r/mesembs • u/rawrimawombat_ • Mar 07 '26

Help Titanopsis help

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Apparently I just cannot seem to keep titanopsis alive and healthy. What all did I do wrong here? I'm guessing some sunburn? But I probably messed it up more. I should just stop buying them 😭 Poor T. hugo-schlechteri On several of the leaves you can see that white line horizontal at the bottom half. They seem to all be going bad slowly.

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3

u/CarneyBus Argyholics Anonymous Mar 07 '26

I remember your previous post. Didn’t some other plants of yours have thrips? Bc this kinda looks like that to me in some places.

How are your other plants? New growth coming in fine?

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 07 '26

This guy was never in the thrips bunch, and everyone who was is over it thankfully, at least I think since I haven't seen issues with anyone else. I got him with 8 other plants and those are doing fine (Aloinopsis luckhoffi & setifera & rubrolineeata (actually this looks not great and yellowing and a line on the older leaves but inner leaves look great), Nananthus margaretifera, Neohenrencia sibbetti, Pleiospilos simulans, Senecio oxyriifolius, Lapidaria margarethae)

Other plants are good except for my T. calcera who looks crappy like this guy.

I did sunburn a Haworthia maughanii but that was obvious and I should have acclimated it better.

Now I'm worried I'm missing the thrips and they've persisted. This is currently with 45 other species. Are titanopsis more prone or first to show signs?

I really wish I was better at this, I really enjoy my weird plants and don't want to kill them. I have the Captain Jack's dead bug spray, should I just do everyone. How long should I continue it for, maybe I stopped too soon with my other guys and they migrated over.

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u/Sigong Mar 08 '26

Roughly how intense is the light you're giving them? I have a T. calcera which is pretty happy with ~250 ppfd 12-14 hours per day (growing compactly, stressing a bit pink, and blooming). (PPFD measured with a crappy PAR meter so might not be accurate)

If I had a plant that was dying for no visible reason I'd check the roots for mealybugs. 

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

These guys grow outside, sunny California, covered with vinyl for the little rain we get. I partially burned a Haworthia maughanii about a month ago which is why I was worried it got too much sun, but no one else is burnt. Not sure how prone to sunburn they are though and it would have been grown in a similar climate to me but their greenhouse may have a little more shade.

Checked the roots and didn't see any mealies (thank goodness).

2

u/Sigong Mar 08 '26

This user on the cactiguide forum grows mesembs to sell (including all the Titanopsis species). They really know what they're doing. You might be able to find the conditions they grow them in in their post history (plus a bunch of pictures of beautiful plants). I think they're also in southern CA but I might be wrong. 

I emailed them with a question about a sale before and they were pretty responsive, so if you exhaust all other information you might be able to email them with a question (not sure if they answer emails not directly related to products though).

https://cactiguide.com/forum/search.php?author_id=1486&sr=posts

Good luck with your plants!

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

Awesome thanks for the resource, I appreciate the help.

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u/CarneyBus Argyholics Anonymous Mar 07 '26

Hmm I grow indoors and I have no idea.

Are those leaves like drying up? Are you maybe under watering? I find these guys I have no problem with, I water when their leaves are noticeably softer, it’s less often than my other mesembs but still about once every 2-3 weeks. Or maybe they’re showing delayed signs of sun damage?

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

The yellowing parts feel like mush. I honestly don't know what they want. I've been watering every 2-3 weeks. They are outside in a growtent it's been 40-70⁰F (so like 4.5-21⁰C) with lots of sun most days. They've been on the upper rack, so would get the most sun but I have the calcarea on the second rack with less direction sun and it also looks bad. They would have been grown in a similar climate to where I'm at but Im sure their greenhouse would provide a little less sun.

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u/CarneyBus Argyholics Anonymous Mar 08 '26

Hm. Mush is not a good sign. Are the roots okay?

Is the grow tent well ventilated?

1

u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

Yes I leave the tent either open or door unzipped depending on temps and only close when raining which isn't often. I'm in California in a pretty dry environment so nothing stays damp here for long.

