THE BEAUTY

November 2014. And even now there is no sign of growing in this plant of TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES.
I allways do have some plants who will not grow in the same growing cycle as the "normal" TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES plants. I can give you no hint or advice how to avert or "heal" this growing - better speaking of no growing - pattern.

GROWING SEASON BEGINS august 2014

At the beginning of August this plant begins to grow.

THE BEAUTY

This TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES is 5 years old. Out of all my testudinarias she is the most beautiful one. This is because of the very beautiful grown "warts" or "tubercles" or "cork" that she has developed.

As you might see she is not growing. She stands like this from October until around June or July. Then she might develop again her sprouts and grow.

This is a close up photograph of the growing point. The brown triangular "thing" in the middle of the picture will develop into the growing shoots when the growing season starts.

This "cork" or "tubercle" or "wart" is made of corky substances and has - as you might know it from wood - seasonly or yearly growing patterns.

GROWING SEASON BEGINS...

These are the seedlings of January 2012.

They are starting their new growing season 2014 in January. All my other TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES plants are still dormant.

TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES october 2013

 Another picture of TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES in October 2013. As you may see this plant really stays dormant. Others of my seedlings have been growing throughout the summer and still are.

BONSAI

This "turtle back" has been sewn in march 2008 and is now 5 years old. As you may see it is possible to present them as a bonsai. Therefore you should not feed the plant with to much fertilizer and water. Also the size of the pot will limit the growth as this is the method of the art of bonsai.

I cultivate this little one as all my other TESTUDINARIA and expose it to the weather on my balcony. It is not protected from rain and sun.

TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES

This is my biggest TESTUDINARIA ELEPHANTIPES. I have bought her 15 years ago at the size of a tennis ball. Nowadays she is as big as a handball.

She truly is an south african girl and as such she is still growing in her south african rhythm. The first shoot will sprout around July or August. The growing season will last until March, April or May the following year. There allways is a slight variation in the beginning and ending of the growing season.
The culture of these "TURTLE BACKS ", as they are called in South Africa, is very easy. The plant itself tells you when to water and fertilize. When the first shoot squints out of the body it is time to put it in full sun and water it. The "TURTLE BACK " needs no shadow as it builds its own shadowing by its leaves and vines. I water and fertilize it in the same way i do with my cacti. It depends on the spring and summer weather how often and how much it will be done. Keep allways in mind that it is a desert plant.
I use the same substrate as for my cacti. No humus will be added because my "TURTLE BACK " stands unprotected from the weather and i dare not to risk rotting caused by wet humus. You may add humus if you like. It surely will not harm the plant. On the contrary the plant will grow much bigger and faster. But pay attention to the watering and cold and wet weather!

Last but not least, the "TURTLE BACK " is a very easy to cultivate and beautiful plant. The older and bigger it grows the more beautiful it will become.