John C's 2011 Outdoor Cactus Topic

Discuss hardy cacti grown outside all year.
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John C
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Post by John C »

Come down south/west and start your cactus garden! :wink: I can imagine you could still grow some cacti there. Some opuntias for sure probably Escobaria missouriensis as well. There has to be a few others as well depending on how cold you would just need to give the plants good drainage.
John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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John C
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Post by John C »

Here comes the real show! They just started opening.

Echinocereus coccineus

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I will do a full update of the garden soon.
Last edited by John C on Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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Arjen
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Post by Arjen »

great looking flower! I wonder if those would survive here...
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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Peterthecactusguy
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Post by Peterthecactusguy »

Arjen, they might, some of them live up north of me where it gets pretty cold/snowy. If you want a better description of what the hardiness is of them read the Surviving Flowering Cacti 2011 thread that Harald started. PeterB, Harald and me posted about their hardiness!
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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John C
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Post by John C »

After a long spell of me missing from Cacti Guide, I am back! With lots of pictures! 8)

Here is a collection of pictures that show some of the spectacular flowers of the spring and summer so far.

Escobaria missouriensis Sadly after flowering and putting on a great show one of the two E. missoriensis just decided to die. I don't know what caused it. After being out of town for a couple weeks I came back and found it dead. :cry:

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Bluebonnets

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Echinocereus coccineus
What a show this was!

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My other coccineus

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Echinocereus reichenbachii

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Both

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Everything seems to come in waves, and they nearly always seem to be color coordinated. :lol:

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Native Opuntia sp.

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Echinocereus dasyacanthus

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Cylindropuntia imbricata

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Escobaria vivipara

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Coryphantha sulcata

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And finally my Echinocactus horizonthalonius
This plant has flowered at least 3 times this year. And stays open for 2 days. This plant has really blown me away. No picture can show just how BRIGHT PINK that flower is!

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Things have settled down now so I should be able to get on more often and post updates more frequently, but the flowers have also settled down. Now everything is just growing. I'll post an update of my greenhouse plants soon.
Last edited by John C on Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
John In Fort Worth, Texas
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Andy_CT
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Post by Andy_CT »

Awesome!!, been waiting for this update and it paid off!
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Harriet
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Post by Harriet »

I'll second that "awesome" and raise you a WOW!
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apacholek10
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Post by apacholek10 »

Some amazing plants you've got there! Also, some wonderful detailed photos!
Anthony
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John C
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Post by John C »

Thank you everyone! It really is amazing to see these plants burst into brilliant flowers just after winter. It sure starts the warmer part of the year out nicely!
It also gets many compliments from the neighbors. 8)
John In Fort Worth, Texas
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*Barracuda_52*
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

8) You have a beautiful garden going there John, the blooms are FANTASTIC and the pics are awsome... =D> :thumbup: That E. coccineus is just STUNNING the blooms are so beautiful... =P~
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Post by daiv »

Good work John! Your outdoor bed gets better every year!
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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John C
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Post by John C »

Thanks everyone!
John In Fort Worth, Texas
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Jens
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Post by Jens »

Looking gooood!
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Post by CoronaCactus »

Awesome! :thumbup:
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John P Weiser
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Post by John P Weiser »

Great garden .
I am suprised at the size of your Cylindropunia imbricata in bloom. Mine always take four or five years of growth before they start to bloom. Wish they would mature a little faster for me. It's like watching paint dry. :?

I think the Ecobaria vivipara might be variety arizonica. Very nice! :D

The Coryphantha sulcata and Echinocactus horizonthalonius are two I will admire from afar, I'm sad to say. :(

When you say "Texas sage" are you referring to Leucophyllum frutescens. This is a shrub I have been thinking about trying. It may be marginally hardy for me. What winter temps do you think it will stand? :-k
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