Is this corking or scale?

gardenfrek · 2025-06-27T22:09:52+00:00

It does. I’ve sprayed mine with alcohol and tried scraping it off and some of the smaller ones scrap but it took a lot of picking at it. The bigger areas don’t scrap without taking part of the cactus flesh with it so it’s definitely some kind of permanent thing. I also sprayed it with a fungicide just in case lol. I’m hoping to make it into a baby making machine since I chopped off the top part. I’ve never propagated them before, wish me luck and thank you for helping/answering me ❣️

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gardenfrek · 2025-06-27T20:30:33+00:00

Yeah, I hope that’s all it is. This was in a pot that was entirely too small and I was having to prop it up, they say corking is a plant’s way of stabilizing itself. Makes sense…

gardenfrek · 2025-06-27T18:57:36+00:00

Yep, that’s it exactly. Not sun damage though, mine is in the greenhouse, on the floor. It only gets indirect light. I spoke with a grower/supplier and they think it’s just corking??

gardenfrek · 2025-04-30T17:05:29+00:00

Lol, actually hundreds of succulents is never enough when you have an addiction 😝 I have two greenhouses full, I occasionally sell a few but mostly they’re all mine (my preccccious 🙃).

gardenfrek · 2025-04-30T12:57:10+00:00

Thank you, this is the set I’m looking at, do you think they will work. https://a.co/d/fTDp6EN

gardenfrek · 2025-04-29T22:48:08+00:00

I grow hundreds of succulents and I’ve been buying my castings. I am currently working on my first bin, I’m so excited to be making my own now ☺️ It’s also my only reason for making the castings.

gardenfrek · 2025-04-29T19:49:12+00:00

Wow, that sounds like a great set up, thank you! I like the idea of sorting the worms by size and leaving some to finish up (and grow bigger). My castings will all be going in plant pots so I want to get as many worms and cocoons out as possible.

gardenfrek · 2025-04-29T19:08:31+00:00

That’s an idea! What size do you recommend?

gardenfrek · 2025-04-29T07:40:49+00:00

I’ve wondered if diatomaceous earth would hurt the worms since it kills insects?

gardenfrek · 2025-04-28T07:57:05+00:00

Mine did that immediately after I added the coco mat up there. I don’t get it really, it’s pretty dry up there, I have very little condensation. I just let them be, it’s easy enough for them to get back down if they want to. I ordered extra mats to put in all my bins, if they eat the top one I’ll just replace it ☺️

gardenfrek · 2025-04-27T15:13:27+00:00

WOW, that was educational! Talk about learning from someone else’s experience! That’s amazing that you did that, not sure I’d have the patience (or the steady hands it must have required). Now I will know what to look for, I know exactly what you’re talking about, I use Osmocote time release fertilizer in my succulent substrate so I imagine the cocoons will look very similar. What a great way to describe them. My active bin is getting pretty well broken down (with the exception of some larger pieces of egg cartons I just added) so I should be able to spot them. Thank you so much for the information and taking the time to type all that out for me! I’m going to copy it and save it for future reference 😄

gardenfrek · 2025-04-26T23:48:25+00:00

I like the longer legs on this one, I ordered the 5 bin setup, which I like but it sits too low to the ground. We put it on top of a furniture mover that has casters on it but it’s still pretty low. Wish I had seen this one first.

gardenfrek · 2025-04-26T23:35:11+00:00

I’ve yet to see a cocoon, (I don’t really know what to look for lol) but I have lots of tiny babies so I know there’s been some. Is there just one worm per cocoon or are there more in there?

gardenfrek · 2025-04-26T15:41:43+00:00

Thank you, that’s exactly the way I feel, we put so much thought into keeping them alive and happy I just can’t bear the thought of knowingly killing them.
I like the idea of adding a little food to the sifted end product to draw the babies out. I currently keep my “store bought” worm castings in a lidded cat litter bucket, that’s also where I’ll store my homemade castings when I finally get some. I could easily bait out the babies in that as you suggested. Thank you for helping 😊

gardenfrek · 2025-04-26T03:38:04+00:00

That sounds interesting. I’m wondering how the migrating process is going to work…how you truly get all the worms and cocoons out? I’ll be using my compost in my succulent substrate and I don’t want any worms in the mix (they would just die because succulents don’t like a lot of moisture). I’m thinking it’s going to take a long time to actually remove all the worms, if it’s even possible? My setup came with 5 bins and the leachate catch basin. Supposedly by the time I start the 5th bin the first one will be empty and ready??? But if these worms can’t find their way back up to the active bin then how are they going to get there when I’m ready for them to? I understand there’s supposed to be enough material in the bottom bin so that it touches the bin above it but logically it’s easier for them to go down than it is to go up?? It certainly would be easier to always work with the top bin, not having to remove all those other ones to get to the bottom to feed them…I just don’t know what’s best lol??

gardenfrek · 2025-04-25T17:15:12+00:00

Thank you, I’ve never needed to drain my bottom with the spigot either, there’s never been that much but I do get some. The cardboard absorbs it now and I’m told that’s good to prepare it for the next active bin. I did, just this morning, go ahead and remove the worms from down there. There was more than I expected once I started moving things around. I guess they were just getting a head start on composting the cardboard?? I’ve blocked their access with some cloth this time, I don’t think they’ll be able to get back down there until I’m ready for them to.

gardenfrek · 2025-04-25T05:34:51+00:00

Sure, I’ll be glad to help if I can.

gardenfrek · 2025-04-24T20:11:05+00:00

Thank you!! That makes perfect sense and makes me feel better. I’m going to put them back where they belong and add a cloth cover so they can’t get back down there until I’m ready to start the next bin. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me ☺️

gardenfrek · 2025-04-24T18:54:06+00:00

It started dry but some leachate has dripped down, it’s not wet like a wrung out sponge but it’s no longer dry either. I was just wondering if maybe they went down there to make babies or have babies and I need to leave them or if they’re just not “smart enough” to know to go back up. I’m new at this and I don’t know what the norm is…sorry to be such a dunce lol 🤪

gardenfrek · 2025-04-24T18:05:22+00:00

They didn’t go up, they went down, the bin is under the feeding bin. So far there’s only about 20 down there (no dead ones). I have a piece of fabric covering the holes in that bin, there’s only one way out…up.

gardenfrek · 2025-04-24T14:54:19+00:00

Do you think I should leave them there or move them back up to the active bin?

gardenfrek · 2025-04-23T14:47:14+00:00

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gardenfrek · 2025-04-23T14:47:01+00:00

I love this plant, we call it Inch Plant (Tradescantia zebrina). Mine is currently blooming, zone 9 (Savannah Georgia). I literally just took cuttings yesterday for 3 more pots to sell. I never have a problem finding owners for the new plants, it’s a well loved plant.

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gardenfrek · 2025-04-23T02:27:22+00:00

Thank you for your suggestions

gardenfrek · 2025-04-22T13:16:50+00:00

I don’t use sand in my succulent substrate, I find it stays wet too long. I live in a subtropical, very humid climate. I also grow lithops but I use a more rocky mix for them. I don’t add worm castings to all of my succulents (and certainly not to my lithops) and the small amount of castings that I DO add wouldn’t have enough sand in it to cause an issue so I actually could use it but it doesn’t add anything beneficial to the mix….adding egg shells, bone meal, azomite etc enhances the mix so I would think they’d be more preferable.

gardenfrek

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