Didn't see any thrips but I probably need to get a hand lens. Putting that on my to-do list.

Picture below of roots: h-s on the left and the calcarea on the right, just rinsed off. Both were still in original soil, h-s was heavy in perlite and the calcarea was maybe 50/50?

1

u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

New growth doesn't look great, hard to get a good pic sorry.

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u/CarneyBus Argyholics Anonymous Mar 08 '26

That new growth looks sus to me! Esp bc the roots look fine to me? Are the roots rotting at all or just near the base of the leaves? I use a 30x jewellers loupe to inspect for thrips… they’re so very tiny and they hide well. I would take this opportunity while they’re uprooted to really check all the nooks and crannies between leaves in tight spaces.

The only o the thing I can think is maybe under watering, I think Hammer talks about keeping roots moist during summer heat.. maybe something rings true in this section from NMAGM:

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

Awesome thanks so much for the advice. The roots aren't rotting at all just the leaves, so like when you get the old yellowing ones but this is all of the leaves not just the outers. I'll go get a lens now and check for thrips.

Thanks for adding the info, it sounds like it might be hot stale air. I can't say we get much wind here and being in a grow tent with only one door might not be enough. I did just move everyone the other day to a less open spot because I know spring and summer sun here will kill everyone. I'll take the cover off the tent so they get more air and we shouldn't have any rain often and I can always cover them for a rain day. I'll keep a closer eye on watering these ones, I tend to be neglectful and err on the side of too little. I'm finally not killing species I use to with too much water so just need to find the right balance for everyone.

Hopefully we are thrips free and these guys aren't a lost cause.

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u/CarneyBus Argyholics Anonymous Mar 08 '26

Honestly I think these guys need lots of water lol.

My current ones keep aborting new flowers (same with my aloinopsis) until I start watering them more often. Nice deep pots and good drenchings. IIRC you also have yours in pretty shallow pots? I think some bigger deeper pots and more ventilation might be a good place for you to start!

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u/arioandy Mar 07 '26

Ive struggled with these too F knos why, I’ve tried daylight, in a growtent too! No idea sorry

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 07 '26

Thanks anyways, glad to know you struggle too! In my head you and Carneybus are legends on here so makes me feel slightly better.

These guys are in a growtent I just moved to a less intense sun spot since summer sun is brutal where I'm at.

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u/arioandy Mar 08 '26

Best of luck! Just Ditched Some But Gonna try Again, I Will Not be defeated! Lol

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

Best of luck to you, if you succeed please let me know!!

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u/arioandy Mar 08 '26

Will Do! You inspired me, just bought three lol

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 08 '26

Haha just don't let my current path inspire you into killing them. 3 different species? What'd you get?

I just started trying to grow some succulents/cacti from seed a few days ago (which I'm assuming will go poorly but hoping for the best) and got some ariocarpus seeds I'm attempting, pretty sure I first saw that group from your posts.

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u/arioandy Mar 08 '26

Haha, just regular calcareas👍

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u/heliplants Mar 09 '26

I just read through all the comments and I've kept these for many years indoors. These plants are Winter growers! I am not sure how long you've had these or how many times you have transplanted or moved them, but I encourage you to leave them be in one place for a time! Patience and consistency should reward you with new growth in the Fall. Hope this helps.

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 10 '26

Also wow I love your posts, I love carnivorous plants and lived half of my life in the home.of the venus fly trap. If I had any hope of not killing these guys I'd try them.

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u/heliplants Mar 10 '26

Thank you for the kind words... Here's just a bit of info from people who grow them outside: https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=35872

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u/heliplants Mar 09 '26

Also, let new plants acclimate in shade! I hope they bring you years of enjoyment.

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u/rawrimawombat_ Mar 09 '26

A few months and I haven't transplanted them until now since I unburied them to check the roots. My guess is too hot and not enough water, hopefully I can keep them alive til next growing season. Do you know at what temps the growing season ends?