Taking a look at my other, neglected cactus collection
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- As well as my main collection of cacti, I look after a small second collection which I only get to visit a few times a year. I've chosen a few species which I thought would cope well with very infrequent watering and general neglect, which is what many cacti will experience in their natural habitat. But the results are definitely a mixed bag - some have stayed very healthy looking but not really grown, some have grown but the growth is of poor quality and some have not fared at all well. One plant became diseased and ultimately died. In particular I have some Trichocereus Pachanoi seedlings that were germinated at the same time as some in my main collection. The difference in growth and health is very stark. Ultimately these are not desert cacti and the neglected ones have really suffered through lack of watering, and are barely surviving. My challenge is to nurse them back to a healthier state while I can, before they are again neglected for an extended period. However the Lophophora Williamsii seedlings are almost as healthy as the better cared for ones (they are from the same seed batch) albeit a little smaller. Similarly the Astrophytum Asterias, although very shrivelled, plumped back up very quickly when given some water. These plants are true survivors, and I think there's a lot to learn from this experiment.
People will literally steal anything these days. Think Ziggy is spot on with the ID of that one at 5.02 👍🏻 Thank you for sharing with us. Happy growing 🌵☀️🌺🌸🌼🏜
Yes it is rather depressing, I don't feel I can leave anything in my prime sunny location now as a result of this. Many thanks for commenting Daz! 🙂🌵💚
How sad. When I was a kid we had a front yard with medium/large columnar cactus and some teenagers came in the night and hacked it in half with a golf club. These things happen but hopefully it doesn't get to you too bad. It can really stir up all kinds of emotions. I've been planting my cold hardy cacti in the front yard just hoping for no incidents, trying to be accepting that things can happen, and having a bit of trust in others. A lot of times it's kids who just need to mature. And hey, consider that maybe your cacti didn't go peacefully and drew some blood since all of us cactus people get poked even though we treat them with care😆
Many thanks for your reply - it sapped my enthusiasm for a few weeks, but I think I'm over it now. I still have loads of cacti out the front where they are vulnerable, but have been fairly careful to remove all the ones that are most valuable to me and put them somewhere more secure. The main problem is that the front is the sunny side of the house, and I don't have a lot of spare space. I made some wooden shelving to grow and display my cacti and that of necessity is at the front. However, I did think I should propagate my Opuntia Microdaysis and make a glochid-filled fence around them all! Or maybe a cholla or, as @ZiggySearchfieldCactus suggests Opuntia Stricta - I don't have any of those yet but it sounds awesome.
The one at 5.02 looks like a Parodia mammulosa Donald 🙂 I had a couple of pots taken from my stall out the front last month too. When I looked back at the picture I took, they'd stolen 2 of the same plant 🤔 If they were that desparate for some plants they should have come and talked to me, I could have found them something 🙄🌵🌵
Thanks Ziggy for the identification of this plant, I've compared it with photos from the internet and it definitely has the correct spine pattern and general form - I'd never even thought to look through Parodia photos to identify it.
The thefts are infuriating - if someone had knocked at the door and asked for a cactus I'd happily have given them a very fine plant or two, just not the one I gave my wife as a present for a big birthday. I've subsequently removed most of the larger/better plants and put them indoors, although I don't have room for them all. No doubt their prime position against a south-west facing wall led to them growing so large in the first place.
@@DFJA01 I'll try to put a pic up when one of mine flowers 🙂 Put a sign in an empty flower pot outside telling whoever nicked it to seek medical attention because the spines are possibly lethal 😮😁😁🌵🌵
@ZiggySearchfieldCactus I actually thought about surrounding them all with a fence of Opuntia Microdasys plants, which were briefly my favourite Opuntia until I met one in the flesh, literally 😂😡🌵
@@DFJA01 Opuntia stricta would be even better, I'm thinking about discontinuing it in the shop as it even gets people driving past on the A2 😁😁🌵🌵
Please ....when do you water cacti. Help
Thanks for your comment. It really depends on your climate, the species of cactus and even factors such as the soil type they are growing in. As a general rule for desert cacti you should keep the roots dry in winter when the cacti go dormant, and only water once it's warm enough for active growth. Even then, most cacti like to dry out completely between waterings. I also apply fertiliser, at half the norrmal strength, roughly one in four waterings. But others may have different thoughts on this.