EvesGarden Succulent Moon Shadow Series Variety Introduction

Follow

Follow Baike · Meet Beauty (WeChat ID: duoroubaike)

Main text begins:

Thanks to the author [Eve] for the original exclusive authorized sharing

Edited and compiled by: Baike Jun

Location: Kunming, Yunnan

Near Light

 Erased Tapes Collection IV

ólafur Arnalds 

00:00/03:24

Serene and quiet like an illusion, faintly visible.

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

Elegantly wearing a light dusting of powder, fresh and refined.

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

The most dreamy sprite in the Echelia (stone lotus) family, the "Moon Shadow."

Native to Mexico and the United States, they are one of the earlier stone lotuses to be horticulturally cultivated. Because of their rich colors and strong regenerative ability, they are also the most commonly used species for hybrid horticultural breeding.

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

Whether hybrid or original Moon Shadow, compared with other stone lotuses their traits are very special. Their rosettes are small and exquisite, compact and solid, most being miniature type, with the rosette 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 layer is relatively thin and easily rubbed off, but they have a very strong regenerative ability. Their colors have an obvious sense of layering, 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 up and begin to grow, turning overall light green or blue. Summer is the dormant season; the rosette will close and go dormant, the powdery layer thickens and the color becomes lighter. Autumn is again the growing season; the rosette will half-open and close, the color begins to become rich and they grow slowly. Winter returns to the dormant season; the rosette will close and go dormant again, but its color will become extra vivid.

They very much like clustering, usually centering on the main rosette and 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 expert, pup-bursting king... these are all their nicknames.)

Their stems are relatively slender and fragile, hidden beneath the many rosettes and not exposed. In the dormant 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 they are not beyond saving (compared with Dongyun, 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, saying Moon Shadow is a miniature variety, so why is it such a big bunch?

Uh.. alright, I only said their rosettes are miniature, but that does not mean their overall size cannot grow large, that is, the size is built up by the number of heads.

From the above introduction, everyone should also understand 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 also adapt to the different climates of the four seasons, and have extremely strong regenerative ability. Many succulent friends say Moon Shadow is small and cute, but very delicate, 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 talk about the philosophy! A very popular common method of growing Moon Shadow now is controlled cultivation. Why? To see color, to see condition! (It seems this is not only aimed at Moon Shadow; many other Sedum growers think so too. Then stepping out of Sedum, what do those growing caudiciforms, growing Rhipsalis, growing cacti look at? Really enough.) 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 are you looking at? Red? Red until you vomit blood? Yellow? Yellow like jelly? Oh enough, craving beauty is not wrong; everyone who grows flowers has a heart that loves beauty.

But! All plants are life. I personally feel that the entire ecological process of a plant is what is most worth appreciating! I relatively admire the natural ecological growing method. Of course, by natural I do not mean I completely throw them aside and ignore them (then why would they need me to grow them?). It means not excessively intervening (one could even say controlling) them, for example, insisting on using small pots with pure grit for controlled cultivation, or pushing growth with heavy fertilizer and heavy water, etc. The succulents grown by these extreme operations either freeze up and stop growing, or become watery stems and fragile heads. (Friends who have grown 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 satisfy as much as possible 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 slight prevention in high-risk seasons, and then just "watch," watching them slowly change, watching them slowly grow!

It's that simple!

So what did I ultimately harvest? Napa cabbage? A bunch of fake flowers completely removed from green? Friends who have been reading my articles should all feel in every comeback story that I will not let my succulents go to any extreme. Growth is the plant's ecology, and so is consumption and metabolism. When a plant stops growing due to excessive controlled cultivation and 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 forever doing this problem! 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, temperature, etc., 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, ecological values that are about to exceed the standard? To spend energy researching what threats your current environment poses to them? What kind of 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 the same color!

In my eyes, succulent colors are just: Green! So full of vitality; Red! So tenacious; Yellow! So brilliant; White! So calm. Translucent! Translucent....translucent...translucent...so heartbreaking... because once translucent... it's gone to the heavens~~~~~ Alright, even in death succulents do not forget to give you the most beautiful moment, so can't you really consider their feelings from their perspective! What do they truly need, and what have you given them?

Alright, rant over, let's systematically talk about Moon Shadow!

Moon Shadow soil: Moon Shadow is actually similar to Dongyun, a species that is not picky about soil. As long as the soil is not too barren, too stuffy, or strongly acidic or alkaline, it can grow. The Moon Shadow root system is medium-sized, and the fibrous roots regenerate extremely fast, so in terms of soil mixing, the emphasis is: mix according to your growing environment! In hot and humid places, increase the proportion of grit to achieve the effect of draining water, dissipating heat, and resisting bacteria. In too dry and too cold places, replace with heat-preserving 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 absolutely necessary, because although the roots of the Echeveria genus are shallow, they basically consume a relatively large amount of fertilizer.

So the soil mixing can recommend using the following types:

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, akadama, charcoal cinders, river sand are more suitable), hardened grit 23% (mountain stone, sandstone, 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, topdressing can be applied.

Regions with distinct four seasons: humus soil 35%, powdered grit 35%, hardened grit 28%, fertilizer 2%, and it is fine to choose moderate materials.

