30 Cacti delivered

[savant]

About a fortnight ago I noticed a bargain on EBay. 30 Cacti which included 5 Astrophytums all for £7.50 + postage coming from Poland.
That, in my eyes was a bargain. They arrived this morning and was surprised to find every one had a label. The only trouble was I did not have enough 6cm pots so that means visit to B & Q tomorrow.
I have got to find more space in my conservatory now because there are still more succulents on their way.

[iann]

Seedlings, I imagine? Still, that's a nice way to start a collection

[adetheproducer]

Yeah I saw that too, I almost did buy one batch but I already got most of the interesting species and limited space but they look good and where decent sizes.

[savant]

There were a few Mammillaria I hadn't heard of before, such as: woodsii, sheldonii, hidalgensis, collinsii and one even named after me, ernestii. Although they are seedlings they are in excellent condition. If there is some one who would want to start a collection, as you say, this is the way to go.

[DaveW]

Probably why you had not heard of them is they are not the new novelties most collectors are after. Those Mammillaria's would be well known to we older collectors since they were popular in the 1970's. However plants do tend to go out of fashion and so favour with nurserymen propagating them because most collectors only want the latest novelties, even though some of the older species are just as desirable plants. They also tend to disappear from older collections when collectors out them to make room for the latest novelties.

In fact if you want to get some of these out of favour species again the only way is by seed since nurserymen, at least in the UK, are usually not raising them anymore. Luckily they seem more easily available from E. European growers as you have found.

[cantharis]

Hope you enjoy them good !!!

[willow]

Savant, Lucky you! I think my OH might have something to say about cluttering up the conservatory!
I have 6 and hopefully will smuggle in a few more next spring, see how these over winter first.
Willow

[cantharis]

I am often asked by MrsC to donate a plant to a charity raffle or as a gift to a friend - it is usually a Lophophora williamsii or Encephalocarpus strobiliformis - my two most prolific species for reproducing on their own..