Growing Pachypodiums: Gnarly spines, bottle trunks and stunning flowers

[@olli8623]

Your video is the best content about Pachypodiums what I saw. Thank you.👍 I have around since 11 years a Pachypodium sandersii. But it never blooming. I hope it will now.

[@AridZine]

Thank you, appreciate it! 🤘🤘

[@danywho8898]

I love watching repotting videos. It’s not boring at all, it’s relaxing.

[@AridZine]

Good to know! Thanks

[@jeannette7243]

Very informative, thank you, FYI: I could watch you repot succulents all day! No need to speed up by jumping in and out as far as I'm concerned. Your large Pachypodium Saundersii blows my mind. What a wonderfully weird plant!

[@AridZine]

Isn’t it just amazing! Thank you 😄

[@simonbergagna]

3:57 look at the soil profile!! look at those healthy roots!!🕤🌕😀

[@AridZine]

I could look at healthy roots all day long… 🤩🤩

[@Idontcareorknow]

Another banger! Look forward to each new video

[@AridZine]

Appreciate it! 🤘

[@guywithaplant]

Found your channel recently. I'm not really into desert, arid plants but after watching your vids, my interest is piqued. Really enjoy the vibes of your vids and your natural and casual style. Subscribed!

[@AridZine]

Thank you! Appreciate it! 🤘

[@NimbleNeedles]

Awesome video. Just one note here. Most non-shrub pachypodiums and euphorbia in Madagascar, lean towards the fog/mist and not towards the sun. That's what the spines are for. there are no herbivores (well locust, etc) in their habitat that eat those leaves.

[@AridZine]

Fascinating! This isn’t something I’ve read about. I’ll do some research. Thanks for the heads up

[@NimbleNeedles]

@@AridZine I am not too much into Euphorbia but you basically just have to walk into any thorny forest in Madagascar to see them all leaning strongly in the very same weird direction. So I would expect there to be literature on this jarringly obvious topic. Especially as locals will randomly tell that to any tourist. There's not much out there on Pachypodium. "Pachypodium (Aprocynaceae): Taxonomy, habitats and cultivation; Rapanarivo, 1999" briefly talks about it but mostly in the context of namaquana. But again, downward facing spikes and dry costal area habitat kinda make this a logical conclusion as well. It get's interesting when you notice that gracilius still has a lot of spikes while densiflorum basically has none, while structurally their habitats are very similar. Neither has any gracing herbivores in their habitat (their niches are too small for any mammal to specialize on them anyway) but fog isn't especially a daily occurrence either. Possibly dew..but well. But if you find something out, let me know. this has been bugging me for the longest time!

[@tpedroso]

Fantastic video, mate. I've just started venturing into Pachypodiums (actually found your channel while researching P. Namaquanum a few weeks ago). Many thanks for this broad overview of the genus. Much appreciated.

[@AridZine]

Thank you! Appreciate it 🤘🤘

[@robin9339]

I have three pachypodium that I love them dearly~! Pachypodium saundersii / brevicaule and baronii var baronii. I let my saundersii rootbound like crazy and it bloomed at pretty young age, recently I repotted it it grew a lot of new beautiful leaves right away. for me they are very easy to grow in tropical county.

[@AridZine]

Three great species - they’re such cool plants.

[@kazochrymowicz3076]

As always enjoyable and informative. Really like your lessons.

[@AridZine]

Many thanks! 🤘

[@AridZine]

Thank you 🤘

[@happyhappycatus]

Pachys are the few succulents i keep in full sun, extreme heat 😊 And yes, pachy lameria are indeed the gateway to others 😂😂😂

[@AridZine]

They’re tough plants, most of them!

[@billgolightly7203]

Very informative. Respect your passion. Thanks for your time.

[@AridZine]

I appreciate that! Cheers Bill

[@wevvi]

Nice addition of music to your intro! Loved this episode on pachypodiums. Take care!

[@AridZine]

Thanks! You too! 🤘

[@Chris-op7yt]

a lot of indoor and outdoor plants love a well draining mineral mix as well. bark based fine mix is hopeless for most potted plants, not just succulents. i changed potted lime tree from coir and peat mix to 7-20mm 100% pumice, and it's becoming healthy and flowering profusely first time in several years since purchased. chunky pumice seems an ultimate well draining mix that can retain a bit of water, unlike many other mineral materials.

[@AridZine]

Pumice is the wonder mineral! Such a good media for potted plants, you’re not wrong.

[@justingrisham1436]

Awesome vid per usual - I’m interested to know more about summer/winter dormant species and if that can change depending on where the species is raised??

[@AridZine]

Almost all succulent species have some sort of dormancy, usually it’s determined by when the dry season is in habitat - typically triggered by changes in temperatures but it can also be determined by watering. So a winter dormant species from South Africa, say, will still go dormant in California when those environmental triggers are met. But if you grow the same plant in Thailand, the temperature might never fall enough for dormancy to be induced. That’s a very broad overview anyway!

