Just starting my first adventure with cacti. Ive been growing veggies and raising huge gardens and a half acre farm for years. Im nervous trying Cactus growing. Thanks for the vid. Subbed, ty !!!!
Thank you very much. Cacti are not difficult to grow. Most of them grow very slowly however. With your experience there's no reason why it shouldn't go well.
Hi! I use mixtures of various mineral substrates composed of: Pumice, lava stone, zeolite, crushed expanded clay, sand, trace amounts of other rocks such as shale, and use also akadama. As organic component, I use commercial substrates for cactus and succulents and worm castings, both or just the latter. Mineral/organic percentages vary, I can use 30 to 50% organic on seedbed but for potted plants I use 20% or less, and my older plants are in 100% mineral. It doesn't mean you can't use a more organic mix, especially if you like them fat and bright green, the problem is... if you screw up on watering it can kill them. I use TLED lamps by Secret Jardin brand, the grow one (white light). As I have reptiles, I use heating pads for pet snakes as heating, the transparent ones. Under glass or plastic terrariums/boxes, never inside as they aren't watertight. In summer I only use the led lighting as heating, as you can see in the improvised tent in that video.
how often should i water my lophs? will be bottom feeding like this for sure but im not sure how often to do it and at what point (temp wise) in the year to start. i have a heatmat but not sure how to use it in conjunction with watering etc. any help would be great thanks
Hi! It depends on the age of the plants, the type of substrate, the ambient temperature, the time of year, whether the plant is dormant or active. The most common answer is: you should water whenever the substrate is completely dry. But there are exceptions such as very small seedlings, which need more moisture, or mature plants that have vast water reserves and can go several weeks without water, even during the growing season. In the second case I use the palpation method to check if the plant is dehydrated. Before watering, it is advisable to check the weather forecast as you'll need sunny weather for the next 4 or 5 days, and whether the temperature will be adequate. I start watering my larger plants in late February or early March (I'm in the northern hemisphere, Mediterranean/Atlantic climate region), depending on the temperature. I never water if in the following days the temperature is below 25°C. In my case, as my plants are under glass, I can have temperatures 10°C to 20°C above the outside temperature, as long as the sun shines. I'm still watering some that show signs of dehydration, albeit with moderation, as the temperature here is above what is normal for the season. When in doubt it is better not to water. Regarding the heatmat, it depends on the type of setup, whether the plant is in an open or confined space.
@@gustavoo3886 OK. But the ones you are referring to are not mine. I want my plants to have the best conditions possible, and that's what I try to do. At the same time, I'm learning. I'm not getting any younger either, I wish I had dedicated myself to this sooner but, it is what it is... I would like to be able to see all these plants flower and multiply. I currently have all species of Lophophora, and in total, more than forty varieties/localities, at home, and I live in an apartment.
The plants in this video, I water once a week. They have a fan that moves air over them, which prevents the appearance of molds and speeds up the drying of the substrate.
@@lophoflora Thanks you a lot, I water them one a week with mineral soil and good ventilation and they are doing grate. And how do you manage the fertilization of young plants?
Hi! It depends, if the substrate contains organic material I let the water pass through the substrate and it's done. If the plants are in pure mineral substrate I let them soak for some time, especially if they're in terracotta pots. That's because my plants in terracotta are watered more sparingly.
Once a week. In winter, I water when the substrate is dry, I also water from above with a squirt bottle, preventing the plant heads from getting too wet. keep in mind that I keep them with artificial lighting and enough temperature to keep them active. In summer I water more often by immersion, especially important when there are many plants in the same pot. Part of these plants are already getting sunlight and exposed to heat, they are much bigger than in this video. Two of them have already bloomed. :)
This is a cactus with a bright future. I also like cacti.
awesome video and Good vibes mt friend
Just starting my first adventure with cacti. Ive been growing veggies and raising huge gardens and a half acre farm for years. Im nervous trying Cactus growing. Thanks for the vid. Subbed, ty !!!!
Thank you very much. Cacti are not difficult to grow. Most of them grow very slowly however. With your experience there's no reason why it shouldn't go well.
