More beauty from the local garden center

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Bruce
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More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Bruce »

Take that, Mother Nature!
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I'm especially pleased that they sprayed the soil, too. That way, there's no chance of the colors clashing...
Every day, after supper, Granny walks two miles. We haven't seen her in years.
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Saxicola
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Saxicola »

The first one had me for a second! Haworthia hybrids are getting so crazy that I thought it was possible. But I came to my senses after looking more closely and especially after seeing image #2. Cacti were stupid enough, then when I saw Echeverias I thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous. Looks like I was wrong!
I'm now selling plants on Ebay. Check it out! Kyle's Plants
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TimN
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by TimN »

I've heard talk that they are spray painting M. gracilis in the local stores. Haven't seen any yet, but I'll be sure to snap a picture.
Disclaimer: I'm in sunny Arizona, so any advice I give may not apply in your circumstances.

Tim
DaveW
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by DaveW »

There is an article on artificial coloured cacti in the Cactus & Succulent Society of America Journal 2013, May/June, Vol, 85, p.107, where the author was told by a Spanish nursery (Cactus Andalucía - see link at end) it is done for cacti just as the florists colour hydrangeas, the colourant simply being absorbed through the roots and white spined cacti like Mammillaria gracilis are used for this since the colourant shows up better in white spines.

He claims natural colourants are used to do this (food colour?), for example Saffron extract is used to dye the plants orange (I would have thought Saffron would be too expensive?). Evidently they claim they also have a colourant that can make cacti glow in the dark (shades of the Big Bang Theory and Sheldon's glowing goldfish! - saves installing lights in the greenhouse I suppose :lol:) . However once the colourant is taken away new spines emerge their natural white. Not certain about colourant through the roots, but you can do it with cut flowers as this video shows:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkA0eOpuetQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Whether your plants are sprayed, or if the colour on the soil was the colourant being watered on I do not know. I would think it would be harder to colour green tissue through the roots rather than spraying?

http://www.cactusandalucia.com/catalogo/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Bruce
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Bruce »

I'm pretty sure the plants in the pics where spray painted with glossy paint, like the stuff you use to refinish a kitchen chair. There's absolutely nothing natural-looking about the finished product.
Every day, after supper, Granny walks two miles. We haven't seen her in years.
DaveW
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by DaveW »

If It's that type of paint they will probably die as it would clog their stomata (breathing pores).
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Bruce
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Bruce »

And would you be surprised? This is the same industry that glues straw flowers to growing points and epoxies top dressings into pots. Maybe I'm wrong and the paint contains enough microscopic holes to let the plant survive but it sure doesn't look that way,
Every day, after supper, Granny walks two miles. We haven't seen her in years.
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

*sigh* poor Plants.... :(

BTW TimN, at the Home Depot at Happy Valley RD they had a few of the M. vetulas spray painted purple, and red, and yellow.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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BarryRice
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by BarryRice »

Here's some more!
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I'll grow it as long as it doesn't have glochids. Gaudy flowers a plus.
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Bruce
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Bruce »

How long will it be before we get a newbie signing up to find out "Help! The new growth on my aqua-spined cactus is white! What am I doing wrong?"
Every day, after supper, Granny walks two miles. We haven't seen her in years.
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gemhunter178
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by gemhunter178 »

Bruce wrote:How long will it be before we get a newbie signing up to find out "Help! The new growth on my aqua-spined cactus is white! What am I doing wrong?"
Apparently, surprisingly, very long; We've talked about this quite a whiles ago..... :-k
A cactus and succulent collector who especially likes Ariocarpus. …Though I have a bit of everything! Want some pictures? See my flickr! I also do art and such.
DaveW
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by DaveW »

Maybe they will be selling coloured fertiliser soon to keep them that way? :lol:
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

or dye packets? lol
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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sabotenmen
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by sabotenmen »

Wouldn't it be better just to buy a set of differently colored sunglasses? Your whole collection blue on Monday, pink on Tuesday, etc.? One can't debate taste, but man, man....
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: More beauty from the local garden center

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

well, I can debate taste when living things are killed so they the colors of them can be changed.
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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