[@justingrisham1436]

@@AridZine thank you so much! Might be an idea for a future video - just to go into more detail - bc this is a topic that isn’t really talked about much - and being in the US, it’s challenging to know how to care for some of these species from the southern hemisphere😅

[@Royaliize]

Another great video from the master! I really enjoy these Family plant videos. Just 1 question: what is that plant spoon, you use for the soil?😂 Keep up the good work.🎉

[@AridZine]

Thank you! 🤘 It’s a little scoop I got from a bonsai shop, makes potting so much easier.

[@Royaliize]

@@AridZine ty mate👍

[@k.jespersen6145]

If you can't find one of his scoops at your local bonsai or plant center, they also sell ice scoops in that shape, usually for serving from ice cube buckets.

[@Royaliize]

@@k.jespersen6145 thx! I didnt think of that aha. Id find some at a bonsai shop made from plastic or metal.

[@HarchenkoAlexei]

You say repeatedly that Madagascar is a tropical island with lots of moisture and humidity. But there is a mountain ridge across island, that blocks all humidity on eastern coast, and western coast is very dry with just few rainsfalls in a year. And most pachies grow in those arid western and central areas.

[@AridZine]

You are of course correct about the geographical location of the Pachys, it’s why they’ve adapted succulence to withstand drought. Mountains or no mountains, Madagascar is a tropical island, and these plants do thrive with more heat and humidity than I can reasonably provide them in my temperate climate. I often oversimplify things in these vids to make them more accessible, but I’m also happy to be called out when wrong! 🤘

[@AridZine]

I wrote out a reply and it seems to have been sucked into the void! Anyway - you’re right, certainly! In cultivation, though, these Madagascan pachys require far more consistent heat, humidity and moisture than I can reasonably offer them. Often enough I simplify things to avoid getting sucked into a void of overly dense information, but it’s good to be pulled up on this stuff. Helps me know if I’ve missed the balance. Cheers

[@timmillan6701]

Got some really big (6ft+) P. lamerei and geayi at work- also a couple of THORNLESS P. lamerei ( pretty rare )

[@AridZine]

That’d be super impressive to see!

[@drikonrokon852]

No wonder why my pachypodium lamerei started getting happier when I mixed in lava rocks (my environment for my arid lovers and dry tolerant tropicals is outside in Zone 7B south central Texas but for my fully tropical plants that don't like heat and dry air get 50 to 60% (except the jewel orchid and fittonia with its 70 to 90%) humidity with 22C to 28C, I currently have 51 species that I grew on purpose and a few others that just grew on their own and I didn't feel like killing them since I don't have a need for the containers they claimed) and thanks to you I'm looking into seeds since my 3 year old lamerei is standing tall and I grew yellow dragon fruit from seeds and wanting to give them a try

[@AridZine]

Excellent! Sounds like you’ve got a real knack for these plants

[@drikonrokon852]

@AridZine I try my best to mimic plants natural environment (from recreating flooding conditions to fans to inmates wind) took me a good bit to figure it out but I managed especially with plants that don't know how to give up, and one thing I've learned about plants is they will always reward those who don't lose faith in them, and are a lot more resilient than people give them credit for

[@ruanmulder8278]

Hey Michael. Another great video mate,like your metal intro. Question: Bought a Pachypodium rosulatum. But it didn't mention that sub species you mentioned on the tag. Can you please confirm it's the same thing. I'll send a picture. Thanks mate, from S.A Nevermind,can't send you a picture it seems.

[@AridZine]

What subspecies was on the tag?

[@ruanmulder8278]

@@AridZine There was none,just said Pachypodium rosulatum. Are there different ones? Different Subspecies?

[@ruanmulder8278]

Nevermind I see there is. I'll do some research. Thanks Mate

[@AGiantTalkingLizard]

I love your videos but like you how did a video on euphorbia hybrids, is there any other hybrid succulents/cactus you can do?

[@AridZine]

There are but the end products are less weird - there are some really cool intergeneric cactus hybrids that I’d like to have a go at raising sometime, but I haven’t dipped my toes in that water just yet. Check out Ferobergia as an example of a cool cactus hybrid if you’re interested.

[@AGiantTalkingLizard]

@@AridZine thanks :)

[@coacht5642]

Have you ever tried including turface for acid loving succulents? I'm hooked on pachypodium brevicaule now!

[@AridZine]

It’s not something that I’ve ever found available for sale down here in Australia, so I don’t know much about it unfortunately.

