Spring Inventory

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NM
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2010 10:17 pm

Spring Inventory

Post by NM »

Spring is a few weeks away. After the wettest winter in my memory I made an inventory and health check of my cactus garden which is in my terraced front yard. It attracts the attention of passersby each spring and summer. Last summer, the director of the parks service toured my garden and based on that visit has authorized an addition of a cactus section the local arboretum.
I made a count of cactus in my garden and looked for cactus that died this winter. I cannot find a dead cactus.
Inventory count in alphabetical order:
Echinocereus: 157.
Escobaria: 101.
Exotics (South American types): 26.
Opuntia, several wild varieties: 39.
Pencil Cactus, three varieties: 35.
For a total of about 358 cactus.
Cactus that successfully propagate naturally in my garden by rank are:
Pencil cactus.
Opuntia.
Echinocereus.
Escobaria.
Exotics.
I have never lost an Exotic in summer or winter but neither has one propagated from seed.
Pencil cactus according to some folks cannot live here. Yet, they thrive. Last year I removed a variety that was spreading out of control.
Escobaria do not propagate very well in my garden.
Last summer I removed all of the ground cover from my garden with a shop vac and replaced it with river pebbles purchased on sale at Home depot. I hope the pebbles will allow seeds to wiggle down to the earth where they can sprout. I noticed that moisture is held longer in the soil with the pebbles.
Lessons I've learned. 1-Never add organic matter to cactus garden soil. 2-Add lots of pumice to the soil if it can be find it in a local store. If no pumice, then use lots and lots of perlite. I found a local source of cheap perlite in a huge bag. 3-Add bone meal to the soil.
4-Hybrid cactus seem to grow best in my garden, very hardy. 5-People like to toss their cigarette butts into my garden as they walk their dogs.
Such is life.
Living at the extreme limit of the Sierra Nevada Mts. where cactus can still grow.
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mmcavall
Posts: 1436
Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 11:54 pm
Location: São Carlos - SP, Southeast Brazil, Cerrado Region

Re: Spring Inventory

Post by mmcavall »

Interesting! Show us some pictures, please!
NM
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2010 10:17 pm

Re: Spring Inventory

Post by NM »

Photos: I will try to dig up some photos, but I am using a new MAC computer and have difficulty understanding it.

Nope, I cannot add a photo. They will not drag and drop.

I'll keep trying.

I can email some photos to you.
Let me know at censussearcher@gmail.com
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Last edited by NM on Mon Feb 13, 2017 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Living at the extreme limit of the Sierra Nevada Mts. where cactus can still grow.
roddimmitt
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 10:24 pm

Re: Spring Inventory

Post by roddimmitt »

Tagging on to Charles' note, I live in Carson City, and have found that my regular, cold hardy natives have survived very well, so far, given the 19"+ of rain/snow moisture that we have had since the 1st of December! I have lost some freshly planted, last spring, Gymncalyciums that would be relatively cold hardy. I have found that if I can get the plants through the first Winter, I have a very good success rate of them surviving future years. Rod.
NM
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2010 10:17 pm

Re: Spring Inventory

Post by NM »

Rod,
It is amazing that your Gymncalyciums made it. I may order a few of those just for fun.
I am also going to get my old Windows computer working to see if I can use it to upload photos.
My MAC requires an advanced degree in physics in order to upload photos, if uploading is even possible.
Living at the extreme limit of the Sierra Nevada Mts. where cactus can still grow.
Mark
Posts: 2097
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:42 am
Location: El Paso,TX 8A

Re: Spring Inventory

Post by Mark »

Wow, glad to hear that everything survived! It looks like you have some great clumps in there.


Mark
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