Some of mine

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

Thanks folks. It was a long way to have success with the hardy plants. In the last years I've lost the one or other plant. But if you know which rules are important it's easy.
StrUktO wrote:what do you do to shelter them if needed?
I use transparent PVC on a wooden frame as rain protection, from begin October to mid March. Very important is also a good drainage.
More info are here
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StrUktO wrote:and where in germany do you live?
Look at the map

Opuntia rutila
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Opuntia fragilis "Freiberg"
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Charles wrote:You and I have a lot in common. I grow hardy cactus in Reno, NV USA. What grows here grows in Germany, I think.
It's probably possible but the winter in NV is much more dryer than in Germany. I'd think the low temperatures are not the problem. The to high humidity is more dangerous for the plants. It rises to over 90% for many weeks. The plants could get mold.
Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.
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Charles
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Dry vs humid

Post by Charles »

I agree about the humidity. We have low humidity in Reno most months.
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Ralf,
I suspect that your plants do better with the protection and additional heat that is given off from the house too.

Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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Arjen
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Post by Arjen »

Look at the map
that's quite a distance from here, I'd say the climate is mostly similar, however you have a more inland climate. humidity is also a bit lower here.
your shelter sounds good, drainage is the key indeed.
I myself grow opuntia humifusa and maihueniopsis darwinii in my garden, I don't really give rain shelter before first frost, when it starts to freeze I put pots over them to keep them dry.

@charles, which opuntia do you have seeds of?
With apologies to the late Professor C. D. Darlington the following misquotation springs to
mind ‘cactus taxonomy is the pursuit of the impossible by the incompetent’ - Fearn & Pearcy, Rebutia (1981)
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Ralf
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Post by Ralf »

StrUktO wrote:that's quite a distance from here
Indeed, for a visit it's maybe too far.

For the success with winter-hardy cacti I do use this method.
New bought plants and seedlings are in a unheated hot bed, during the first two winter. If it survive this I do plant it in my garden. This is important with larger and older bought plants. Often this plants been cultivated in a heated greenhouse. But there it's possible it lose the frost tolerance or it will be debilitated.
For me it's a good possibility, to test its frost tolerance.
Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.
(Wisdom of the Cree Indians)

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John C
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Post by John C »

Nice garden! 8)
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Arjen
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Post by Arjen »

you've really got a good point there, when I first purchased cold hardies they were labeled so by the garden center. I'm glad I took cuttings since my m. darwinii did not make it, it's cuttings do much better though. I've had no trouble at all with o. humifusa. I'm now growing some hardy echinocereï from seed that I will try your method on in a year or so.
With apologies to the late Professor C. D. Darlington the following misquotation springs to
mind ‘cactus taxonomy is the pursuit of the impossible by the incompetent’ - Fearn & Pearcy, Rebutia (1981)
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Ralf
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Post by Ralf »

StrUktO wrote:I will try your method on in a year or so
I'm wish you many success.
The most of my hardy cacti I've been bought at the very famous cacti nursery Kakteen-Haage.
They are CITES certificated and ship plants and other stuff around the world, I think. Ship to the Netherlands is also possible. In Germany are many other of winter-hardy cacti specialised nurseries. Some of it you could find in my German Link list. A very specialised nursery is Chiemgau-Kaktus. He is a very good winter-hardy gardener with a lot of hardy plants.
Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.
(Wisdom of the Cree Indians)

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peterb
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Post by peterb »

Ralf, I wonder if you've ever bought seeds or plants from Fritz Hochstaetter? He is a friend of mine and has an amazing catalog of cold hardy and rare plants with locality info:

http://fhnavajo.com/pflanzen.html

peterb
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Ralf
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Post by Ralf »

I don't know him so well but thanks for your tipp. Maybe I do try ordering some of his plants.
Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.
(Wisdom of the Cree Indians)

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paulzie32
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Post by paulzie32 »

Ok... Well, here's a few different sites for Cold Hardy (Hardi) cactus. You may already know about them though.
http://coldhardycactus.com/index.htm
http://www.coldcacti.com/

Two groups that I belong to and got a lot of GREAT info/help from are:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Toocoldforcactus/
The other is strictly a mailing list and my favorite with some of the best people! To subscribe, send an email with the subject "subscribe hardycacti_etc [your name]" to listserv@opus.scs.agilent.com

Paul
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Arjen
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Post by Arjen »

hey thank you! I'll certainly check them out!
With apologies to the late Professor C. D. Darlington the following misquotation springs to
mind ‘cactus taxonomy is the pursuit of the impossible by the incompetent’ - Fearn & Pearcy, Rebutia (1981)
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paulzie32
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Post by paulzie32 »

Great Garden By the way Ralf! Absolutely Beautiful!

So, Charles, What types of seeds do you have in abundance? :)
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Ralf
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Post by Ralf »

It don't ends to snow. But it looks beautiful. The snow height is ~ 50 cm (20 in).

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Only when the last tree has died, the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.
(Wisdom of the Cree Indians)

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daiv
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Post by daiv »

Hi Ralf,
It looks like you insulate with bubble wrap too. Do you heat the greenhouse?

Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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