Echinopsis blooms

This past Thursday night was time for the blooms to open - my first two Echinopsis for the season. Last year I don't think I had any blooms until August - this is a little bit earlier and may be a sign of good things to come. Hope to have many more in bloom through the month of August.

First one is a creamy white. Other one has kind of pinkish mid-stripes.

Buds ... #1 ..................................................#2



... and blooms.


Still watching all the others very closely.

Young Mammillaria balsasoides

This is the largest of the Mammillaria balsasoides seedlings from my April batch. Three months after sowing...





The seeds of this species are unusually large. I only got 10 seeds but now I have 8 seedlings! I think that is a pretty good germination rate, and I hope to see them survive the rigours of my garden. This one has already been potted up into a 2" pot and is out in semi-sun, and I want to get the others potted up soon. I got enough pots - just need to have enough soil and enough space!

This is supposed to be very similar to the Mammillaria beneckei (which I already have mature plants of) but this one is self-fertile, clusters less easily, and the offsets are more firmly attached. At least, so I am told. I guess in a few years I will (hopefully) find out for myself. I wonder what would happen if the two were cross-pollinated. Maybe something for me to try later on when I have babies that are all grown up.

Not a lot going on

Not much activity in my garden right now. Most of my attention is still on my seedlings and plants grown from seed. Right now, I need a lot of soil so that I can pot up the babies and the older ones while it is still summer. I will try to post more photos of those as I go along.

Of course, things are growing but not a lot blooming. A few Gymnocalycium are still pushing out flowers but the Mammillarias seem to be taking a rest. The Thelocactus setispinus has just bloomed but I never got a chance to take a photo. It has another bud coming up so hopefully next time - it's one of my favourite flowers.

Finally, this month the Echinopsis have started to bud and I hope to see some blooms on some that didn't show me anything last year. Only four with buds so far and I'm looking for several more to take me through August. Maybe I should step up the bloom-boosting fertiliser to help them along??

Three with buds ... and all noIDs.

Today I noticed some movement on two of the buds so it looks as though they may be open in about a week or so. I hope I can catch them so I will have something to post. These night bloomers can be really tricky, and easy to miss before they close in the morning.

Cryptanthus collection

It has been said that you need to have at least seven of any particular type of plant to make it a "collection". While Cryptanthus isn't succulent, I've found myself being attracted to them and I pick up different ones (and other Bromeliads) if I see something I don't have at the right price.

I did a check recently and realise that I do have more than seven different Cryptanthus plants although none of them are named. Given the definition above, I have a collection!

Here are a few of the most recent additions: