Sticky Fingers

Missed first bloom on M. boolii

2011-07-14T22:50:00.003-05:00

I have been so busy in the last few weeks that I have only found time to keep the baby babies watered. I hardly have been looking at the others except for a cursory peek. So imagine my disappointment when I realised that two of my Mammillaria boolii plants had bloomed without me even noticing!

I think these are beautiful flowers (based on the photos I have seen) but so far there was no sign of any action, although these are said to bloom at a very young age - I think mine are now about 4 years or older now... so I had resigned myself to the belief that it was a fault of the climate - too warm for too long with no winter to allow buds to form.

WRONG!!! Although I missed them, I'm happy that I will have more to look forward to, as there are more buds... and now I'm keeping close watch to see the progress and I hope to see one of the blooms this weekend.

So far the gymnos have been constantly blooming - so much so that I hardly notice them anymore (and I should learn my lesson to always be observant else I will miss something important). I'm feeling good about my progress and just want to keep on growing!

What you can do when there's time

2011-04-18T23:59:00.008-05:00

I have been off work for the past week and have put the time to good use in relation to my plants - been taking some photos and updating labels and other related stuff. It's interesting to look at how far some plants have come, or even just to realise that a plant is already several years old!

These are a few of the photos taken today of some plants sowed in 2008 (yesterday by now)

Leuchtenbergia principis

Notocactus leninghausii

Mammillaria schwarzii

Echinocereus rigidissimus

Thelocactus schwarzii

Acanthocalycium peitscherianum

Some pics of last year's seedlings

2011-04-15T20:41:00.004-05:00

So I finally got around to taking and editing some photos - not the best but it's a start. These are from the seeds sown last May and July...

Gymnocalycium mesopotamicum

Eriosyce paucicostata

Echinocereus viridiflorus

Echinocereus subinermis

Echinocereus pectinatus

Soon I will have to prick these out because they are just too crowded. I guess it would be best to do this before the summer sets in...

Good growing so far

2011-04-03T20:05:00.003-05:00

This year has been a good growing and germinating one for me so far. I've been sowing and sowig and the results are looking good. I even have run out of seeding pots so I'm not sure what I will do for the rest of the seeds that I have ordered and that I already have. I will have to find a creative solution.

The older seedlings are in growth and I have been working nearly every weekend to pot them up to larger trays so that they can continue to develop. Now I can feel the squeeze as I am running out of space. I need a new table to spread out more trays else I will have to hold back the plants that obviously want to achieve their potential.

Even the flowering is better than usual - perhaps because several seedlings have reached that stage of maturity - 3 to 4 years old and are now blooming for the first time. The Mamms mostly bloomed earlier in the year and now the Gymnos are coming into their own. Lots of buds and sevral blooms this weekend. The Copiapoa hypogea, the Gymnocactus gielsdorfianus, and the Turbinicarpus klinkerianus refuse to be left out, as they have been blooming regularly since January.

Mammillaria picta

Copiapoa hypogea

What I've been especially bad at is taking the photos and sharing them - even today when several Gymno flowers were opened, I thought about getting the camera... and then I forgot. But I had taken photos two days ago... all plants from the same seed pod but different shades of blooms

Gymnocalycium damsii v rotudulum

Some blooms on babies

2010-06-11T19:36:00.002-05:00

This week, three of my gymnos grown from seed opened up their blooms. The first one from this seedling batch had bloomed in early May. I'd expected to get the same bloom but the colouring is different. I took out the paintbrush and twiddled so I'll see if I get any fruit from the exercise.

I got the seed from Bill in SC for these babies that I sowed in January 2007... he presumes these to be a product of Gymnocalycium stenopleurum or hybrid

May 2010 bloomer

June 2010 bloomers

Seed from my own plant - a Gymnocalycium damsii rotundulum hybrid - again the seedlings produce different flower colours

Blooming in May

Another blooming this week

Things are looking up

2010-05-18T23:34:00.002-05:00

I have been trying to get back to work on my plants - potting up into larger seedling trays, watering and fertilising, and just paying more attention on the weekends although my time is still somewhat limited.

So I have seen several seedlings start to show buds and blooms - various Gymnos and Mamms, and one of my oldest, Cereus pernambucensis, is blooming tonight but it's too dark for me to get a photo - hope I can get up early enough to snap it before it closes. I have photos of some of the other blooms but those will have to be shared at another time. I just wanted to say a little about what's been going on.

No more rain

2010-03-20T12:24:00.002-05:00

I guess it was a passing one-day shower. No more rain since, and no water in the pipes either. It's getting worse and worse but I still have to find recycled water to sprinkle the babies because they don't have the reserves to withstand totally dry conditions for too long.

I haven't even sown any more seed although I have some I got in January, because the conditions just don't seem conducive and it's hard for me to get them through the initial stages without enough moisture. I continue to hope for a change in weather, and will try to post some photos from earlier this year.

Today it rained

2010-03-16T21:23:00.002-05:00

It has been a long season of drought and it's a good thing that I grow the type of plants that I do else they would all be DEAD! Even so, they all seem to enjoy a good shower of rain, and they surely do perk up and show visible growth when they are able to get a good drink.

I'll have to give the ones out in the garden a quick look-over in the morning to see how they have responded to today's rains. Hoping for more showers so that we cna get regular water back into the pipes!

Quick update

2010-03-13T13:14:00.004-06:00

What can I say? I've been taking some photos but just not posting them to show what's been happening in my garden.

Today I noted one of my tiny plants blooming - Turbinicarpus klinkerianus grown from seed in April 2007, and I have to publish that, if nothing else.

Last chance for 2009

2009-12-31T13:47:00.002-06:00

In the last week or so, I have finally started to resume my relationship with my plants - and I've been trying to pot up some of the babies and my plan for the rest of the day is to sow seeds. My last seed batch was done in June, and I just feel I must be able to get in one more set for 2009. Whatever I do tomorrow will be one whole year younger!

I don't usually make resolutions, but I really have to try to find the time to do the things that I enjoy, like growing my cacti and reading. We will see what happens in 2010.

What I didn't do all summer

2009-10-26T19:31:00.002-05:00

I have neglected my plants ALL summer and now that summer is over, I am trying to salvage the wreckage. It could be much worse - maybe this was just a test of the strength and resilience of cacti, and to prove to myself that they don't need to be taken care of. True for some, but not for others - I have quite a few that are none the worse, and quite a few that are NO LONGER ALIVE!

Well, such is life, and I have to move on and see how I can juggle work and home and still find time to do the things that I find pleasing and relaxing (like sitting and working with my plants ona Sunday morning).

I'm tempted to get another batch of seeds to sow, as the end of the year draws near, but I wonder if I really should, since I am out of space with what I am working with, and I don;t know where I will put more if I have success with germination and growth. In fact, it was good to have not so much growth this year because of my lack of time, because I don't know where I would put them all!

Frailea grahliana

2009-05-10T21:58:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I watched in eager anticipation because I expected to FINALLY see a flower on this Frailea grahliana that I have had for about two years now. Previously, all that has happened is that it buds then sets seed without opening a flower. I took photos to capture the sequence ...

In the morning, the bud promised to open...

Starting to open...

This is as far as it got...

because it started to rain.

So, I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get to see the full flower open, and the next day I had to be at work and I have no idea if it opened then, but by this weekend it had finished. The other plant is budding out now so I am waiting to see if it will become a bloom or just a fruit.

I always thought that Frailea was delicate but this one is out in the garden and gets regular rain and sunshine with no ill effects - but it is filled out and has lots of offsets and has produced lots of seeds. I'm now starting out to grow some other Frailea species from seed so I hope to do well with them as I seem to be getting better with keeping young seedlings alive.

My entries in the JHS Flower Show 2009

2009-04-27T22:05:00.002-05:00

This year I was persuaded to take in some plants for entry in the Jamaica Horticultural Society Flower Show 2009, which was this past weekend. I managed to persuade my aunt to enter some plants also.

These were my entries:

Aloe "Pepe" descoingii x haworthioides
- earned a third place award.

Echinopsis calochlora

Second place award for
Euphorbia aeruginosa

.
Surprise for me!
Euphorbia baioensis got a first place ribbon

Euphorbia debilispina

Gymnocalycium damsii

Haworthia attenuata 'variegata'

Third place for the Mammillaria beneckei.
My aunt's two plants took first and second.

No award for this Sansevieria scabrafolia

This Agave got a red ribbon - second place

Not sure if I want to do it again next year but it was a good experience and I haven't ruled it out yet. Still have quite some time to think about it and be more prepared if I decide to go again.

Petunias bloomed!

2009-04-23T21:19:00.002-05:00

Well, all the hard work to try to keep the zinnias and petunias from dying an early death has resulted in some flowers! I'm not sure that any of the zinnias have survived, but two petunias have bloomed this week, so there may be hope yet for me and my not-so-green thumb. I didn't even pot them up from the seed tray so I probably stunted them greatly.

Just to show off the two blooms (no guarantee that there will be more, right?)...

I've entered some plants in the JHS show, which is this weekend, so I will post some photos of my entries and MAYBE others from the show (if I get to doing that).

Blooming this week

2009-04-11T10:13:00.002-05:00

I managed to get some photos taken this week in the garden.

These are the blooms I was able to capture.

Mammillaria vetula ssp gracilis

Mammillaria dixanthocentron

Rebutia sp

Mammillaria nivosa

Notocactus horstii purpureus

I'll try to write a little bit more about each of these later.

My thumb is not very green

2009-04-01T22:00:00.002-05:00

Today I came home in the afternoon to find the young tomato plants keeled over from lack of water. I was almost certain that I had watered them last night but obviously I did not! This may just be too much work for me, but I will continue to try. These plants need to be put into the ground now, and hopefully someone else can take responsibility for watering and keeping them alive.

Although a few of the petunia seedlings died, several are thriving and I try to remember to water them also - the zinnias haven't fared so well. Maybe I should stick to what I have learned to grow so far... plants that thrive on neglect. As I continue to diversify....

Stepping up the pace

2009-03-29T22:37:00.008-05:00

I have realised that using the multi-cell trays with small squares gives me good results - at least for now, so I have been proceeding with some repotting within the space that I have. This weekend I completed another 120-cell tray and also a 156-cell tray. I have now reached my space limit under the verandah awning so I'll have to be creative if I want to continue on this path.

My photo log of the tray that I pinned out last January...

Freshly done in January 26, 2008

This was taken in September 2008

And what it looks like now, in March 2009

These have really grown, and the survival rate is very good - maybe because there is less soil to harbour pests and to rot the roots, I think.

Other trays....

These were pinned out in October 2008

Pinned out in January 2009

And last week's work

I finished today's activity after dark so I don't have photos of my most recent handiwork. Will try to remember to take some shots within the week.

I'm clearly not as impatient as I used to be - when I just started out growing from seed, I would pin out 4-month seedlings into 2" pots so that they would have space to grow. Now I don't have the space to be so generous so they stay in the seed pots (those are now smaller also) for over a year before I pin out - except for the faster growing species. It's all about learning and adapting as I go along.

Keeping them growing

2009-03-22T22:56:00.002-05:00

Despite the fact that I feel as though I've run out of space to safely grow my young seedlings (under some shelter but with enough sun), I need to keep them progressing at a reasonable pace. Today I pinned out some of the yearlings to a 120-cell tray so that each will have its own space to grow, however limited it might be.

I managed to find a space for the tray by moving over a partly hanging Sedum morganianum, which I have treated very badly. It needs repotting desperately, but I can't figure how to do it without doing great damage to all the tails.

Next week I will start the greenhouse if I can get the blocks for the foundation of the sides. I think I must - can't let this season go by and stifle the growth of all these plants. I'm not back to using my regular soil mix but I'm working with a combination of some commercially available soil and so far, it works for the seedlings under shelter. I can't swear what will happen if they have to be out in the rain - so I'm not putting them out - hence the need for the greenhouse where the watering will be controlled - delivered when I say so and not by Mother Nature.

Really need to update

2009-03-08T01:14:00.003-06:00

Tonight I realised just how out of touch I have been with this blog. Many of my links are no longer valid and I haven't even looked in on those sites in so long it's almost shameful to retain them as blogs or links that I know anything about.

They will have to remain so for a while longer because an update is something that I'm NOT going to do now, in the wee hours of the morning. So until another day... it shall remain incorrect.

My daughter has influenced me into trying to grow somethings other than cacti - so now I am struggling to keep baby zinnias and petunias alive, and to add to the problems, we have now put in a batch of tomatoes and bell peppers... it would be great if she would remember to water the tray each day, but that's left up to me. Suffice it to say that more than once I have found the poor things wilted over and about to expire from lack of water. I don't know how this will turn out but I won't give up yet. Maybe I will discover a new passion, who knows??

Still slow (or so it seems)

2009-03-04T21:46:00.002-06:00

I just don't know how to get past this. Maybe I'm down to once a month now, and should just try to work with that until I can figure out how to up the frequency.

What to write about? I hardly have time to keep my plants alive much less to process photos and other such excitement. Not that I don't want to, but all of a sudden it just feels like there is so much else to keep me busy -including spending time just doing NOTHING. That is something I have found I need to do more and more just to keep myself within a realm of sanity.

As usual, though, if nothing else I am trying to keep up with my baby babies, to see that they get to the stage of tolerating neglect. I sowed another batch of seed this past weekend, as though I even know where I'll put all these plants and if I'll have to time or energy to care for them. Trying to keep moving forward, at least.

These are some of my older babies - I guess about a year old or so - most of them. Photos from December... and not the best either but just what I have at hand right now.

Not much happening

2009-02-07T17:43:00.002-06:00

Not much to report except that I still am struggling to maintain my plants - maybe I've reached the point where I now have too many to be able to give them the attention they need so now they are keeling over right under my nose. The biggest problem is root mealy bugs and now I have taken to just unpotting the plants that seem at risk and leaving them bareroot because they are then less susceptible to rot when a shower of rain might pass. If I repot, the bugs migrate into the new soil and the problem continues.

The thought of repotting everything is just overwhelming, so I don't know what will happen - and I have hundreds of babies coming up. I need a management system that works!

Anyway, a few plants have shown up their blooms over the last couple of months - some for the first time - so I'll just play catch up and post them all here (at least the ones I got reasonable photos of).

Mammillaria magnimamma

Mammillaria karwinskiana

Mammillaria perbella

Mammillaria ruestii

Mammillaria schiedeana

Mammillaria plumosa

Mammillaria decipiens ssp albescens

Naughty me

2008-10-29T20:42:00.003-05:00

I feel as though I have abandoned my blog.

I haven't forgotten about it, but I just haven't been able to keep up with my posts. Not even once a week? Shame on me!

The summer was slow in terms of plants and flowers so I guess I haven't been at my most inspired, and then with so many other things to do, this just fell by the wayside and I kept telling myself - next week... next week... next week...

It has been rainy, rainy, rainy, this year and many of my plants have suffered - a mysterious fungus took over a lot of my seedlings (the ones about a year old) - I would wake in the morning to find them wrapped in a furry white coat and that would be that. Like this....

Some older ones have been afflicted with a rust-like condition and have gradually passed on despite my efforts to boost their resistance to whatever the condition was - systemic fungicide, insecticide, aspirin, fertilizer - I guess I just didn't know what to treat. Sick soil leads to sick plants - just when I thought that I had figured out how to manage these plants.

Tonight it is raining again and I can only hope for the best. I'll see what I see in the morning when I rise - I removed the ones at risk out of the rain, so all should be well - I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Astrophytum hybrid

2008-08-17T10:24:00.003-05:00

A whole month! What's gone wrong with me? Let me treat this break as a summer holiday, and try to make it up for the rest of the year.

I couldn't overlook this week though, because one of my Astrophytums grown from seed decided to bloom!

I sowed this set of seed in July 2004 from a packet I ordered from Cactusstore. I thought it started off slow, because it was still so small at 2 years old, but it showed a spurt of growth last year.

March06..................

January 2007 (in a 2" pot).................

August 2007 (in a 3" pot)........

I potted up to a 4" pot early in 2008, and now I am rewarded with this!

Astrophytum hybrid

The flower opened yesterday for the first time, and because of the heavy rains dropped by Tropical Storm Fay, I doubt that the flower will be able to open again today - it has been SMASHED!

Smashed like the Men's 100 m record by Jamaica's Usain Bolt yesterday, and then on top of it, the Jamaicans took the gold and two silvers in the Women's 100 m today. So call me negligent, but I was too busy paying attention to the Olympic sprints to realise that I should have taken the plant out of the rain to save the bloom.

Notocactus horstii purpureus - July 15, 2008

2008-07-19T15:09:00.002-05:00

The last post for today, to bring me "up to date" is the flower that was opened this week on my Notocactus horstii purpureus. I consider this to be one of my greatest successes, having grown this from seed, and it is the ONLY Notocactus in my collection that blooms. It has been blooming steadily since April, one or two flowers at a time, but most of the time the flowers don't open fully, or they open while I'm at work!

Notocactus horstii purpureus

Earlier this year, after the flower opened

This week's flower, up close.

Lobivia - July 15, 2008

2008-07-19T14:53:00.004-05:00

This week, I had the pleasure of seeing the bloom on this small Lobivia open - although it failed to open fully on either of the two days I was around. There are a couple more buds coming up on this plant, but the other offsets haven't started budding yet. I've had such a struggle to keep this plant going but now I'm seeing the rewards.

Lobivia

Opened more the next day...

Echinopsis calochlora - July 10, 2008

2008-07-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

I looked and looked but there are NO PHOTOS at the end of June - looks like there was either nothing happening in the garden or I just failed to take any pictures. No way to catch up on that week, so I'll just move on to the week after...

July 10, 2008

The first of my Echinopsis to bloom this season - Echinopsis calochlora. I nearly missed it, because I was watching the bud grow but didn't expect it to open when it did. Good thing it lasted till late enough in the morning for me to take the photo when I got out into the garden.

Echinopsis calochlora

I don't see much action in terms of buds on any of the others but I hope they will make some movement before the summer ends. Maybe I need to start dosing them with Bloom Booster to encourage them.

Bromeliad - June 23, 2008

2008-07-19T13:28:00.003-05:00

Still working on updating with all that has happened in the last month.

This bromeliad has been sending out offsets (three so far) and I was wondering whether I would see it bloom. I think that after this blooms, the plant dies but the offsets live on. The spike here looks nothing like what was on the plant when I first got it , so now I am wondering if I have confused myself, but I don't have so many of these to mix them up. I will continue to watch it and see whether it changes as it matures.

June 23, 2008

Bromeliad

EDIT: The flower spike today, July 19, 2008

Catching up: Caralluma schweinfurthii - June 15, 2008

2008-07-19T12:54:00.004-05:00

How far behind have I fallen? So far I can't count!

Today I will try to catch up, because I did take some photos and I SHOULD have been posting but just didn't seem to be able to get them uploaded and posted because there was so much else going on.

Sunday, June 15 - Going back to what I would have posted as my plant of the week.

One of the stapeliads that I got at the JHS Flower Show in April decided to bloom. I must confess that I have not been taking the best care of my stapeliads, but I still like them a lot.

Caralluma schweinfurthii

Edited on March 20, 2009 - was advised of a correction to the name I havd assigned to this plant so I've now changed it - not Caralluma hesperidum but Caralluma schweinfurthii. Comments welcome.

Adenium obesum

2008-06-08T20:57:00.002-05:00

I missed making last week's post! Not that I didn't try, but I was doing so many other things that I just didn't get to upload any photos - and there weren't any plants really screaming at me to post them either. Really a quiet week - no blooms to speak of out of the ordinary.

Then in the middle of the week I happened to take a look around the side (very neglected area) and realised that my Adenium obesum was in bloom! I'm ashamed to post the plant so you'll only see the flowers - it's not even in a real pot but just a shallow tray in which a branch managed to root and grow.

Adenium obesum

It's jumbled up with Euphorbia tirucalli, Sanseviera cylindrica, Kalanchoe daigremontiana, and assorted cacti all sort of growing wild - some now in the earth and others not, in a narrow strip of earth alongside the house.

Euphorbia stenoclada

2008-05-27T22:33:00.002-05:00

I had a hard time this week trying to choose something to post. Nothing in bloom, and my garden needs to be cut and weeded, so many of my plants are not in photo-ready condition. I didn't want to resort to tiny plants grown from seed, but I may just have to feature one of those next week if this continues.

I have a relatively large Euphorbia stenoclada that is about three feet tall, but this is a smaller one that has rooted into the ground - only about a foot tall now. I expect it to grow more quickly now, and already the change in the type of growth is evident. The original weaker growth can be seen in the lower right corner of the photo, and the difference is clear.

Euphorbia stenoclada

Gymnocalycium damsii

2008-05-19T07:27:00.002-05:00

Gymnocalycium damsii was one of my earliest cacti acquisitions. I bought one that was bursting out of a 4 1/2" pot with babies all around, and the first thing I did was to strip the plant of all the babies and repot it. Turns out that it didn't mind the treatment, and kept growing to a grand size of about 7" or 8" diameter, which is far bigger than is typical for a G. damsii. Every so often I would have to strip off a whole lot of babies as well to make room for the mother plant to continue growing. As a result, I always have these to give away if anyone asks.

It also turned out to be quite a reliable bloomer, producing its white flowers each summer without any fuss - and it was probably the first cactus bloom produced in my collection that I was able to get really excited about. That was about 4 years ago, and unfortunately, the mother plant succumbed to rot after a heavy rainy period last year, but her legacy lives on.

This plant shown is one of the first batch of offsets that I stripped off in December 2002, now about the size of the one I originally got. It is recovering from a bad scale infestation, but seems to be showing me that it is now okay and ready to produce flowers and get on with its life.

The only earlier Gymnocalycium bloom this year was about two weeks ago - Gymnocalycium damsii rotundulum, so I'll just include it here for good measure. I guess I should note that both plants have been lumped into Gymnocalycium anisitsii, but I tend to keep the old names to distinguish the different plants.

I have posted this plant before, as it is one that I "rescued" from a plant store in Cambridge in early 2006, as it had fake flowers glued to it and the real blooms were deformed as a result. I paid more for it than I would normally, but I think it was worth it, as the shade of pink is marvellous and it just keeps on blooming through the summer. While it does not pup very readily, I have been able to share a few plants with others.

I also now have some seedlings produced from seed I got off the second plant, but I don't know if it was cross-pollinated or self-pollinated but I will see when they grow up in another five years or so.

Edithcolea grandis

2008-05-12T21:28:00.002-05:00

This was the other contender for last week's post, but the flower didn't open until about Wednesday so I saved it for this week. Rightly, I should have been posting one of my Gymnos that has started to bloom, but it will have to wait. Maybe next week.

Otherwise known as the Persian Carpet flower, Edithcolea grandis is sometimes said to be a difficult plant to keep alive. That hasn't been my experience, as it is quite tolerant and easy to grow, and it blooms without any problem.

Edithcolea grandis

Quite a nice flower, I think, and not as stinky as some of its fellow Asclepiads. It fades fairly quickly, though. I caught this picture early in the morning before the sun took its toll,and for a change my camera didn't blur the photo when I got close up to the mesmerising whorls.

Mammillaria beneckei

2008-05-07T13:33:00.002-05:00

I had two prospects for the plant of the week, and both of them held out on me by NOT blooming on the weekend. However, the Mammillaria beneckei finally opened up two flowers on Monday morning and has opened one more each day since. Seems as though the bloom lasts only ONE day - opens at the crack of dawn and closes before the afternoon ends.

Mammillaria beneckei

There are more buds coming, so I think I will need to water more with Bloom Booster to get the greatest effect. Mine has never done it, but I know it can, even in this climate.

My new acquisitions

2008-05-03T20:35:00.002-05:00

So they are just about a week old now (as MY plants), but the photo is from last week when I brought them home from the Jamaica Horticultural Society Flower Show. No cacti, but I got quite a few succulents that I either needed to replace or wanted to add to my collection.

I hope they all do well.

