#conophytum

Conophytums growing wild in moss!

Blue skies are back!

I feel very hashtag-blessed whenever I see plants with the same kind of hair as me :3

The Albuca I got as a mate for my surviving one also came with a volunteer Conophytum! No clue which species though.

Anyway... I'm just posting what I told them on my blog too in case anyone else finds this useful 😅

Like, I remember my first few conophytums dying after a month cos they are kinda finicky to care for. But this is what works for me. So far nothing has died and all my plants have successfully flowered and moulted:

My number one rule is less is more in terms of water. It's waaay better to under water than over water. There's literally no saving it once you over water

During the growing months (around Nov to Jan for me) I water them once a week, but if I see that the plant is very plump, I'll hold back on the water in case. I give them big sips, like the soil is visibly wet after watering

^ Nov to Jan is also flowering season for mine. So I provide a little extra water (a small sip in the middle of the week) for those who are producing buds

Feb to April are the awkward months leading up to "summer" (it's summer everyday in my country, but the middle of the year is like super summer...)

I tend to reduce watering to a small sip once a week (if they need it. I will not water those who look juicy). The soil is just slightly damp after watering, it's not wet.

^ these are conos that need a sip. They are visibly wrinkly. Some don't wrinkle, but will sink into the soil or become soft

This one kinda needs a sip, but I need him to be a little stressed to get that nice pink colour so... no sip for him. He'll just have to suffer 😂

He's neon green during the growing season

Looks like a gummy 😂

^ just a small sip that's enough to make them firm

Once summer starts, I only give a small sip every 2 weeks to those who need it. Like, the plant has to be visibly stressed before I give a sip

If you aren't careful, you may cause leaf stacking if you water too much in summer. You need to let the old leaves dry out. Stacked plump leaves isn't good cos you may get rot (I learnt this lesson the painful way 😅)

I resume my weekly sips once autumn starts. Autumn to winter is kinda moulting season. Like, they moult when they plump up after summer

Rot is still a threat during moulting/growing season though! Never over water, and only water once the soil is COMPLETELY dry

You must let the roots dry out or it'll rot. Trust me 🥲. I lost a few cos I didn't let them dry out 🥲

Look out for rainy weather. Rain can make the air humid and affect how well your soil drys. I avoid watering when there's rain

Also... if the air gets too humid and hot, I blast them with the fan. Air circulation prevents rot 😂