Growing in the Sierra Nevada "Rain Shadow "

Discuss hardy cacti grown outside all year.
Saguaro123
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Post by Saguaro123 »

Looking great John! 8)
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John P Weiser
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Post by John P Weiser »

A little mid-summer undate on what's HOT out there in the summer heat. Stay cool guys, way cool. 8)

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From the High Desert Steppe
of the Great Basin and foot hills
of the Sierra Nevada Range
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/
sierrarainshadow
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Harriet
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Post by Harriet »

I love to see your garden. You have things I like but cannot grow, so seeing your pictures is a real treat. (Well, it is a treat, once I get past being jealous.)
Tony
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Post by Tony »

Just amazing. :)

I see drippers here and there, do you use them exclusivly or as an addition to some other types of water delivery and how often do you need to water to keep the thirsty types happy?
Forget the dog...Beware of the plants!!!

Tony
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John P Weiser
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Post by John P Weiser »

The back yard is exclusively drip irrigation. I use 1/2 gph pressure compensating emitters on 90% of every thing. The other 10% are on 1/4 inch soaker hose for the semps and pop up adjustable microsprinklers for the thyme bed. I have the system scheduled to run on Sunday and Wednesday (as I am only allowed to water on these days)for one hour each of those days. The hour of run time I split into two sections for each of the two 24 hour days. I run the first half hour at the beginning of the 24 hours and the second half hour at the end. So my system is on only in the evenings to cut back on evaporation. My season of use normally starts at the end of May and runs to mid September when I cut it back by 50%. In mid October I stop irrigation altogether.
I find that I can use one dripper for three or four good sized drought adapted plants. I have been slowly taking emitters off line as plants mature or if I think they can do without. One thing I have to watch for however are clogged emitters. Seems like I change out about ten or twenty a year.
Last edited by John P Weiser on Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
From the High Desert Steppe
of the Great Basin and foot hills
of the Sierra Nevada Range
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/
sierrarainshadow
Tony
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Post by Tony »

Holy moly, and I thought I had alot of 1/4 inch tubing in the yard. :shock:
Is everyone in the area only alowed to water two days a week? How do they keep the lawns green in the other 99% of the yards over there?
Forget the dog...Beware of the plants!!!

Tony
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Hey John, still quite a show up there!
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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birdguy34
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Post by birdguy34 »

Looking great as usual. What is the plant in the first three pics? Is it a Salvia?
Chris
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John P Weiser
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Post by John P Weiser »

Tony. Ya we water only two days a week. My front yard is grass. I use sprinklers on it timed to coincide with the drip system. Every one who has grass waters the hell out of it on the two days allowed. Or they do the whole thing in tacky rock and call it xeroscaping. You can drive around town and pick out the rental properties. Every thing dead except for the weeds. :evil:
I don't water as much as my neighbors and never fertilize but then I don't have to mow near as often. :wink:
From the High Desert Steppe
of the Great Basin and foot hills
of the Sierra Nevada Range
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/
sierrarainshadow
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John P Weiser
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Post by John P Weiser »

Chris
The plant is Liatris punctata. A gayfeather out of the Great Plains. It stays low a foot high to foot and a half tall and is a dry land native. It grows a water storing/tuber style root. It's a Great plant. Easy from seed and easily transplanted.
From the High Desert Steppe
of the Great Basin and foot hills
of the Sierra Nevada Range
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/
sierrarainshadow
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birdguy34
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Post by birdguy34 »

John,
Not the Liatris, the two-tone bracted flower. It looks like a Salvia I seen out somewhere, but wasn't sure if that's what yours was.
Chris
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John P Weiser
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Post by John P Weiser »

Chris
Oh I see now! :oops: You mean the Salvia pachyphylla. Commonly known as Purple Sage, reminds me of that old discription of cowboys as Riders of the Purple Sage.

My two favorite sages are the S. pachyphylla and S. dorrii. Both with silver floiage inhanced by the striking purple bractes and flowers. They like it hot and dry. The differances between them are in stature. Dorrii is smaller in all respects and blooms in late spring. S. pachyphylla is just now at it eye catching best!! :D
Last edited by John P Weiser on Tue Jul 21, 2009 4:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
From the High Desert Steppe
of the Great Basin and foot hills
of the Sierra Nevada Range
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierrarainshadow/
sierrarainshadow
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Andy_CT
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Post by Andy_CT »

John P Weiser wrote: I use 1/2 gph pressure compensating emitters on 90% of every thing.
That could be my new pick up line at the next plant show. :wink:
Moonbeam
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Post by Moonbeam »

Andy_CT wrote:
John P Weiser wrote: I use 1/2 gph pressure compensating emitters on 90% of every thing.
That could be my new pick up line at the next plant show. :wink:
That my work on some...but not all!
:roll:
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GardenBed
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Post by GardenBed »

Wow, great pictures! I feel that Optunia is the bread and butter of every cactus collector!
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