I have some individual photos but will have to post those at another time. Other pressing and urgent matters require my time right now.

Kalanchoe orygalis

2008-04-29T00:10:00.002-05:00

It seems so easy to grow this plant - because it is undemanding and thrives on little attention. I find its colour particularly attractive, and unlike other Kalanchoes, it does not make itself into a pest but just steadily grows as a single plant without spreading itself all around where it may not be wanted. I haven't checked, but I suspect that it has grown through its pot and is now embedded in the ground. I have this one and a small one, and I think I will try to propagate a couple more for good measure.

Kalanchoe orygalis

Haworthia limifolia

2008-04-22T21:59:00.002-05:00

I am trying hard to get back on track. I should post my plant of the week on Sunday or Monday. Last week I didn't get it posted until Wednesday. This week it is now Tuesday already. Maybe next week I'll be on time.

This Haworthia limifolia was repotted this weekend because someone persuaded me to sell them the only one I had set up in a 4" pot. My larger plant (in this 6" pot) had put on many pups but I hadn't made any move to repot it. I figured I should separate and repot so that I would still have more than one plant. I am usually hesitant to repot while a plant is in flower, but this plant hardly seems to be disturbed by anything like this.

I ended up with the plant shown below, another filling a 5" pot, several in another 5" pot, one in a 4" pot, and one in a 2" pot. All these coming out of a single 6" pot. I'm not even counting the suckers that were developing all over the roots that I re-buried, and hope to see surfacing soon.

Such an easy plant, not in the least bit fussy, attractive rosette that looks soft but is quite sturdy, and a reliable bloomer.

Haworthia limifolia

Mammillaria karwinskiana

2008-04-16T15:06:00.002-05:00

I've had this plant for about three years now - sourced from MesaGarden. It's one of the few that adapted quickly and started growing and blooming. Other plants that I got in the same batch are still struggling to just get established.

I think that Mammillaria karwinskiana and subspecies do well in this climate, as I have a few types and they all bloom reliably even though the small yellow flowers aren't very eye-catching or spectacular. I have to appreciate them for what they are.

The spines on the plant were outstanding when I got it, but it seems to have grown into them. I'm now expecting to see it begin to divide dichotomously soon.

Mammillaria karwinskiana

Info on the Euphorbia

2008-04-12T10:42:00.002-05:00

Now that I have a minute - to elaborate on the plant I just posted.

This particular plant shown actually grows faster than others that I have of the same species. I've just cut off two pieces from this one to set new plants since it's now the only one of this strain in my collection. It's potted in a 16" or 18" clay pot, and is about 2 feet high, measured from the soil surface.

The other cristate Euphorbia lactea in my collection has grown through its pot into the ground, but now that it has become top-heavy (started out as a regular lactea) it has fallen over and all my efforts to prop it up have failed. So it has been lying on its side for the last two or three weeks. I need to do something about it soon.

Euphorbia lactea cristata

2008-04-08T21:20:00.002-05:00

No time to say much about this one - just posting it as my plant for this week.

Euphorbia lactea cristata

Echinofossulocactus ochoterenaus

2008-03-31T20:13:00.002-05:00

I couldn't post anything but this as the Plant of the Week. This is one of my own babies grown from seed that I got from Glenhirst Cactus Nursery in the UK in 2003, which was my first real attempt at growing cactus from seed. Many mistakes were made, and of the 145 species that I got seed packets for, only 27 plants have survived.

The Echinofossulocactus ochoterenaus is is one of the surviviors, and at just under five years old it has thrown out its first blooms. I think they are just beautiful!

Echinofossulocactus ochoterenaus

I love the wavy ribs on these species, and I keep on trying to grow more but it's a long slow process. Now I have three other TINY Echinofossulocactus seedlings that are nearly two years old but I am not yet confident of their survival. I hope I will be able to show off their blooms in another few years.

Mammillaria albilanata

2008-03-24T10:02:00.002-05:00

I was trying to select an appropriate plant for this week, and when I walked around the garden I didn't find many in bloom. I have posted photos of my Mammillaria albilanata grown from seed, but today this is one that I got from a box store. It bloomed sparingly last year but seems to have come into its own this season.

Mammillaria albilanata

Can't say the same for one that I received in 2005 from a specialist nursery - it doesn't seem to have adjusted to the change of climate yet but I haven't lost faith in it.

And not to leave out my own babies - here is one that tried hard to send out a ring of flowers last month - didn't quite make it but I'm satisfied with the effort.

It's been blooming for two weeks now!

2008-03-22T00:27:00.003-05:00

Not cactus or any other type of succulent, but my mother's 40-year old gerber has been in flower for the last two weeks. Not that she is looking after it, and nor am I, because it needs more water than I can remember to give it - good thing that there is someone else who has been watering nearly every day since sometime in February. The cacti have appreciated it also.

The Echinopsis calochlora that I am trying to establish for my boss is also in the photo, so that keeps it cactus-oriented enough.

Echinopsis calochlora with Gerbera

Euphorbia aeruginosa

2008-03-17T21:37:00.002-05:00

I have nurtured this Euphorbia aeruginosa for several years now - when I first got it from Mr. Wallace it started to die back and I was left with just one surviving branch. So I treat it very gently, although it has clearly recovered and is pretty happy where it is. I want to take a couple of cuttings to try and set some new plants but I am hesitant. My luck with Euphorbia hasn't been the greatest recently, but what I have left seem to be hanging on okay.

Euphorbia aeruginosa

Cryptanthus in bloom this week

2008-03-10T14:36:00.002-05:00

I have a soft spot for Cryptanthus although they are not succulent plants. However, they can tolerate great neglect and little water, so they can fit in with my cactus collection quite happily. I just have to remember not to scorch them, as I have done with some of these and other bromeliads.

Since January we have been doing some repotting and trying to bring back some of the truly neglected plants back to decent condition. All the Cryptanthus had to be redone and since they are now being watered regularly they are much happier.

I have no IDs on any of them - this is the only one that is pure green while the others tend to be in shades of pink and purple. Any suggestions for ID are welcome. I find it very hard to search through internet sites full of photos when I don't even have a lead to start with.

This one is the most willing bloomer of the lot.

Cryptanthus

Bryophyllum 'crenatodaigremontianum'

2008-03-04T15:34:00.002-06:00

This is a cross between Kalanchoe crenatum and Kalanchoe daigremontianum. It produces many plantlets on the edges of the leaves and can look absolutely fabulous when grow hard in the sun, when it takes on a beautiful reddish tinge.

I have mixed feelings about this plant, and it is evidenced by the fact that it gets terrible treatment, although it can be a very attractive specimen. It is not impossible to kill it, but there is no shortage of offsets and it can be found all around my garden now, growing in every possible location where the plantlets have fallen, even lookin glike "flowers" at the crown of cacti. I intend to cultivate a specimen potted up nicely in a container and see if I can have it ready for the JHS show for the end of April.

Kalanchoe 'crenatodaigremontianum'

(sunny spot)

(shady spot)

How to make mud pies

2008-02-27T18:13:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I worked on potting up some of my small seedlings into 2" pots, and I also sowed another batch of seeds - 24 species or thereabouts. I made a mess of my soil preparation by using a too-concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide that caused the soil to bubble and rise just like cakes in the oven.

I did this already, the first time I used peroxide and I thought I had figured it out, but I guess not! Took me a while to dilute it out through the soil and bring the bubbles back down to something I could go ahead and sow my seeds in. Hope the acidic soil doesn't affect germination - but some species have already started to grow.

My 7-year old daughter has taken quite an interest in plants now, and she reaped her own seed from my Mamillaria prolifera and wanted to do some of her own. So I had to facilitate her while I was doing mine, and then the 13-year old jumped into the action as well. So they both got a mix of cactus seeds to plant in one pot each, and they have been checking them every day since. Guess who is going to have to look after them as they grow? That would be me! But I'm pleased at the interest - it's much better than the jealousy that used to be (and sometimes still is) expressed when I would spend hours in the garden. We'll see how long it lasts.

Sansevieira cylindrica

2008-02-26T12:10:00.002-06:00

This is one of my more neglected plants. It gets no attention but it is so happy - this week I was surprised to see two flower spikes in this pot (which really isn't a pot any more because the plants are rooted through into the ground).