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 Dongyun series, the Moon Shadow series needs slightly more water. At the same time, water is also crucial for bringing out color, because only good water can nourish good roots and grow beautiful rosettes. Health is the foundation for blooming with brilliant colors, not relying on drying, controlling, and torturing! (Personal opinion.) In the growing season, when the temperature does not exceed 25 degrees, you can water the whole pot (the powder will not wash off, no need to fear; even if it washes off it will regenerate). Above 25 degrees, you can use misting or spraying to moisten the soil. Above 35 degrees, cut off water and go dormant. In the growing season, also pay attention to changing pots to give them enough space. Moon Shadow easily bursts the pot when it pups, making it hard 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 relied on them to eliminate and evolve and adapt on their own!)

Moon Shadow sunlight: Moon Shadow, like other stone lotuses, likes relatively more sunlight. In the city, normal direct sunlight of 6-8 hours is enough. In areas with strong ultraviolet, 5 hours is sufficient. In places like Kunming where the 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. (Over-sunning gives very beautiful color, 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 pampering it into a greenhouse flower with a fragile heart, it is better to carefully study it and think about what it really needs!)

Ventilation needed by Moon Shadow: if it can be fully open, try to use fully open ventilation. If the growing environment cannot be fully open, use a fan to strengthen the airflow at the vent. Note, it is the airflow at the vent. If you are sealed at home with no natural vent, 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 Dongyun data in the previous article. Perhaps the red line values can 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 lowering water and increasing ventilation can let them fall asleep and peacefully pass the dormant 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 they are also very easy to save. If you find water-soaked leaves, remove them immediately. If the stem and head also blacken and rot, do not hesitate, cut directly, cut away all infected parts cleanly, then apply disinfectant powder or carbendazim. No need to be sparing, because Moon Shadow regenerates and pups very quickly. If you are unwilling to cut and the infection spreads, the whole plant is gone. After treatment, they need a period of rest; do not touch water for a short time, sunlight can be maintained, and ventilation is best increased! After the wound heals, next year they will burst out a large bunch of side shoots again. In this respect, compared with Dongyun, 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 (in fact, last year in Kunming, with frost below 0 degrees plus 85 percent humidity, my Moon Shadows had 0 deaths. This is a real experience. Whether it is because they have cold resistance or because my wild succulents are more cold-tolerant still needs further confirmation, so for now let's conservatively say they still fear damp cold). But Moon Shadow's dormancy time is relatively not as long as Dongyun and the Fairies, and its stem is very fragile, so its trait is to rely on having many heads to endure. In unsuitable seasons or harsh environments they may sacrifice many heads, but it does not matter, because their regenerative ability is very strong. Never treat a succulent's side shoot as its baby! That is just their individual organ; put 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 a leaf on a Fairy Cup!

So bursting out large numbers 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 replicate them at the appropriate time, to increase their individual number and enhance their survival strength. Of course, this is not true reproduction, at least that is what I think, because this only uses the plant's characteristics for contemporary replication and is not truly synthesizing the next generation.

Let's talk about true reproduction, yes, pollination and sowing. The introduction at the beginning said that Moon Shadow is a variety very suitable for hybrid improvement. So hybridization can first only be completed through pollination. Therefore, in terms of pollination, besides being able to reproduce pure lines, Moon Shadow is also a species 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 from second-generation hybrid crossing, the traits are all very obvious. As shown in the picture, the second-generation hybrid Moon Shadow X Dongyun, that is, the third-generation "Hermes" (I also do not know why it is called this name, I just heard many people say so.), still has very obvious Moon Shadow characteristics: easy clustering, gradient color, with faint dark patterns. So this shows Moon Shadow's strong genetic characteristic in hybridization. Mm, if it is sowing, Moon Shadow is very suitable for SP, try more, haha! (By the way, my Moon Shadows' flowering is all left to the bees to cross randomly, so every year there are surprises!)

Alright, the first article of the Moon Shadow series, "Shadow Ballad," is about here. I am really afraid the text is too long and the babies will read until they vomit blood, haha.

In addition, most regions now have succulents that have already begun to sleep. Sharing some experience with everyone is not to tell you all to start right now. Plants are very sensitive when dormant, so do not mess around. Mm, if you really cannot stay idle, you can use your brain more to think and plan. When autumn comes and they all wake up, then you can start tinkering.

Summer is not scary. The scariest is an owner who worries blindly and acts blindly, haha, just kidding. But controlling the various environmental indicators is necessary, so that the succulents can sleep comfortably and come back fully revived in autumn! What about the comeback? Easter egg?

Uh, alright, this article omits the comeback, because the pictures are used in a book that has not yet been published. For the confidentiality of the copyright before the book is published, the book pictures are not used in the article. Please understand. (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 comeback, haha.)

As for the Easter egg, that is, the Moon Shadow series has a side-story chapter! It is a part separated from this article. Dramatic plot; friends who like stories can watch for the side chapter immediately following this one.

End!

Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT

This article is exclusively authorized by the author to the WeChat public account: Succulent Plant Encyclopedia (ID: duoroubaike). The content of the article does not represent the views and position of the public account.

- Review of last issue's wonderful pushes -

- Baike essential articlesrecommended -