now I'll tell you what I want to do! As a succulent enthusiast, because of my hobby I keep encountering succulent varieties, and because of business I have the chance to grow thousands of succulents!

As for this Pachyphytum in this article, my goal is to solve the problems of existing Pachyphytum enthusiasts in China through my research and sharing, so that current Pachyphytum, whether wild or horticultural, will not die because of various problems! So that because of death there will not be more demand for wild purchases! So that because of death players will not give up on this variety! Let them live better than in the wild! Let their horticultural next-generation offspring spread everywhere! This is the ideal set by my emotions, and my rationality tells me this is only the beginning. I need action. Action is not just typing on a keyboard. It is continuously trying to grow them, continuously taking photos and recording, continuously summarizing! Continuously devoting energy to sharing, doing what I believe is right!

I don't believe that if all the Pachyphytum growing problems in China were solved and horticultural propagation numbers had spread everywhere, there would still be people taking risks to buy expensive wild Pachyphytum that have been pulled up miserably due to rough harvesting!

To the supporters who oppose harvesting wild Dudleya, I also suggest that you stop loudly criticizing every time you see something related to "wild Dudleya." That only causes more controversy and more attention. If you want to solve the problem of original ecology being destroyed, I suggest you advocate formal and legal introduction and purchase, and turn your fierce opposition into encouragement and support. The opponent of poachers of expensive wild Dudleya is the "affordable horticultural propagator"! Accelerate the horticulturalization progress of Pachyphytum and even all wild Dudleya. Only in this way is there a method that can comprehensively solve the problem! (People who want to buy can buy them, and people who want to sell rely on their own experience and labor to earn rewards!) Rather than wasting time arguing with people, or even lowering your dignity to curse and shout. It is meaningless and changes nothing!

Alright, enough rambling about viewpoints. Let's begin the main text of this article!

Review of the previous part:

Actually, friends who understand Dudleya all know that in its place of origin it is a kind of "weed" that won't die from wind and rain, scorching sun, or insect bites. It is not rare, nor difficult to grow, and propagation is even less of a problem. All my articles about Dudleya and my personal experience emphasize this issue again and again! Moreover, internationally, many Dudleya varieties have already been horticulturalized and mass-produced by various countries and entered the lives of plant lovers around the world! So Pachyphytum will ultimately be the same, and as mentioned at the beginning, mass-produced Pachyphytum is already being sold in the United States, and China will eventually be the same.

Next I will continue to share the following content:

"Growth" How long until it shows its condition? How long until it blooms? How do you sow Pachyphytum (also called Thumb Dudleya, hereafter referred to as "Thumb")?

"Variety issues" Why are Thumb leaves so long? If Thumb doesn't grow round, is there a problem with the variety?

"Disease" Why do the leaves keep turning yellow? Is it infected with some disease? The stem is hollow and rotten! The rosette died and won't sprout!

"Summer care" How to care for it in summer? Will it die in summer?

Growth:

Regarding condition, first we need to explain one issue: even after domestication, the condition of Pachyphytum will be very different from wild ones. First, you need to understand one point: it is not mutation, but change caused by the environment. After leaving the harsh original environment, the whole feeling of Pachyphytum becomes more vivid, that is, the color becomes fresh green, and the number of leaves also increases. The main reason is that the dormant period is reduced and consumption is reduced. In some areas, because sunlight is different, leaves will also become slightly longer. These are all normal phenomena (not variety problems). As for color, if they get enough sunlight, the leaves will turn burnt yellow. Orange-yellow and red must depend on temperature, that is, seasonal coloring. So I don't recommend treating it casually with the same controlled cultivation as other Crassulaceae.

Flowering:

This is a topic that many Thumb enthusiasts are interested in. By the way, the Thumb from my previous article that made a comeback has successfully been domesticated and become a mother. Let's use it as an example. The flowering period of Thumb is very, very long. From sending up the flower stalk to blooming to pollination and scattering seeds, it takes at least 6-8 months, just like its slow-growing characteristic. Thumb generally starts sending up flower stalks in spring after winter ends, blooms in summer, slowly withers in autumn, and begins scattering seeds in winter. In its original environment, the seeds drift into rock crevices to hide, and when the time is right, they burst out from the rock crevices and sprout.

Pollination:

The pollination method of Thumb Dudleya is the same as other Crassulaceae, but there is a very special point: once pollinated, the flower will immediately close, unlike other Crassulaceae that split open and reveal plump seed pods. This is also a protective characteristic they developed because of their environment. Because of this characteristic, people often mistakenly think pollination failed and discard the seed pods. So, at this point, do you all think that as long as a mother plant blooms and you pollinate it, you'll get rich? A variety this easy to grow still sells for such a high market price... Hehe, keep dreaming. Sow once and you'll know.

First, a Thumb that can bloom must be of a certain age;

Second, blooming does not necessarily mean Thumb can be pollinated, because if nutrition is insufficient or its own condition is not enough, even if it blooms, it is infertile.

Third, because of individual differences, the flowering periods of Thumb often do not overlap. Secondly, even if you pollinate successfully and harvest seeds, hehe, don't expect it to be like other Crassulaceae, where heavy fertilizer and heavy water can push it into a big cabbage. It will be like its mother: no matter how much fertilizer and water you give, it only grows that few leaves in a year. This is determined by genes.