So as a reward, I am featuring it as my "Plant of the Week", and hope it will continue to grow well for me.

Sansevieria cylindrica

My weekend's work

2008-02-19T10:03:00.002-06:00

I managed to get some of my plants potted up to 4" pots this past weekend. These are all from seed, and I'm pleased to see them growing so well.

L - R:
Front row: Astrophytum hybrid, mammillaria sp, Acanthocalycium spiniflorum violaceum, Rebutia sp
Middle row: Mammillaria sp (maybe crinita), Lobivia sp, Echinocactus sp, Ferocactus sp
Back row: Lobivia aurea schaferi, Echinocereus sp, Mammillaria sp, Astrophytum sp

I've been accused of neglecting the rest of my collection that I didn't grow myself..... there may be some truth to that and I need to give the other plants some more attention.

My "Plant of the Week"

2008-02-18T21:20:00.002-06:00

This week's plant is one for which I do not have a positive ID. I know it is a Haworthia, probably a type of attenuata, but I don't know enough to be confident about it. This one has a lot of white in it, and in this particular photo it is showing its "winter" colours.

Haworthia (attenuata?)

It has been quietly blooming and putting on more and more offsets. I intend to separate it so that I can have more plants, but it isn't easy to get off any of the little suckers! Instead I have just ended up repotting it and allowing it to get larger, but I will have to try to extract even a small one soon.

Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides

2008-02-10T21:15:00.001-06:00

This is the plant I have selected for this week's post.

Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides

This is a fairly recent acquisition that I got from Manny last year. At first I thought that I was not treating it well as it did not flourish in its sheltered position under the verandah. Turns out it needed to get more water and sun, and since I moved it I have seen it bloom a few times. This is a photo from today.

In the background - Agave geminiflora

Mammillaria magnimamma

2008-02-04T22:26:00.000-06:00

Second week, and I'm behind already!

Mammillaria magnimamma

I think it speaks for itself. It has been blooming steadily since December but hasn't made a ring of flowers. Guess I should just enjoy what I have and stop expecting too much.

Mammillaria plumosa - First "Plant of the week"

2008-01-27T21:15:00.000-06:00

I thought about posting a plant from my collection each day, but I'm not sure I have the stamina to do that. Instead, I will start by trying to post one each week and I'll see how it goes from there.

Mammillaria plumosa

I got this M. plumosa from Manny about four years ago at the JHS Annual Flower Show. It was just a single head in a 2" pot, and I was so afraid that I would kill it that I think I held it back without realising it, by not watering and feeding as I could. Despite all that, it has steadily grown and is now in a 6" pot and is putting on more heads as it goes along. I've tried to not disturb it too much in all that time, so I only have one offset grown from a tubercule, and another that I separated from the mother when I last potted it up.

So far this year, it has been flowering well, with two and three blooms open at a time, so I'm feeling good about it right now. The two offsets are also flowering, as is the yellow-flowered one. Must have something to do with the improved treatment they have been getting in the past year. I'll try to keep it up.

What a relief!

2008-01-26T22:55:00.000-06:00

Today I was busy - I potted out those crowded seedlings that I posted a few weeks ago into a seedling tray - 132 of them in all (but only 6 species). Took me most of the day to get it done.

Here they are all pricked out...

And now set out in their tray...

In addition, last night I sowed the seed I got from BCSS - 24 species.

So I feel kind of good, like I got some things actually DONE! Still have tomorrow before the weekend is over, so let me see if I can add to my "accomplishments".

Another first flower!

2008-01-19T23:07:00.000-06:00

Seems that it must be time that my Mammillarias are coming to maturity. My M. albicoma pushed out a bud last week, and while I can't say when it opened first, I was able to catch the photo today.

I have been struggling with this species, trying to figure out and understand what it needs, and I lost one of my two seedlings late last year during or after the rainy season. This one was looking quite bedraggled - I was pleased to see it start to grow again, and now with a bonus!

I still have blooms coming up from the M. albilanata, M. dixanthocentron, and M. supertexta. I'm tempted to search all my babies every morning to see if there is anything new, but I don't have the time, so I just do it when I can. Every so often I get a surprise.

I am now hoping to get some fruit from these blooms so that I may grow the next generation of these species (although I am not controlling pollination and may get hybrids). I received a batch (24 species) from BCSS this week, and I am eager to sow them so that they will get started on their journey to becoming fabulous mature plants that I can enjoy in however many years.

The more I grow, the more I want to grow. When will it stop??

Ready to repot

2008-01-05T19:06:00.000-06:00

These seedlings are nearly ready to be potted up. I am trying to hold back to see just how much they can take before they burst their pots or jump out themselves, but at the same time I don't want them to be misshapen or disfigured just because I waited too long.

I need to get more soil mixed, because I have seeds to sow and so many seedlings and other plants that need repotting. I have just ordered more seed from two sources, so I will have to expand my growing area as they progress (still have no greenhouse). I am sure I will get to the point when I just don't have enough time to tend to them all but I'll see what I do when that happens.

Mammillaria geminispina - these will be a year old in a couple of weeks. I got the seed from Mr. Wallace - picked the fruit off the plants in his collection. I still have a LOT of seed left.

These guys look like they might be Gymnocalycium. They are about eleven months old now. Bill sent me the seed, but these were without ID (spilled).

Matucana madisoniorum - also got this seed from Bill. I tried several times before to grow this without success so I was glad to get enough seed to make mistakes with. I don't think I'm doing badly now, though. I just think this plant is so cool - can hardly wait for these babies to grow up some more.

These Dolichothele baumii (yes, I know - should be Mammillaria baumii)are only about seven months old, but have grown well. The seed came from Juergen, and I'm very happy with the quality - good germination and vigorous growth so far. I have an adult plant, but it grows very slowly and I recently had to separate it into small plants as it was threatening to rot. I hope these seedlings (born into my conditions) will grow better and BLOOM!

First blooms in December

2008-01-02T00:33:00.000-06:00

I had the pleasure of seeing several plants bloom for the first time last month - most of which were ones I had grown from seed. While I don't seem to have yet figured out the conditions needed for lush and multiple blooms, I am satisfied with my progress, and the fact that I can tell people that my plants have bloomed, especially my babies.

These from seed:
Mammillaria sartorii - sowed January 2005

Mammillaria supertexta - sowed August 2004

Mammillaria dixanthocentron (which I think is var flavicentra) - sowed August 2004

This one a gift from Manny:
Rhipsalis species - I saw a good ID match and wrote down the name but now that I need it, I just cannot remember where I wrote it.

EDIT: Got the ID - Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides

Others that bloomed, but not for the first time include:
Mammillaria albilanata (from seed)
Mammillaria magnimamma
Mammillaria nejapensis
Mammillaria karwinskiana
Mammillaria rhodantha
Rebutia marsoneri

I will have to post those photos another day.

Still more

2007-12-27T22:29:00.000-06:00

It's taking much longer to get through this than I expected.

Here is Tray #4.

Front Row (L-R): Mammillaria roseo-alba, Mammillaria zuccariniana, Mammillaria bocensis, Mammillaria gigantea (I think, but labelled M. nejapensis)
Middle (L-R): Mammillaria ruestii, Mammillaria lindsayi, Mammillaria wagneriana tortulospinum, Echinocereus sp.
Back Row (L-R): Mammillaria melanocentra, Mammillaria lloydii, Mammillaria sartorii, Astrophytum ornatum

Another tray of babies

2007-12-09T12:21:00.000-06:00

This is Tray 3.

Front row (L-R): Mammillaria sp, Echinofossulocactus ochoterenaus, Mammillaria albilanata, Mammillaria longimamma
2nd row (L-R): Mammillaria albilanata, Mammillaria sp, Mammillaria sp, Ferocactus sp
Back row (L-R): Ferocactus gracilis 'coloratus', Echinocereus knippelianus, Mammillaria albilanata, Mammillaria sp

Just two more to go. I'll probably post the trays of 3" and 2" but it's too much work to write out the ID's. These trays only have 12 each so it's manageable.

Next!

