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Arcturus
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 8:51 pm

Hello

Post by Arcturus »

It's great to have been granted membership status.

Cacti have been a long time interest of mine. Always saw them as impressive and quite unique from other plants. Suddenly I decided that I want to know more, much more about cacti. I have a small collection which I will definitely expand once I learn more about cacti and about plants / biology in general.

I will contribute with info whenever I can. I need to get more educated on the subject first and that will take some time. At the moment I know little about cacti so for now I'm afraid I can't be of much help (I'll try though). However, it will be a pleasure to share experience and pictures which I hope members will find worthwhile.

So far I've identified 3 species in my colection: Astrophytum Ornatum, Cleistocactus Strausii and Cereus Repandus Monstrosus.

See you on the forum!
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gemhunter178
Posts: 2762
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:10 pm
Location: Massachusetts,USA. Zone 6A

Re: Hello

Post by gemhunter178 »

Welcome!
A cactus and succulent collector who especially likes Ariocarpus. …Though I have a bit of everything! Want some pictures? See my flickr! I also do art and such.
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adetheproducer
Posts: 1576
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:15 pm
Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales

Re: Hello

Post by adetheproducer »

Hello.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
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hegar
Posts: 4596
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:04 am
Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: Hello

Post by hegar »

I also welcome you to this international group of people who like to be poked by cacti. :lol:
You will be able to learn quite a bit about growing anything that falls into the succulent or cactus category.
I hope, that you being a forum member will be rewarding for you.

Harald
Arcturus
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 8:51 pm

Re: Hello

Post by Arcturus »

Thank you all.
hegar wrote:I also welcome you to this international group of people who like to be poked by cacti. :lol:
I don't mind being stung by cacti unless they're from the group with tiny spines that sink into my skin. But of course there's likely some species that I've never encountered that I might not like to be stung by.
hegar wrote: You will be able to learn quite a bit about growing anything that falls into the succulent or cactus category.
I hope, that you being a forum member will be rewarding for you.
Thanks. Hope it will be rewarding for others too. I bet I'll post some original content when I'll try to adapt some South American cacti to the backyard of my house in rocky, mountainous countryside of South-Western Romania.
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hegar
Posts: 4596
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:04 am
Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: Hello

Post by hegar »

I do have some of those plants, which do have invisible spines (glochids). Those are even barbed and I do place my hand under a dissecting microscope to pull them out. I believe, the "nastiest" spines are those of the Cylindropuntia group. The glochids are tiny and hard to remove, but those spines are good-sized and also barbed. Removing them is a very painful experience.
Glochid2a.jpg
Glochid2a.jpg (408.14 KiB) Viewed 1496 times
O_bigelovii-spine x100.jpg
O_bigelovii-spine x100.jpg (323.67 KiB) Viewed 1496 times
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hegar
Posts: 4596
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:04 am
Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: Hello

Post by hegar »

I wish you lots of luck with growing South American cacti in your backyard in Romania. You may be successful, if you pick the truly hardy kinds. I do have an "old man of the Andes" cactus (Oreocereus trollii), which seems to be growing well. However, when the big 3-day freeze hit in 2011, I did dig it up and took it inside. I was not sure, if it could survive the record low temperatures we experienced then, plus the duration of the freeze.
Whatever you do and decide, make sure, that your cacti do have a well draining soil and also do not have to sit in a water clogged location during the cold time of the year. Perhaps some of the prickly pear cacti can survive that kind of condition, but most others will just rot and die.

Harald
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