My Cacti 2012

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mughal113
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by mughal113 »

Wow... very nice flowers.
-Mughal
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Ralf
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Ralf »

This are really beautiful flowers. TFS Harald!
Do the Astrophytum asterias requires special growth conditions at your place. Especially during the winter months?
For my expieriences it is really sensitive against water/moisture at the wrong time.
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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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Thank you for your responses Mughal and Ralf.
@ Ralf: I do not take any special precautions for the Astrophytum asterias plants. They are more or less left to deal with the elements. We have had very little precipitation during the last few years. Usually we can expect about 8 inches (200 mm of rain and snow) per year. Most of the rainfall happens during the "monsoon season", which is in the middle of Summer. Very little rain will show up during the spring or fall seasons. We do get some snow though every few years, being at 4000 feet altitude (1,300 meters) above sea level.
I usually stop watering my plants by October. At this time I do try to water my cacti more or less once a week. Then I decrease the frequency to about once every two weeks during the fall months. Most likely I have killed more plants due to them receiving too much water than not getting enough. I am never quite certain, when I should apply water and how much. I do have a sandy soil and did amend it with even coarser material from the dry creek beds (arroyos) we do have all around here.
During the severe cold snap we did experience in early February 2011 I did cover all the small cacti with a plastic tarp that does have aeration holes. Some plants received a double layer of this cover. Then I placed some of the rocks from my cactus beds at the edges of the tarp and left it in place until the low temperatures for the day did not fall below minus 5 degrees C. Both my Astrophytum asterias and even both of my tiny Turbinicarpus valdezianus plants survived. It probably did help, that the soil was pretty dry to start out with, but there was some snow that did melt and the moisture did get to the plants . The overall dry conditions with the sunshine added and the coarse growing medium allowed the plants to escape any root rot though.

Harald
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Ralf
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Ralf »

Thanks Harald for your detailed explanations.
I hadn't thought that these two species are so hard and resistant. It's really interesting if someone like you make such observations. However it could be that this grow conditions almost be the hardest for them but they survive. I also think that your treatment for the plants is absolutly correct. Anyway it's beautiful to see such healthy 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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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Well, I was quite surprised to see, that three of my Echinocactus horizonthalonius plants were going to flower today. One of these did already produce a blossom on April 23rd. The big old plant though is still holding off. :(
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Another plant that opened its first blossom is my "purple Echinocereus pentalophus". The only green this plant is showing is in its pistil and the bottom of the flower bud. There are six more flowers developing and I expect to see some while being open in the next couple of weeks.
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

Correction: For the Echinocereus pentalophus it would have been better, if I had said "The only thing green is the stigma ....." instead of the "pistil". I sometimes get a little confused with all these flower parts.

Harald
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Peterthecactusguy
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Peterthecactusguy »

Harald mine is mostly purple too except all the new growth. :)
Here's to you, all you insidious creatures of green..er I mean cacti.
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

It seems, that this cactus will look its best and maybe even flower, if it is planted in dense shade of a tree, surrounded by larger cacti (e.g. Opuntias), or I could try and surround it with large rocks.
For newly transplanted specimens I do use that technique and the plants green up. This plant, on the other hand, has been in the ground underneath a tree's canopy for several years and does not seen to adapt itself to the light intensity we experience here. However, its flowers are still attractive. :)

Harald
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Arjen
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Arjen »

harald, wow! stunning plants and flowers!
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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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

This has been a pretty good weekend for my cactus pads. I can show many images and hope, that I am not boring you to death with my enthusiasm.
A small plant that I have not had very long decided to flower. It is a Thelocactus hexaedrophurus.
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Another one that did not flower last year, but dropped its bud instead, decided to bloom this year. It is a pretty, but small cactus with the name Echinocereus pulchellus
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Yet another tiny plant brought forth one small flower. It will most likely also have the second blossom open tomorrow. It is an Escobaria sneedii var. leei.
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hegar
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hegar »

There was one special spectacle that occurred during the night. My clump of Echinopsis eyriesii went into flower. There were 13 flower buds on eight stems and eleven of them did open up. I took the first shot of the still closed buds at 7:30 p.m.
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Then I went out after midnight and tried to photograph a few more frames. They did not work out too well though. The first one was taken using a flashlight and the second the flash on the camera.
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I did get up shortly after 7 a.m. and continued my picture taking effort.
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Later this morning I went out yet again. It was almost 11 a.m. and the sun was brightly shining.
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By then the adjacent Echinocereus pentalophus had also opened its blossoms.
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gemhunter178
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by gemhunter178 »

Nice show! Especially for a single plant! (actually two....whatever....) =D>
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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hob
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by hob »

looking really good this year Harald :D
incurable cactoholic
growing rebutia's with a mix of others.
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majcka
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by majcka »

Look stunning
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Maja

Strange is fun, cacti are funnier!
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Arjen
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Re: My Cacti 2012

Post by Arjen »

wow! that must be quite the show! do they smell nice?
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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