2007-12-07T17:12:00.000-06:00

This one is Tray 2, also on November 17, 2007.

And their identities...

Front row (L-R): Mammillaria longimamma, Ferocactus sp, Mammillaria dixanthocentron, Mammillaria dixanthocentron

2nd row (L-R): Mammillaria nejapensis, Mammillaria nivosa, Mammillaria calacantha, Mammillaria zeilmanniana

Back row (L-R): Ferocactus sp, Mammillaria supertexta, NoID, Echinopsis sp

Tray of plants from seed

2007-11-30T21:24:00.000-06:00

In November, I took photos of my plant trays.

I have called this Tray 1.

What's in it?
Front Row (L-R): Mammillaria albilanata, Mammillaria longimamma, Astrophytum hybrid, Echinofossulocactus ochoterenaus.

2nd Row (L-R): Mammillaria sp, Mammillaria magnimamma, Acanthocalycium spiniflorum, Notocactus horstii purpureus.

Back Row (L-R): Ferocactus gracilis 'coloratus', Mammillaria sp, Mammillaria dixanthocentron, Mammillaria albilanata.

Notocactus horstii purpureus flower opened!

2007-11-29T20:32:00.000-06:00

So I'm a little late with the news - this happened about two weeks ago (photo was taken on November 17) but I've just been delinquent in getting the photos uploaded so that I can show it off. Actually, both buds have opened without any difficulties except that they refused to open fully. I am told that this plant is a spring bloomer so I am hoping that I will see more action in another few months after the "winter" is over.

I can't explain how good it feels to have grown this from seed to such a nice flowering plant! I'm now looking forward to more blooms from my babies during the next season.

Another rainy day

2007-11-03T18:39:00.000-05:00

Today is the 8th continuous day of rain - caused by Hurricane Noel for the most part although it passed so far away from us. This morning the sun was shining, and I had hoped for a day without rain but no such luck. The clouds set up and was raining by midday.

Since I had to confine my activities to the verandah, I managed to do some repotting of some 2007 seedlings since my soil got the chance to dry out a bit. So many more, though - and tomorrow I hope to sow some more seed. Where am I going to put all those plants when they grow up????

A couple of plants took advantage of the little sun they saw this morning and opened some flowers.

An unknown succulent...

Mammillaria decipiens FO-140

Mammillaria vetula ssp gracilis

All small, but it's what I got today, so I can't complain.

Still watching that Notocactus bud ...

Cereus pernambucensis bloomed

2007-11-02T18:55:00.000-05:00

I don't know how I could have forgotten to post the photo of the flower after all that waiting and anticipation, although I wasn't even here to see it flower.

The other buds aborted, so I guess I am not looking forward to another anytime soon. Now I just need to plant the head in a pot since it has started to root, and I should be able to enjoy watching it grow and hopefully bloom again soon enough.

I should really get it planted out now while it is raining, so it can get its roots established fairly quickly. Maybe I will take that on tomorrow (if the rain eases up long enough, that is).

Notocactus horstii purpureus first bud

2007-10-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

Too early to say first bloom, and I have had others of my plants grown from seed put out buds and then fail to bloom. Worse yet, I have never had any of my other (mature) Notocactus show me any flowers here so my only experience is with the Notocactus ubelmannianus in Boston.

Here is my nice, just over 4 years old, Notocactus horstii purpureus, sowed in May 2003.

I got this seed from Glenhirst Cactus Nursery in the UK, and I didn't get a great survival rate from the 143 species that they sent me because it was my first real attempt at seed-raising and I did SO MANY THINGS WRONG! Maybe I have 30 plants still alive out of the whole exercise, if so many.

I spotted something that looked like a bud last week or weekend, and wasn't sure if I was seeing right. I just didn't expect it.

I took these photos today, and looking at it close up, I am sure it is a bud.

Now I just have to keep on doing whatever I was doing so that it becomes a bloom. Which means, leave it out there in the sun and rain and let it grow. How can I keep myself from getting excited and anticipating something great? I don't want to get my hopes up, but... I just have to hope for the best.

Cereus pernambucensis

2007-10-15T15:46:00.000-05:00

I was surprised to see this Cereus pernambucensis (grown from seed 2003) send out a bud.

The even more amazing thing is that it is just the top of the plant waiting for roots since ...

... it got broken after Hurricane Dean passed by in August.

Must be the stress. It had another bud but has aborted it.

It bloomed last week and I wasn't even here to see it. So disappointing. I still haven't even seen the photo.

Nothing new

2007-09-20T19:36:00.000-05:00

Not a chance for the week to even take a picture of anything in the garden. Out early each day off to work and home in the evening when it is dark. Now I really know my vacation is done. At least I tried to get the most out of the two weeks off, getting some things to do out of the way but still some are left over.

My little bird has flown the coop - already out of the nest and I notice the parents now busy in the mornings seemingly looking for a place to build a new nest. I wonder if I should now dismantle the old nest so they can start over.

Hopefully I will have some time to see what's happening with my plants and take some photos this weekend.

Aloe striata

2007-09-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

This one has been doing well, probably because my dog sees fit to give it an extra dose of nitrogen every day! I used to have it under the Poor Man's Orchid, but it wasn't thriving at all, and I temporarily rested it in the pot with the pepper. Then the added nutrients started kicking in and it has been looking fat and healthy since. Now I have placed it (again temporarily) in its own concrete pot but I need to decide where I really want to put it.

I am not sure how big this is supposed to grow so I need some advice and then I can take a decision.

Happy and Unhappy Pachys

2007-09-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

The only two Pachypodiums in my collection so far are Pachypodium lamerei and Pachypodium saundersii. I prefer these to Adeniums because I think they have more character, but even so, I have not yet been moved to make any great effort to get more - but I suppose I would if the opportunity presented itself.

The Pachypodium lamerei (Madagascar Palm) is doing very well and has sent its roots through the pot into the ground. Soon I will need to put it into a larger pot.

The Pachypodium saundersii was growing thin and lanky so I gave it more sun - it has responded by growing even thinner and now it has lost its leaves. It had put on buds but aborted them so no flowers either. What am I doing wrong? And what should I do?

More plants repotted!

2007-09-04T19:45:00.000-05:00

I spent the day today repotting (and potting up) one tray of my plants from seed. I was so happy to finally get some soil to do this that I just had to get them into the fresh mix without delay.

Hours I spent, until the blazing sun finally defeated my spirit (I couldn't bear to be roasted any more) and I retreated inside and then did a little more when the sun was about setting. All in all, a very productive day, and I now need to tackle the other two trays that need the same attention.

This is the tray I was working on, with most of the plants already repotted.

The empty pots represent the plants that were potted up to bigger (4") pots. I will have to fill in these spaces with other young ones over the next couple of days.

The names, for those who want to know:
Front row, L-R: Mammillaria zuccariniana, Mammillaria wagneriana tortulospinum, Mammillaria labelled nejapensis but apparently something else
2nd row, L-R: Mammillaria lindsayi, Astrophytum ornatum, Mammillaria sartorii
3rd row. L-R: Mammillaria roseo-alba, Mammillaria lloydii, Mammillaria bocensis
NoID Echinocereus in the back

I have since added Mammillaria melanocentra and Mammillaria ruestii to these.

They all blew over

2007-09-01T21:21:00.000-05:00

The bananas and plantains, that is. I was sure posted this during the week but for some reason I don't see it - must have been dreaming or something.

The bananas in front were somewhat sheltered so a few of them remained standing.

The ones in the backyard got hit hard - all of them had to be chopped off because they were all broken.

And likewise the plantains. These are still young - never had any fruit from these, but they will spring from the root.

In fact, they have continued to grow from the heart and have already put back on a couple of leaves, but I'm not sure they will still be able to bear fruit. They are very resilient, and I'm pleased with their recovery so far.

After the storm....

2007-08-26T20:03:00.001-05:00

The "stumpery" was the area where there was the greatest damage to my cacti. Ended up with two Cereus broken, but I have cut them and will re-root the heads and expect the bases to branch so it's not all bad.

The Poor Man's Orchid had to be cut back totally since so many branches and limbs were twisted and damaged - hoping it will spring back soon.