Sowing:

Speaking of seedlings, I'll also talk about variety issues by the way. The photo above shows seedlings artificially sown from second-generation wild Thumb Dudleya. Are you all confused again? The leaves are so flat and long, how could it possibly be Thumb! I clearly tell you yes, absolutely yes!

If you don't believe it, go sow some yourself! Thumb Dudleya is very interesting. From sprouting to taking shape, it is basically like an ugly duckling transforming into a swan (even a black duck can become a white swan, so why can't flat long leaves become a white, rich, and beautiful one?). The first stage of Thumb germination is triangular leaf growth. In its first year it can grow about 8~10 leaves (didn't we say only 5~8 leaves in a year, why did it become 8~12 again? During the development period it grows fast.) This stage is all part of the germination period.

By the second year (are you going to say: damn, what the heck, even uglier...) Yes, the second year enters the growth period. Because in the wild environment it sprouts in rock crevices, longer leaves during the growth period are normal, otherwise how would it drill out from the rock crevices! At this stage the seedlings are very fragile, with very thin farina, almost no farina, so they are somewhat afraid of sunlight (the holes in the leaves were hit by hail, yes, this is what I mentioned before, seedlings I took out too early to harden off and got injured, but they were only slightly injured, and in the end there were 0 deaths). This stage is the fastest growth stage for Thumb Dudleya. Whether in leaf number or size, it will grow rapidly. Of course, this is compared with its own growth speed, and cannot be compared with Echeveria. At this stage, the largest one I have seen grew to 20 cm.

Around the third year, that is, after completing the hardening process and taking shape, the stem will slowly grow taller, begin to have metabolic dead leaves, and the entire plant shape will undergo earth-shaking changes. New leaves will become shorter and fatter, and the leaf tips will slowly disappear. So, now it always looks like a Thumb, right? After that, as the stem continues to grow and the leaf shape continues to rise, it will become shorter and shorter, and the farina will become thicker and thicker. Of course, the premise is that there is enough environmental adjustment.

Regarding variety issues, I believe everyone can understand from a Thumb's germination to taking shape. Thumb Dudleya actually has many morphological changes. Even after it takes shape, it will still change with various environmental factors. Strong sunlight makes leaves shorter and farina thicker; low temperatures make leaf color turn yellow or even red. If the opposite, insufficient sunlight and too high temperature. Too much water, well, it immediately returns to its pre-liberation state and goes back to the growth period.

This also shows that there is no such thing as horticulturalized plants being different from original ones! As shown in the picture, the side shoot of this domesticated mother plant is slender, while the main head is short and round. So dismiss the idea that wild species are purer. It is only the condition caused by the environment! Even if mutation is going to happen, it would only be after dozens or hundreds of generations of natural reproduction in a fixed region, fixed climate, and fixed environment. Of course, the possibility of individual differences cannot be ruled out.

Disease issues:

Many friends report that the first problem with Thumb is that the leaves on the lower layer of the rosette turn dry yellow and curl. First, I want to explain that this is not a disease. It is a normal phenomenon during the rooting period or dormancy of Thumb Dudleya. But if black spots appear on the leaves, or they rot and turn to water, then they must be dealt with immediately (the previous part has pictures and explanations and treatment methods).

Stem and sprouting issues:

For Dudleya, hollow stems are very normal, because they often suffer pest damage, and for this fatal problem Dudleya also has its own system to overcome it, namely the regenerative ability of the leaf sheath and stem. Thumb is the godmother of all Dudleya, so in this respect it is considered the strongest. As long as you let it successfully adapt to your environment and cover its stems well, it can regenerate many side shoots, and at the same time the wounds will, after a certain period, miraculously heal like those of trees and shrubs.

But if you do the opposite and expose the injured stem to the sun, it will very likely be depleted and not sprout, and existing growth points may also die as a result. As for disease, the resistance of Thumb is the strongest among the Dudleya I have seen. In the cases collected so far, none have died from black rot, and for infectious diseases I have only seen sooty mold in seedlings caused by lack of sunlight (for sooty mold treatment, please see the second Dudleya article.)

Summer care:

For Thumb, dormancy is something it is very good at. In its original environment it sleeps almost most of the time. Its dormant behavior is the same as other Dudleya: growth becomes slow or even stops, lower leaves are still consumed, and dryness accumulates into a leaf sheath. So don't be anxious, take it slowly, especially now in summer! It's best not to move them around casually. If you must move them, it's better to do it during the growing season. Remember one thing: a plant is a plant, not an animal. It grows fixed in one place and won't run around by itself, so when planting plants, the final placement position is best decided once and for all! This lets its senses accept the current environment faster and regulate its own adaptation plan. Disease recovery periods and seedlings are another matter.

Alright, this article ends here. This is the longest sharing article in my history. Although it is very long and rambling, what I hope is that all succulent friends can live in harmony and friendship, because after all, everyone met because of a shared hobby.

Alright, that's it. Whatever. There is still a lot of work to do. What others say is their business, and what I do is my own business. From the time I started writing until now, I have always followed back everyone who followed me, and replied to every message. But now I feel that some things perhaps don't need to be paid attention to at all.

To avoid further controversy, the technical sharing articles on Dudleya will come to a pause here. I have said what I should say, and I have written out everything I know so far. This is as much as I can do. Good luck to all Dudleya enthusiasts. I should give myself a vacation. Goodbye!

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