Let's grow some Melocactus!

[DaveW]

I think Melocactus were often over split in the past James, particularly when you read all the J. V. Suringar synonyms Britton & Rose listed under M. macracanthus:-

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vYIb ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jp29]

I think Melocactus were often over split in the past ..........

I absolutely agree with you Dave.

[jp29]

Melocactus concinnus

Another small growing Melocactus endemic to the interior of Bahia, Brazil.

[jp29]

Melocactus warasii (synonym of Melocactus levitestatus)

Large growing Melocactus endemic to the dry interior of north eastern Brazil.

I have posted the pic of the larger plant previously. Unfortunately this old guy is no longer with us (see below).











I should explain that I experienced a big setback with my collection in 2011. I had a botched abdominal surgery (snipped lower intestine) that left me attached to a wound-vac machine for two months followed by a long recovery. That put me out of action in moving around my cacti and taking care of them in general. Unfortunately that time period coincided with some of the coldest weather ever recorded in Tucson: 18°F (-8°C) successive nights followed by below freezing days. The thermometer at my home registered 14°F (-10°C) one night. I was able to accommodate most of my small Brazilian cereoid cacti -- Arrojadoa, Micranthocereus and Arthrocereus - my main interest -- indoors at my home, but most of my Discocactus (except for Discocactus placentiformis) , Melocactus and Uebelmannia in particular did not survive the cold in the unheated greenhouse I house them in at Dan Bach's Nursery. That part of my collection was decimated. I couldn't expect, nor did I want, Dan to commit resources to save my plants - he had his own vast commercial growing enterprise to take care of.

As a consequence of that episode I have relatively few Discocactus, Melocactus and Uebelmannia left in my collection. I do propagate some Discocactus buenekeri, horstii and placentiformis each year.

[Steve Johnson]

Not my method, Steve, but Dr. Buxbaum's. It is important to know the pH of your soil media when it is saturated with the water/nutrient solution you employ, with reasonable accuracy - not just the water pH.

Just started my slurry test tonight, so I'll post the results up over the next day or so.

[jp29]

A potpouri of more Melocactus I raised from seed:


M. neryi


M. salvadorensis


M. zehntneri


M. intortus


M. paucispinus


M. peruvianus

[Steve Johnson]

Well, James, the switch on my pH meter has started to act up on me, so I just ordered the same make and model from Amazon. At least I got 2 good years out of it, and at another $25, I've found this to be worth the price. I'll have another crack at the slurry test once I get the new meter, although I don't think the results will be interesting enough to post.

Since I sent you so far OT from your original subject, here's something that may bring it back in (albeit tangentially) -- from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_hummingbird" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;):

"This hummingbird also plays an important role in the pollination of flowers of Melocactus, carrying the pollen on its plumage as it moves from flower to flower sipping nectar."

By the way, I enjoyed your Melocactus survival story. What a shame that you lost so many of your Discos and Melos, though.

[jp29]

Well, James, the switch on my pH meter has started to act up on me, so I just ordered the same make and model from Amazon. At least I got 2 good years out of it, and at another $25, I've found this to be worth the price. I'll have another crack at the slurry test once I get the new meter, although I don't think the results will be interesting enough to post ...........

Please do post your results, Steve - they will be interesting to me.

.......... Since I sent you so far OT from your original subject, here's something that may bring it back in (albeit tangentially) -- from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_hummingbird" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;):

"This hummingbird also plays an important role in the pollination of flowers of Melocactus, carrying the pollen on its plumage as it moves from flower to flower sipping nectar." ..........

Good information.

.......... By the way, I enjoyed your Melocactus survival story. What a shame that you lost so many of your Discos and Melos, though.

Thank you - the losses were indeed painful - but life does go on! Please keep posting to this thread, Steve, I value your input - we all benefit so much from this interchange of ideas and information.

[Steve Johnson]

Well, thank you, my friend! I enjoy these discussions as well, and I'm glad to participate if it helps anyone at all here. It'll be a week or two before I can get to the results of the slurry test. However, I'd like the post to be more substantive, so I'll do a proper job of it and start a new thread -- more than just the test results. In the meantime, here's a photo I shot about 45 minutes ago:

[jp29]

........... In the meantime, here's a photo I shot about 45 minutes ago ..........

That is a beautifully grown matanzanus, Steve - great photography!

[SCS]

Thanks James, for all the info! :}

Your pictures of the Melos are spectacular! Do you have any left in your collection?

Rereading tonight, I saw you answered my question on bahiensis. Thanks. I know azureus isnt self fertile. I should have repotted a larger sister plant to see if it would produce a ceph this year. It's amazing how fast that happens. I repotted 2 conoideus from 4" pots to 5" pots this spring. They both added at least an inch to their diameter and formed cephs that are flowering now. I have not cross pollinated them yet. Do you know if they are self fertile? I know it takes a long time between flowering and fruit production. Although the Melos had been flowering early, probably March - concinnus started producing copious amounts of fruit in June, then the rest followed.

The differences in the fruit are amazing. I'll post a picture showing all of the fruits in a few days. (I hope I have graph paper!)

Here are pics of my small collection:

melo1.jpg (347.89 KiB) Viewed 18503 times

melo2.jpg (365.28 KiB) Viewed 18503 times

[oldcat61]

Those are some seriously beautiful melos! Thanks for sharing. Sue

[jp29]

Very nice collection of well grown plants, first name?

Thanks James, for all the info! :}

You are welcome, first name?

.......... Your pictures of the Melos are spectacular! Do you have any left in your collection?

Yes, I have quite a few mature ones - in fact here is one I should add here: Melocactus acunae (syn. M. harlowii) which is a very rare Cuban species - and one of my favorites. Not only did it survive, but it has flourished and produces bountiful flowers and fruit:



Just one flower this afternoon:

.......... Here are pics of my small collection:

Congratulations - very nice!

[Ivan C]

.... I'll post a picture showing all of the fruits in a few days. (I hope I have graph paper!)

You can always print your own. http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SCS]

Thanks Sue , James & Ivan- (I did download the graph paper; worked great!)

From left to right:
M. bahiensis, concinnus, zehntneri, matanzanus, x levitestatus, violaceus, curvispinus, x albicephalus, curvispinus ssp. caesius, ernestii, peruvianus (?), neryi (?)

Of the plants I have with cephs, M. azureus & deinacanthus do not produce fruit.
Melocactus albicephalus= Natural hybrid of M. ernestii and M. glaucescens. It would be interesting to see pics of M. glaucescens fruit.
Most fruit is fairly constant in size, except M. ernestii. I was surprised to see in this comparison that it was the largest. My memory said curvispinus ssp. caesius was the largest.
Both peruvianus & neryi plants are suspect. When I first started collecting C&S; I didnt record in my database where they were purchased.

Thanks for keeping this topic going!

Best regards, Lisa

melo fruit.jpg (16.87 KiB) Viewed 18480 times