Amazing collection 😍
Thank you!
What soil mix are you using and what are your portions, lamps, heat pads etc etc
Hi! I use mixtures of various mineral substrates composed of: Pumice, lava stone, zeolite, crushed expanded clay, sand, trace amounts of other rocks such as shale, and use also akadama. As organic component, I use commercial substrates for cactus and succulents and worm castings, both or just the latter. Mineral/organic percentages vary, I can use 30 to 50% organic on seedbed but for potted plants I use 20% or less, and my older plants are in 100% mineral. It doesn't mean you can't use a more organic mix, especially if you like them fat and bright green, the problem is... if you screw up on watering it can kill them. I use TLED lamps by Secret Jardin brand, the grow one (white light). As I have reptiles, I use heating pads for pet snakes as heating, the transparent ones. Under glass or plastic terrariums/boxes, never inside as they aren't watertight. In summer I only use the led lighting as heating, as you can see in the improvised tent in that video.
nice video, I like to much Albertos vojtechii
how often should i water my lophs? will be bottom feeding like this for sure but im not sure how often to do it and at what point (temp wise) in the year to start. i have a heatmat but not sure how to use it in conjunction with watering etc. any help would be great thanks
Hi! It depends on the age of the plants, the type of substrate, the ambient temperature, the time of year, whether the plant is dormant or active. The most common answer is: you should water whenever the substrate is completely dry. But there are exceptions such as very small seedlings, which need more moisture, or mature plants that have vast water reserves and can go several weeks without water, even during the growing season. In the second case I use the palpation method to check if the plant is dehydrated. Before watering, it is advisable to check the weather forecast as you'll need sunny weather for the next 4 or 5 days, and whether the temperature will be adequate. I start watering my larger plants in late February or early March (I'm in the northern hemisphere, Mediterranean/Atlantic climate region), depending on the temperature. I never water if in the following days the temperature is below 25°C. In my case, as my plants are under glass, I can have temperatures 10°C to 20°C above the outside temperature, as long as the sun shines. I'm still watering some that show signs of dehydration, albeit with moderation, as the temperature here is above what is normal for the season.
When in doubt it is better not to water.
Regarding the heatmat, it depends on the type of setup, whether the plant is in an open or confined space.
@@lophoflora cmon, lophophoras live for years and years alone without all those picky cares
@@gustavoo3886 OK. But the ones you are referring to are not mine. I want my plants to have the best conditions possible, and that's what I try to do. At the same time, I'm learning. I'm not getting any younger either, I wish I had dedicated myself to this sooner but, it is what it is... I would like to be able to see all these plants flower and multiply. I currently have all species of Lophophora, and in total, more than forty varieties/localities, at home, and I live in an apartment.
@@lophoflora amazing work man. You can clearly see, how much effort and love you put in it
How often do you water you 1 or 2 year old plants? Do you treat them like full grown adults?
Thanks for all your nice videos
The plants in this video, I water once a week. They have a fan that moves air over them, which prevents the appearance of molds and speeds up the drying of the substrate.
@@lophoflora Thanks you a lot, I water them one a week with mineral soil and good ventilation and they are doing grate. And how do you manage the fertilization of young plants?
Was just about to ask the same. I live in a very hot and dry local. This week 106 F and less than 20% Humidity
@@mcactus6210 Occasionally I add a weak cactus fertilizer to the water, NPK 1.5-2.3-3, or a stronger one but more diluted.
How long do you soak them in water for?
Hi! It depends, if the substrate contains organic material I let the water pass through the substrate and it's done. If the plants are in pure mineral substrate I let them soak for some time, especially if they're in terracotta pots. That's because my plants in terracotta are watered more sparingly.
How long in between do you water them ?
Once a week. In winter, I water when the substrate is dry, I also water from above with a squirt bottle, preventing the plant heads from getting too wet. keep in mind that I keep them with artificial lighting and enough temperature to keep them active. In summer I water more often by immersion, especially important when there are many plants in the same pot. Part of these plants are already getting sunlight and exposed to heat, they are much bigger than in this video. Two of them have already bloomed. :)