Making a sempervivum sphere- wet or dry foam core?
 

I am going to try to make a sempervivum sphere like How To Make a Succulent Kissing Ball | Apartment Therapy

the ones on this site^.

I will use two wire hanging baskets wired together, and plan on growing the sempervivums into sphagnum moss.

Obviously, if one used potting mix inside it'd get very heavy, so my plan is to use a spherical core of foam. You can buy 'wet' foam (oasis) or dry (presumably, polystrene). They cost about the same.

My question is, which should I get do you think? The wet will obviously provide more moisture for the plants- but could that be too much? And would that make the whole arrangement very heavy once water-logged?

Thanks for any advice!

Making a sempervivum sphere- wet or dry foam core?
 

On 12/09/2015 13:07, miljee wrote:

I am going to try to make a sempervivum sphere like 'How To Make a
Succulent Kissing Ball | Apartment Therapy'
(http://tinyurl.com/qadchms)

the ones on this site^.

I will use two wire hanging baskets wired together, and plan on growing
the sempervivums into sphagnum moss.

Obviously, if one used potting mix inside it'd get very heavy, so my
plan is to use a spherical core of foam. You can buy 'wet' foam (oasis)
or dry (presumably, polystrene). They cost about the same.

My question is, which should I get do you think? The wet will obviously
provide more moisture for the plants- but could that be too much? And
would that make the whole arrangement very heavy once water-logged?

Thanks for any advice!


Why not stick to Sphagnum and add some water retaining polymer to it.
Oasis would be very heavy when watered.

Making a sempervivum sphere- wet or dry foam core?
 

On 12/09/15 13:07, miljee wrote:
I am going to try to make a sempervivum sphere like 'How To Make a
Succulent Kissing Ball | Apartment Therapy'
(http://tinyurl.com/qadchms)

the ones on this site^.

I will use two wire hanging baskets wired together, and plan on growing
the sempervivums into sphagnum moss.

Obviously, if one used potting mix inside it'd get very heavy, so my
plan is to use a spherical core of foam. You can buy 'wet' foam (oasis)
or dry (presumably, polystrene). They cost about the same.

My question is, which should I get do you think? The wet will obviously
provide more moisture for the plants- but could that be too much? And
would that make the whole arrangement very heavy once water-logged?

Thanks for any advice!

Whatever you choose, you don't have to make the sphere solid. The
sempervivums will grow in a few cm of oasis, sphagnum, or whatever you
choose. The inside can be made from a ball of polystyrene, which will
drastically reduce the weight.

--

Jeff

Thanks, I will go for the 'dry' polystyrene ball, I think.

Making a sempervivum sphere- wet or dry foam core?
 

On 13/09/2015 10:30, miljee wrote:
'Jeff Layman[_2_ Wrote:
;1016118']On 12/09/15 13:07, miljee wrote:-

.... Thanks for any advice!-

Whatever you choose, you don't have to make the sphere solid. The
sempervivums will grow in a few cm of oasis, sphagnum, or whatever you
choose. The inside can be made from a ball of polystyrene, which will
drastically reduce the weight.

--

Jeff

Thanks, I will go for the 'dry' polystyrene ball, I think.





Or you could try crumbling wet oasis into compost (multipurpose/cacti)
and planting into that, to gain the best of both worlds. Or,indeed, if
you have enough plant material, try a couple of methods and see how they
work. I, for one, would be very interested in any subsequent report on
your success/failure. Most interesting.

--
Spider
On high ground in SE London
Gardening on heavy clay