In nature, Dyckias are found in such places...

Questions and answers about cultivation, propagation, fertilization, diseases and pestcontrol etc.

Moderator: Timm Stolten

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Constantino Gastaldi
Beiträge: 146
Registriert: Sonntag, 1 April 2007, 0:40
Wohnort: Santa Catarina- Brazil

In nature, Dyckias are found in such places...

Beitrag von Constantino Gastaldi »

This may give you a clue on Dyckia cultivation :
Look this green carpet on the rock is sustained by a very rich organic substrate. Dyckias form themselves their substrate, They have how to collect organic material formed up above the rocks. These debris brought by the wind and the water of the rain are all preserved composing the substrate in which a dyckia on the rock thrives.
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..and about culture tips, look well at this last picture: This plant that is growing amid Dyckias are Amarilidaceas. This is hiperastrum so Dyckia do not live in or on torrid sites. This may give you a tip or clue on cultivation this sort of plants.
[img]<a><img%20src="http://img34.picoodle.com/img/img34/3/1 ... e.com"></a>[/img]
mod
Beiträge: 16
Registriert: Montag, 25 August 2008, 20:09

Beitrag von mod »

Thanks again for sharing,I hope they
remain unmolested in their great habitat.
Constantino Gastaldi
Beiträge: 146
Registriert: Sonntag, 1 April 2007, 0:40
Wohnort: Santa Catarina- Brazil

Sorry Mod but they were already molested

Beitrag von Constantino Gastaldi »

Half this site with these dark Dyckias has been sold to make little leisure week end farms. People from the city, the green minded ones, those that love nature have bougth the place and everything is in great danger of being vanished from the face of the Earth. I took seeds and some plants and talked to some green minded new owners but I am sure in no vail.
In Rio Grande do Sul, me and a friend flapped hands in front of a gate asking for permition to see the rocks and the farmer said to us:
" Ah those blueish rosets that inflicts injuries to one´s skin?"
We said: Yes, yes those ones! ( The farmer refered to the most enchanting Dyckia hebdingii)
The farmer continued " Well you will find that plague over there, in my lands we set fire with no good results then we found a way to get rid of them all. We carried them all and damped them all into the river. This is the only solution to get me rid of them! If you just up root or set fire they reapear. They inflicted many injuries to my children....."
We stayed open mouthed, abach, mesmerized, frozen to the bones.....
We could not believe, we simply went away and a kilometer ahead we did the same and the owner was a old gentle woman named Maria. She said be at home and remember we do not molest any thing of the nature her. This is paradise....yes that was paradise! This moment I say one of my most saught after native birds the southern Cardeal, the red crested one. I was reborn!
El Fakir
Beiträge: 28
Registriert: Samstag, 18 Oktober 2008, 9:31
Wohnort: Grenoble

Beitrag von El Fakir »

About subtrate and growing conditions,
what is the total amount of rain precipitation in this part? How much sun do they get? Do they grow always together (Amaryllis and Dyckia)? Do they only grow on this cliff or do they grow too on the ground, at the foot or the tip of this cliff?
Merci

Thierry
Constantino Gastaldi
Beiträge: 146
Registriert: Sonntag, 1 April 2007, 0:40
Wohnort: Santa Catarina- Brazil

Thierry mon ami français:

Beitrag von Constantino Gastaldi »

No and no. Let´s get in right in the begining.
Weather conditions you may find accurated messures in Weather Channel. All one needs to know about weather no matter where and in all languages.
Mon bon ami, let´s see things that are disired by dyckias all over.
-They need a most aerated substrate. This substrate must have a big amount of organic matter. There are a whole universe to be included here and as many formulas as the sand grains ( in fact, gravel) in a Coute D´azur beach. I use pine bark in very small pieces or ships and well decomposed mixed to charcoal and some good quality peat. Dyckias to like acid substrate. The mineral contents comes from a kind of decomposing granitic rock. This is the source of magnesiun and phosphates and micro nutrients.
- Dyckias do like water as much as you do! They can stand periods without water but this doesn´t mean they have to endure this sacrifice in cultivation.
- Dyckias are very good forks! They are very good feeders, compulsive eaters in fact. They are no fakir nor any skin and bones model! They love to eat....and they do it wonderfuly.
- Do not let your plants starve to lead a miserable life.

