> I put them outside in full sun. They got sunburned, and what was once
> a beautiful specimen 4" in diameter and 3" high was reduced to mostly
They would eventually adapt to the high light level if you had left
them in the sun. Plants grown this way are especially robust, with
bright coloring and woody stems.
> Don't jump on me yet, because they've recovered since! I put
> them in a shady spot and all three began vigorous growth in the top
> rosette.
OK. However, plants grown in the shade are less resistant to aphids
due to their more tender growth.
> By this time the rosettes were atop an ugly stalk, so I repotted
> all three plants with the rosette placed just above the soil. They
> continued to grow, and I gave one of the plants away to a friend. This
> past Sunday I visited my friend, and I noticed that his Capensis was
> withered at the top, with few small curly green leaves. I mentioned
> that it might need water.
I've noticed three things that seem to cause this. First is aphids
in the crown; second is application of certain insectides. Third is
rotting of the peat compost in overwet conditions and build-up of salts
in the soil. Repotting into a bigger pot might help. I think mature
D. capensis should be grown in no smaller than a 4" pot for best results
long-term.
> rosette is comprised of curly, twisted leaves about 0.25" long, and
I repotted about 30 D. capensis plants this weekend because they were
producing the same deformed leaves as your plant. I just repotted them
up to the growth point in fresh media, and whacked off all the old
leaves leaving just a nub of the growth point. Other plants that have
been given this treatment came back with fresh new growth after
a few weeks.
If you actually cut off the growth point, the plant will likely
activate multiple new shoots, resulting in a cluster of plants. You
may or may not like this effect...
-- Rick