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my blog on cultivating Hoodia the wonder weightloss plant. |
| This aloe blog's entries click here |
| It does not take much effort to grow the Hoodia species.
The only trick is not to water it a drop more than is needed to keep Hoodia growing.
Easier said than done, I know. Hoodia can be grown without direct sun, but in bright light. These plants can withstand short periods of light frost. It is sufficient protection to grow Hoodia under a roof with open sides, to keep it out of rain. Make sure that the roof is wide enough so that the rain can not be blown onto the plants by wind. The best point to start getting information on how to grow Hoodia species is from the habitat of these plants. The habitat of Hoodia is the Karoo, which is in the central part of the Republic of South Africa, Namaqualand which is the western part of the Republic of South Africa and then the Namib, which is in Namibia going into Angola. Hoodia species were planted in soil taken from the Karoo, Namaqualand and Namibia, as well as a loose mix consisting of garden soil with humus (potplant soil) from nurseries. This was done to find out how much the soil influence the growth of Hoodi plants. Growth in all soil types were good. The difficult part in cultivating Hoodia is how much water should be given. The sure way to kill Hoodia is by watering it just the slightest drop too much. Water only once every 3rd month through-out the year. Do not drench the soil, just enough to dampen the soil. In climates with moist in the air, water only every 4th month. As is with all plants, do not water in very hot weather. That is above 35 degrees Celsius. Wait until the days have cooled for a day or two and water late in the evening or early morning in the summer if it is hot. Hoodia species grow down into the winter rainfall of Namaqualand and like other desert plants, Hoodia will absorb water when available no matter the season, except in temperatures too hot or too cold. Do keep in mind. Hoodia will shrivel when too dry, it will rot when too wet. Dry is better. More information on Hoodia. If you feel you do need more scientific data of the soil, contact the Geological survey of the Republic of South Africa and Namibia. They will do a detailed analysis on a soil sample, for a small fee. |
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