More tomorrow. Will look at the backyard and some non-cactus issues.

Some Haworthias

2007-08-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to report that we survived Hurricane Dean quite well with minimal damage, but I'm still in the process of uploading the photos I took during and after the hurricane, so until I have those ready for posting I thought I would go ahead and share these Haworthia and Aloe plants that I was planning to write about just before I was interrupted by Dean's approach.

I keep these fairly sheltered from the sun and rain and water regularly (kind of), but I rarely take the time to really look and see how they are doing. So I lifted out some of them into this saucer and they are now more exposed but also more accessible. I just need to watch out for sunburn.

A closer look at some of them:

Haworthia retusa geraldii - one of the gems I got at one of the CSSM meetings while I was in Boston last year - now twice the original size.

Haworthia obtusa - got a tiny offset from my aunt and it has flourished - hers has since perished so I should be preparing an offset to return to her. See why it's good to share plants??

Haworthia coarctata v coarctata - Do I even remember where I got this?? All I know is that it is a very slow grower for me, but it is still considerably bigger than when I got it, shows no signs of distress, and I have set one of the offsets to make a new plant.

I guess I'm ready

2007-08-19T00:58:00.000-05:00

Within the next 12 hours we will be truly into storm conditions, and I guess I'm as ready as I can be. Well, not really - there are a couple more things to do around the house like seal the windows that might leak when the rain gets very heavy but that can be done in the morning.

My plants from seed have been "secured" - or at least moved out of harm's way.

These are the biggest ones:

The smaller ones in trays:

The babies less than a year old:

The taller plants in pots have been lain on their side out in the garden because they would fall over anyway. Everything else just has to tough it out where they normally are and I hope for the best.

Preparing for a hurricane

2007-08-17T23:33:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will be moving all my exposed plants to the shelter of the verandah, as we prepare for Hurricane Dean to affect us starting early on Sunday. I'm mostly concerned about making sure the plants I grew from seed are okay, and any others I might consider to be delicate or special.

Apart from that, all there is to do is clear up anything that might become a missile in the wind, and batten down in the house while the storm passes. Hope there won't be too much damage, and there's still time for the storm to divert and not affect us so severely.

I have been taking photos of my plants from seed to update my Webshots page - it's more than I realised and taking a while. I suppose I just need to do a little at a time all the time and I'll be able to keep everything fairly up-to-date. I'm now up to just over 250 plants from seed that are now over two years old. At the rate I'm going, with the improved survival rate of my seedlings, I'll have quite a lot in another year or so.

I lost the bird's nest battle!

2007-08-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

For months now, I have been doing battle with a bird on a regular basis, trying to keep my Euphorbia baioensis clear of twigs and other stuff being used to make a nest. Every time I would remove them, they would re-appear few days after.

Well, it seems as though she had no more time to wait (guess the eggs are due or something), so last weekend she worked for two days straight (in the pouring rain) so that when I got out in the garden on Saturday evening when the rain eased up, her nest was completed, with roof and all! I can't dismantle it now, after all her hard work.

I haven't been able to take her photo, but it seems to be a grass quit that has chosen this particular plant as her preferred abode. Hope she does not plan to make it permanent, because I will have to get rid of the nest after she has laid her eggs and had her babies. HH thinks it might be two birds at work, but I'm not sure - although it does look like a condo. I guess we will know soon enough.

It opened!

2007-08-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

The Lobivia managed to open its flower since I moved it under the shade of the verandah awning. It seems to be an early morning flower that closes by early afternoon. or maybe that is because it has still been overcast and rainy.

Best photo I could get this morning without using the flash...

Wish I had an ID on this one, but I'll just consider it a hybrid unless otherwise advised. The flower on the parent plant is a lot brighter and redder than this.

The "stumpery"

2007-08-11T13:12:00.000-05:00

It was a lot of work to clean up this area - the stumpery had become overgrown with Cissus cactiformis and the Opuntia was out of control! Even the Apsaragus fern was trying to take over the place.

The Kalanchoe pinnata/Bryophyllum pinnatum had been blooming and blooming and every time we waited for it to finish another flush would appear. Strangely enough, though, the Kalanchoe tubiflora has grown very tall but just will not bloom!

Eventually we could wait no more, and this task had to be done. Good thing, too, because now it is raining like crazy and it would have been more difficult to deal with it.

HH dropped an Opuntia pad on his foot while cutting and clearing, and suffered from a swollen foot for a few days. The area is now even cleaner than shown here, and hopefully we will figure out how to keep it like this - the Kalanchoe is hard to contain but we have to try. Also still need to cut back the Consolea, because it might blow over in a storm and one plant is already leaning on the fence.

Now that I can see the Myrtillocactus cactiformis and the Opuntia subulata, I realise how much they have grown, as well as the Cereus pernambucensis that I grew from seed.

Little Lobivia about to bloom

2007-08-10T17:46:00.000-05:00

This is such a tiny plant - not even an inch across and it is about to give me a lovely red bloom. That is, of course, if the rain lets up over the weekend to give it a chance to open. Although if it opens just before a downpour, I'm sure it is doomed to destruction - will need to keep a close eye on it and try to get a photo.

The parent is terribly misshapen - long and etoliated but with lots of offsets around it. I am surprised to see this offset blooming already. I think I need to do something about the parent pot and get it back looking like a plant that is cared for - will probably have to cut off the original plant and reset in another pot, then let the babies all grow and clump up together.

Recent seedlings

2007-08-09T14:39:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling good about my seedlings so far this year. For the most part, they have germinated well, and are growing quite well. Must be a combination of improved technique and conditions, good quality seed, and the new fertiliser that I have been using.

A quick look at some of them, mostly sowed between April and June this year:

Turbinicarpus pseudomacrochele

Mammillaria boolii

Gymnocactus beguinii

Mammillaria (Dolichothele) baumii

Sowing and grafting done

2007-08-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

Today is a public holiday so I decided to be productive and get the grafting done as I had planned. Then I sowed some new seed and some old ones (although they might no longer be viable I just figured I should finish them and see if I get any results).

Three grafts done – Obregonia denegrii, Astrophytum asterias, and Copiapoa hypogea. No photos but will do so when I think they have actually bonded.

I sowed mostly Mammillaria (just one Gymnocalycium and one Frailea). I still have all the Notocactus seeds to sow, but some still have to be extracted from their pods and cleaned up and all that so I’m not quite ready with those. Maybe next weekend.

When I finished doing that, I decided that I want to prepare a presentation on “The Genus Mammillaria – Some examples from my garden” and then walked around selecting some of the plants that I would “feature” since I will want to actually take them along to the Horticultural Society meeting to go along with a Powerpoint presentation highlighting the different species, their similarities and differences. I think it will make an interesting talk.

So far I have decided to include Mammillaria albilanata, Mammillaria decipiens and subspecies, Mammillaria karwinskiana and subspecies, Mammillaria plumosa, Mammillaria magnimamma, Mammillaria longimamma, and Mammillaria prolifera. When it is drafted out I will figure out what else to add and how to present my information. I’m off to put some photos together!

Going to try some grafting

2007-08-05T00:23:00.000-05:00

I think I will try to graft a couple of my seedlings tomorrow. I now have several Pereskiopsis so I will experiment with two of them and see how well it works out. Now I just have to choose which of my many seedlings will get the honour - maybe the last of my Coryphantha mix seedlings since the others have all passed away and this one is holding on but I'm so afraid to do much with it since I have little luck with these. Or maybe the Obregonia denegrii, Gymnocactus, Turbinicarpus, Glandulicactus - so many to choose from that I don't know will make it on their own.

I still have a lot of seed that I got from Jordi and need to sow those before they are no longer viable although I am really wondering where I will put so many plants of they all (or even half) survive. Last week I got the seed that Bill sent for me and I've been cleaning them out for the weekend so I will be starting those soon - maybe on Monday.

There are still so many species that I don't have but want to get and will be trying to grow from seed if I can get my hands on any. If I find that I am successful with my grafting experiment, then I will be able to work with some that I find difficult to keep alive while small seedlings.

Will keep you all updated in my progress with this.