[@S-ym5iy]

are there any pre mixed bag soils that you would recommend? or could you do a video teaching people how to properly blend there own for succulents please. every potting soil I find at the garden center labeled as "four succulents" is generally way too organic and holds way too much water. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[@AridZine]

If you’re in Australia, all the pre mixed bags are rubbish - Searles is the best of them, but even it is mostly unsuitable unless you’re growing plants that like lots of organics. I’ve got a video all about the custom mix I use - it’s overly complex but it does work well. Mineral cactus soil: how to make the perfect mineral soil for cacti and succulents kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXaraYqnq9B-aMU

[@Еля-э4к]

Hello, could you please tell me if there is a chance that my plant will ever look the same as it does in natural conditions if I grow it from seeds? Once, I asked this question to a Chinese collector (he has a collection of pachypodiums), and he replied that these plants can only be perfectly round, thick, and large if they are poached plants. If grown from seeds, it's impossible to achieve such results. What do you think?

[@AridZine]

You can definitely get thick, round plants from seed raised cultivation plants - I’ve seen plenty. What you won’t have is the rough edges, the scars, the lichen etc.

[@clusty1]

I grow brevicaule with 80% kanuma 20% lava rock ( kanuma being acidic). They survived in fot he 3rd year. I hate peat moss in all shapes or form :)

[@AridZine]

That sounds like a good mix. I hate peat too… but kanuma is super expensive, at least around here.

[@spicemad]

Is it illegal for people in Australia to own Opuntia?

[@AridZine]

Depends on the State… but generally speaking they can’t be bought or sold and are treated like environmental weeds. Only exception is ficus-indica.

[@leafylifedownunder]

Michael do you recycle any of your media?

[@AridZine]

All the time! Usually in potting mixes for bigger plants; depending on the plant and how cherished it is I’ll mix in anything from 10 to 50% old media.

[@leafylifedownunder]

@@AridZine great! I've been recycling media into new gardens I've been creating, but I've almost run out of ground space, so was keen to hear what you do with yours. Thanks for you response! 😀

[@moiraslater8526]

Is that what they call the Madagascar Palm??

[@moiraslater8526]

The first one?

[@moiraslater8526]

Sorry I asked to soon. I have one but it's quite big now. How tall can they get? Mine grows on my front verandah in high light but also shaded. It cops high heats here in our WA summer.

[@Tony.795]

@@moiraslater8526 Several metres. Maybe try to grow it harder to get it to thicken up. That means sun, lean soil and little watering. Getting it to branch at a managable height is the optimal outcome in my opinion. Alternatively you can cut off or damage the very top of it to get it to branch. Keep that wound as small as possible so that it becomes invisible after a while.

[@AridZine]

They can get up to about 3m tall if they have the space and the time. They’re pretty hardy!

[@moiraslater8526]

@@Tony.795 it's pretty thick, about 80cm tall and has a smaller one next to it. It grows in terracotta in a cactus mix. Not worried about heat as I live in one of the hotter towns in Australia but do keep it under cover. I'm not a heavy waterer but should I move it into full sun or more sun? I worry about it more in winter where we do get a short season of frosty weather. Thanks for your help and suggestions.

[@moiraslater8526]

Are Boab's Pachy cousins?

[@AridZine]

No they’re not related, just similar adaptations to deal with drought- amazing.

[@Sthuont]

Sydney doesn't have a Mediterranean climate, that climate is winter wet - summer dry, Sydney's climate is transitional between Oceanic (cool year round with high year round rainfall) and Subtropical (mild dry winters, warm wet summers). It's fairly unique in that regard as there are few places around the world where those two climate zones intergrade as they are usually on opposing west-east sides of landmasses.

[@AridZine]

I have been appropriately schooled! Climate, you can tell, is not my area of expertise. Either way… South African plants grow here a lot better than Madagascan. 😅

[@Sthuont]

@@AridZine Yeah I'd say it's the wet winters here in Sydney that would be the cause of that. If you keep the water away from the Madagascan plants in winter, they might perform a lot better for you.

[@jamescarr2156]

seriously thought i was going to listen to 27 mins of your education with guitar riffs lol

[@AridZine]

Don’t tempt me 😂😂

[@jamescarr2156]

@@AridZine hahahaha

[@slugmug9728]

When you say something like "never repot it into a pot that's too much bigger than the one it was in" I'd find it really helpful if you elaborated briefly on why that's the case so that I'm not just copying blindly something which seems illogical to me because you're an expert and I'm not.

[@AridZine]

The basic idea is that when you overpot succulents (and any plant for that matter, but especially so with succulents) the soil holds too much water - and the plant can become waterlogged and rot can take hold. A smaller upgrade in pot size will give roots space to grow into, without holding excessive amounts of moisture. It seems counterintuitive, because in nature plants have often got unlimited soil to grow into - but in nature, the ground itself has very different drainage properties to pots which prevents roots from sitting in saturated soil for extended periods.

[@slugmug9728]

Makes perfect sense, thank you for elaborating sir.

[@artfx9]

Dear Lord, man! The fok is that?

[@AridZine]

Is what?

[@artfx9]

@@AridZine THAT! 😢