They in nature did not "decided" to live on rocks or in sand bars for nothing. There is a reason for this and the reason is Light, sun! They dared to adapt to a rock dweller condition in order to catch all the sun with a minimum of competitiveness. They can not compete with trees, grasses....These would prevent the sun to reach the rosets. Look well at one Dyckia and tell me what it is in just some words.....
DYCKIAS ARE EXTREME SUN LOVERS ROCK DWELLER PLANTS. THEY ARE ALL EQUIPED TO DEAL WITH THE SUN THEIR EXTREME LOVER. NO SUN, NO DYCKIA.
When we look for Dyckias in nature, we never look the Southern face of a moutain. Dyckias are ever facing North or Northwest or Notheast ! The sun is the reason...A Dyckia´inferno (hell) faces South!
Dyckias are ancient plants and they were here before the mountains and valleys. They were here long before grasses and trees. They do not have any ability to climb mountains. Mountains were formed with them.....The worst one can do to a Dyckia is to prevent it from sun bathing......with no lotion or any sun protector. The sun that causes a carcinoma on your skin is the sun they love the best. No less no more. Dyckias do not negociate well and they do not accept anything in between them and their lover: THE SUN.
Vive la liberté, l'égalité et de fraternité!!!
Salut, nom ami
El Fakir
Beiträge: 28
Registriert: Samstag, 18 Oktober 2008, 9:31
Wohnort: Grenoble

Beitrag von El Fakir »

Bonjour Constantino,
Thank you for your very interesting reply, specially about the substrate you use.
I know they are sun lover!They most of the time share the same habitat as cacti! just like Hechtia or Puya.
I recently put an interest in Bromeliads. But I'm growing cacti and succulent for more than 15 years with more than 5000 plants, and because I'm testing plants hardiness, I put a lot of work on studying biotopes and local climate datas of this type of plants and the plants associations. So that's the reason why my questions was more about this specific mix of Hipeastrum and Dyckia (on the photo), that means this should not be a very burning hot site... Where is this place? I also wanted to know if the 2 plants grow always together all over this site (top and foot)?
muito obrigado

Thierry
Constantino Gastaldi
Beiträge: 146
Registriert: Sonntag, 1 April 2007, 0:40
Wohnort: Santa Catarina- Brazil

Dyckia delicata in nature

Beitrag von Constantino Gastaldi »

This plant was a fallen seedling. The Dyckia lives very high on the clif, some 300 meters higher in a perpendicular Rocky surface facing the North sun.
We can only lead or reach for those fallen plants. So they are shadowered by the busches of the base of the clif. All these plants are facing death from the lack of the sun.
This species has a very limited place in Nature. It also loves mild climate. It endures some freezing and may be redder and even much more silvery. Its spines are rubbery. It looks like the much smaller Dyckia pectinata from Minas Gerais but this one is a Gaucha giant. The flowers turn to be a deception in beautiness. The plant is one of the nicest, big one, impressive.
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Constantino Gastaldi
Beiträge: 146
Registriert: Sonntag, 1 April 2007, 0:40
Wohnort: Santa Catarina- Brazil

Mon ami, look a the orchid and the Dyckia.

Beitrag von Constantino Gastaldi »

This orchid maybe very charming. It is a zigopetalum and it grows amid Dyckias, look:
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So Dyckias are not that solitaire. They may have companions as mosses, liquens, orchids, cacti, sinningias, lilies and many other species precious to the gardner and plant lover. Some companions are very destrutive as the grasses (African ones here, got out of control, any control.) and trees and specialy the outragious and famigerated pine trees imported from North America and got wild here in South. The eucaliptus also does its share in the South.
El Fakir
Beiträge: 28
Registriert: Samstag, 18 Oktober 2008, 9:31
Wohnort: Grenoble

Beitrag von El Fakir »

Merci beaucoup!

Thierry
Constantino Gastaldi
Beiträge: 146
Registriert: Sonntag, 1 April 2007, 0:40
Wohnort: Santa Catarina- Brazil

Dyckia encholirioides

Beitrag von Constantino Gastaldi »

Here they are recieving South Atlantic Ocean salt spray some 60 km from my home. Look at the restinga( vegetation close to the sea) plants like cacti with them. They are thriving in pure fine white sand and organic debris.
Bild

Same plant species in bloom. Nice professional photo:
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