You were right, Iann. I pulled it out to inspect the roots, and they were rotting. I ended up having to cut away much of the stem as well, as there was an orange spot running up the vascular bundle. Once I was into healthy tissue, I grafted it onto a Harrisia jusbertii. I am new to grafting, I hope ...

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/1731_Ferocactus_cylindraceus_1.jpg I found this Ferocactus cylindraceus uprooted and shriveled along a hiking trail near Tucson in 1996, and took it home with me. It was golf-ball sized then; now it is 12 inches tall. It flowered for the first time two years ...

Thanks everyone for the advice! I've always been paranoid about watering during winter, but mimicking native habitat rainfall patterns makes sense. Next time I get down to the Benson area I'll scoop up a bag of native soil and try replanting in that. I watered the cactus today; hopefully the little ...

Hello everyone, I have an Echinomastus erectocentrus that I bought via mail order over 3 years ago, bare-root. It looked quite healthy upon arrival. Having read of its reputation as a difficult plant, I carefully potted it up in a very lean and fast draining mix of pumice, crushed limestone chips an...

Success! In flower, in habitat, May 8, 2009. I only located two plants with open flowers, although all of the plants had buds: http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/1731_super_close_up_1.jpg Measurements, in inches: http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/1731_vertical_1.jpg http://www.cactiguide....

I found these 2 products at local auto parts stores. Both are sold as oil absorbants, and both claim to be useful as "potting soil/soil conditioner". Product #1 is quite coarse, and consists of "amorphous diatomaceous earth and crystalline silica in varying amounts (typically less tha...

Thanks everyone! ...the last small plant, which looks like Sclerocactus mesae-verdae, perhaps. :D I wondered if it might be. I didn't notice the difference in the spines until I reviewed the photo at home. Great shots, Mike! That Toumeya papyracantha is amazing. It looks like something I would walk ...

While visiting southwestern Colorado last weekend, I hiked down a trail where I had spotted numerous specimens of Sclerocacti on my last visit in December. I was hoping to catch them in flower for a better chance at identification, but no luck. Several plants did have buds, though. I had an enjoyabl...

Thanks! I've only had them since December...so far, so good. That flower really made my day. Yes Peter! I plan on going up to check those viridiflorus mystery plants along the AZ-NM border in the next week or so. I was up there on March 19, and buds were just starting to pop out on some of the plants.

I have been watching flower buds grow on 2 of my 4 Echinomastus intertextus plants, and today one opened

Thanks everyone! Okay, here's what I'm thinking now: no weed shield, and then nuke the existing soil and grass with several applications of Triox (Glyphosate Isopropylamine Salt, a soil sterilant), then water it into the deep root zone of the bermuda grass. Finally, I'll add 12 inches of decomposed ...

I am curious if anyone here with an outdoor garden has battled bermuda grass :evil:. Our yard once had a bermuda grass lawn. In the past, I have tried to eradicate the grass, however it does make a strong comeback after our summer rains. So here is my problem: I have constructed a 20 foot by 30 foot...

Most of my indoor cacti which I have been growing in a warm, bright, west facing window have begun flowering (Sclerocacti/Thelocacti/Echinocereus). I have kept them dry all winter. Does flowering signal that these cacti are coming out of dormancy? Is it ok to begin watering?

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I have kept my E. erectocentrus outside and bone dry all winter, hopefully it will thrive this coming year.

Here is one of my favorites: Echinocereus bonkerae, in habitat near Globe, Arizona (with blackfoot daisies)