Echinopsis blooms

2007-07-29T13:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-22T00:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-21T23:54:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-09T23:33:00.000-05:00

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:

Blooming red Gymno

2007-06-18T23:09:00.000-05:00

I picked up two gymnos at the CSSM show in May 2007. They might both be the same species but I wasn't sure and figured there was no harm in getting both since they weren't so expensive (although I really had set out to get nothing). Overall I ended up buying four plants, and so far they are all okay.

Both Gymnos were budding but one apparently changed its mind and the little bump has disappeared. The other was quite happy to show its colours. The first bud shocked me when I took a close-up photo and found it covered in aphids.

Killed those bugs quickly, but the bud never managed to open properly.

The second flower bud has grown and finally opened over the past weekend. Although the bud doesn't look typical Gymnocalycium baldianum, I am assuming that as the identity until something better is offered to me. I am hoping that I get two blooms at the same time on different plants so that I may be able to get some seed from them.

A long shot of my "seedlings"

2007-05-31T22:20:00.000-05:00

I took this photo of my plants grown from seed as I have them all laid out on these crates at the moment. The ones on the yellow crate in front aren't from seed but just about everything else is.

I have been catching up on my cataloguing and numbering and I'm up to just about 250 plants from seed now over two years old. I need to find an effective way of labelling them - I'm using stickers on the side as well as plastic labels but both have challenges - the "permanent" marker fades, and the stickers seem to get eaten by the "wildlife". Eventually I will have to devise a suitable system if I want to have each one uniquely identified.

I'm really happy with how they are progressing, and also my babies (under a year) are doing very well. Where will I put them all is the question, but I'm sure I will figure something out when the demand exceeds the space I have now.

Up close ...

2007-04-20T06:18:00.000-05:00

... but not so personal.

Just some shots of flower buds.

Gymnocalycium damsii

Mammillaria karwinskiana

And a flower - Mammillaria magnimamma

Some photos of the recent "repots"

2007-04-14T21:38:00.000-05:00

Last week I mentioned that I had moved up some of my larger plants grown from seed into 4" pots. I'm having difficulty figuring what to call them since they are now really too big for me to call them "seedlings' but since I grew them from seed I can't help but still consider them that way, and I feel I need to differentiate them from those grown by others.

Photos of a few of them...

Mammillaria dixanthocentron sowed August 2004
Almost glowing in the sunshine

Ferocactus gracilis 'coloratus' sowed August 2004

Mammillaria without ID sowed April 2004
I love these spines!

Echinocereus knippelianus

2007-04-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

I particularly like this species but only have this one plant that I have managed to keep alive from seed for nearly four years now (Wow, didn't realise it was that long!)

It was attacked by some predator some time back, hence the disfiguration, which it overcame by sprouting a healthy branch/arm. Sometimes I wonder if it is really okay because the body shrivels, but I've come to realise that this is part of its self-imposed dormancy - also seen in other Echinocereus seedlings in my collection.

So last week (or the week before) I was happy to see another new growth... soon it will have two heads!

Now I'm looking out to see if more will sprout since it is seeming happy and fat for the time being, or maybe it will turn out to be a once-a-year occurrence. I need to check my photos to find out when the older head appeared.

My fingers are crossed for continued healthy growth!

More plants stolen!

2007-04-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

This morning I discovered that I have seven or eight less plants than I did yesterday. Someone came in the garden during the night and helped themselves to some of my treasures. A few of them aren't important, in that they grow easily and I have more of them or I don't care for them much, but a couple of them were mature imports that I was nurturing and I won't be able to replace easily.

Plants missing include my Notocactus ubelmannianus, a yet unidentified Echinofossulocactus that was about to start budding, an undentified Mammillaria, a Ferocactus grown from seed, two Huernias, and two Echinopsis. I was planning to go to a Horticultural show today, but was so disturbed by the missing plants this morning that I have been home trying to figure out how to safeguard what hasn't been taken.

So, no photos today. Hope I feel better tomorrow about all this.

Been repotting my "seedlings"

2007-04-07T19:35:00.000-05:00

This past week I have been potting up some of my plants grown from seed into 4" pots since I am trying to make space for the tiny ones under a year old that now need to be put out into the "open". The problem is, while I make space for small seedlings this way, the big ones now have no place to go. I think I potted up about 15 or so, and they take up at least twice as much space as before.

NEED MORE SHELVES!!

Actually, this may be the time that I need to get going on building that greenhouse since my collection is steadily expanding and demanding more space. I have just sowed some of the seeds that I got on my recent trip to San Diego and I have a lot more of those to work with. Don't know where they will all go but I still feel the need to try to grow all these different species. Not satisfied with just having a bunch of cactus - need to know what they are and feel that they are "my babies", so I don't even have the great urge to get pre-grown plants except for those that I know are really hard to grow from seed.

Still working on improving my success rate and keeping these babies alive to maturity. I think I'm actually getting better, but it's still hard when I watch a whole batch just keel over for no apparent reason when I thought they were well on their way. I think I 've found some conditions that are quite favourable, so my recent batches have had a high survival rate so far. Again I wonder - where am I going to put all those when they grow up?

I'm sure something will work out.

Second gymno

2007-04-03T17:10:00.000-05:00

Very quickly - not much to say but just to show Gymnocalycium damsii v rotundulum's first bloom of this season. This one is another reliable bloomer so I should have many more to come throughout the summer.

Up close to the flower...

First gymno bloom for 2007

2007-03-16T18:23:00.000-05:00

This variety of Gymnocalycium damsii is such a dependable and reliable bloomer. It propagates very easily also, so I have a bunch of small plants that I don't know what to do with, and it keeps on making more.

This is a 2002 offset that is quick on the draw this year. There are a few others budding up, so I should have no shortage of flowers for this season. Hopefully my large plant will put on a good show with multiple blooms.

Euphorbia knuthii repotted!!

2007-03-10T22:03:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to do this for a long time, and finally got around to it. It was a bigger task than I had anticipated, as there was a lot of growth wrapped up in the pot. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with all the pieces that I had to take off - some of them will just have to be discarded since they won't survive now they are off the parent.

These roots had grown so much that the drainage hole was clogged with roots growing through to the ground. I hope that it will now be able to rejuvenate and grow into a nice specimen once again as it was looking quite tattered and old.

I still need to tidy up some of the cut ends, but I didn't want to stress the plant any more right now.

Some more "seedlings"

2007-03-07T21:59:00.000-06:00

Mammillaria sartorii

Mammillaria schiedeana

Mammillaria roseo-alba

Mammillaria wagneriana tortulospinum

Some plants from seed

2007-03-05T20:31:00.000-06:00

I should have been posting photos of my babies from seed but have fallen behind terribly.

Here are a few:

Mammillaria zuccariniana

Mammillaria bocensis

Mammillaria gigantea

Mammillaria huitzilopochtli

More pink!!!

2007-02-23T19:35:00.000-06:00

I used to have only yellow mamms blooming but I seem to be seeing a change in my collection. All of a sudden the pink ones are showing their stuff.

First time blooms for Mammillaria bombycina

And Mammillaria hahniana (when I got this one I thought it was M. geminispina)

M. columbiana has been quietly and steadily blooming although it has never quite made a ring of flowers. This is as close as it got, but only on one side.

Mammillaria hahniana finally blooming!

2007-01-25T18:05:00.000-06:00

I think this is Mammillaria hahniana (maybe) ssp woodsii.

I remember buying this small globe at the JHS Flower Show about three years ago just because it looked like something I didn't have. Never mind that I didn't know what it was, but eventually I got a tentative ID from one of the Forums that it might be Mammillaria hahniana.

Although it has been quietly growing, I was surprised to see buds form earlier this year.

Finally, the display!

And, a closer look at the flower.

Seed-grown Mammillaria albilanata

2007-01-13T16:35:00.000-06:00

This week, Mammillaria albilanata - the two and a half year old plant grown from seed that I posted earlier when it started budding. I'm so proud of my first seed-grown flower - well, technically this was the second but I didn't get a photo of the first one (but the withered bud is still showing).

Every day I'm now busy searching all the other seedlings for any sign of flowering action - I think I need to just be patient and stop looking so hard.