my collection so far....

[adetheproducer]

A bit of good news, the echinocactus may not be a dead as I thought. I have brought it inside to my light box. I'll give it a few days to wake up and then water it and keep it their where it can grow hopefully it will recover or send out offsets at least. It has only shrivelled up an out 3/4 around the top and the rest is still firm so is most likely still alive and will grow out of the ugly scars in time.

[K.W.]

A bit of good news, the echinocactus may not be a dead as I thought. I have brought it inside to my light box. I'll give it a few days to wake up and then water it and keep it their where it can grow hopefully it will recover or send out offsets at least. It has only shrivelled up an out 3/4 around the top and the rest is still firm so is most likely still alive and will grow out of the ugly scars in time.

K.W.

[mmcavall]

Very cool to see all those square pots side by side. I prefer clay pots but when I see something like your colection's display I really enjoy it and start to plan doing something similar. The grit we see is only a surface cover?
What is the ball shapped plant next to the E. obesa (post October 20th)?
Please post more pictures!

[adetheproducer]

Very cool to see all those square pots side by side. I prefer clay pots but when I see something like your colection's display I really enjoy it and start to plan doing something similar. The grit we see is only a surface cover?
What is the ball shapped plant next to the E. obesa (post October 20th)?
Please post more pictures!

What you see on the surface is the same right through the pot, it's a pure mineral mix with no top dressing. I did used to prefer clay pots but I ran out of space pretty quickly, they are also very heavy and they cause problems with root damage when repotting so I abandoned the terracotta pots. I think the ball looking succulent is just a side view of my pleiospilos nelii I tend to keep it a bit dry so usually has only 2 sets of leaves at any given time. The outer leaves dried up pretty quick this year so is currently down to 1 set. I think I will water a bit more when the new leaves pop out of the centre as usually they recycle water from the old to make the new but if you water more at that point they just add a new set without sucking the old dry. Let it get back to the typical two sets

[mmcavall]

Thanks for answering

What you see on the surface is the same right through the pot, it's a pure mineral mix with no top dressing.

Interesting. So you need to add fertilizer every time you water the plants?

I did used to prefer clay pots but I ran out of space pretty quickly, they are also very heavy and they cause problems with root damage when repotting so I abandoned the terracotta pots.

I think I'm going the same way.

I think the ball looking succulent is just a side view of my pleiospilos nelii I tend to keep it a bit dry so usually has only 2 sets of leaves at any given time. The outer leaves dried up pretty quick this year so is currently down to 1 set. I think I will water a bit more when the new leaves pop out of the centre as usually they recycle water from the old to make the new but if you water more at that point they just add a new set without sucking the old dry. Let it get back to the typical two sets.

My ~3.5 months old Pleiospilos nellii seedlings have only one set of leaves, while same age P. bolusii and P. compactus displays one or two leaves depending upon the individual. I keep they relatively dry, they are the plants I water more scarcely in my collection. Sometimes I wonder if they could grow more or faster if I gave them more water. But from what you said, I understand that they don't need waterings to induce new leaves to come up. The leaves will just appear when it is time, and, if there is no water, they will just use the water stored in the older leaves. Am I right? This information is crucial to me, since they are my first Pleiospilos.

Thanks again!

[adetheproducer]

No I never use fertilisers just collected rain water so the only nitrogen they get in the water is either naturally present in the rain or what little is contained in the algi that grow in the water butt which is not much as I reglarly empty it. I am of the impression that cacti have symbiotic relationships with nitrogen fixing bacteria/fungi which supply the plants needs, it would explain how many of my seedlings grow having never seen organic soil or fertilisers. The other nutrients the cacti need get disolve directly from the mineral soil mix again by symbiotic bacteria in the roots.
Pleiospilos nelii at least I have found to be quite a tough and easy succulent. It's been frozen several times over the last few years and even spent one winter outside on my windowsill. They can take water at surprisingly low temperatures most likely due to them being winter growers. I am not suggesting treating them this rough on purpose but they take mistakes well. Yes you are right about the growth on them they grow new leaves in response to water and if it's not there they recycle from older leaves. I tend to water profusely through spring until the new set of leaves start to grow then stop through summer while they strip the water from the older one then water a bit at the end of summer to autum to keep them in shape then stop. They then loose the old leave over winter ready to start the cycle again. I got my timings wrong this year due to a particularly mild autum so it's lost the out leaves early before the next set started. I will increase water next year so it does not loose the outer leaves and get 3 sets before letting it rest it will give me a whole set for any future errors and I quite fancy seeing it big a fat for a change.

[mmcavall]

Hi adetheproducer, thats very interesting.

I'll not try to grow all my plants in pure mineral mix, it may be an "advanced growing method"... but I could try with some plants. In fact, I have previously selected two cacti to grow in a soil-less mix (by soil-less I mean that it has less soil and more grit than my average mixes, but it do still having soil/loam). With some experience, I may reach something like yours (which looks like having only grit/gravel, and none loam/soil). Anyway, I'm curious about your method: what is the composition of your mineral mix?

I do believe in symbiosis, that's one of the reasons why I dont like to sterilize the substrate before sowing. We may be killing many beneficial microrganisms.

About Pleiospilos: very interesting too. However, here in Brazil the seasons are not so clearly differentiated, and I dont think a schedule like yours would work. What I'm doing is paying attention to watering needs, mostly assuming they like to be dry.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[adetheproducer]

It's not particularly advance I have only been growing cacti for 4 or so years. I moved to pure mineral pretty early on. I read 'the stone eaters' xerophilia issue (xerophilia.ro check this site out) and I agree with the theme that cacti (for the most part) are pretty much like mosses for dry environments they just need rocks and water and they ate good. I use quite a wide variety of minerals

Baked clay cat litter
Lime free potting grit
Red granite chippings
Green granite chippings
Pumice
Welsh pennant sandstone, very hard
Other softer sandstones
Mudstones
Shales
Other grits sourced from garden centres and aquatic suppliers

These make up the bulk of the mix with other bit and bobs like Scoria, crushed lava, slates and any other stuff I cone across.

I also make a lime mix which it pretty much the same as above but with a lot of limestone chippings, dolomite, (gypsum) alabaster and marl.

I am lucky to live in wales which has very varied geology so I can source a lot of the rocks locally and then crush by hand with a heavy hammer.

The techniques sound advance but really it's not particularly difficult the main theme is to get the right mix of absorbant yet airy ingredients with enough variety of minerals to supply the cacti's needs. It drains quickly as I sieve out the fines so the pots don't stay wet long. A quick Google search will give you a lot of information on what rocks are made of what minearly if you really want to get deep into the science but you done need to be too fussy either as long as you get the watering right cacti will grow in any soil.

I stop sterilising soil as well, I get better results with seeds on 'contaminated' soil mixes plenty if good bacteria keeps the nasty stuff in check.

[mmcavall]

That's very very interesting! I would do it right now but is night outside...My next game will be try to mix some crushed rocks and choose some cacti to grow in this mix. I can not find burgess shales fossils to give to the plants, but the minerals I have here will probably do the job .

Last (or not) question: this applies to non-cacti succulents also?

thanks again

[adetheproducer]

Well I am not sure sure how much it would apply to non cacti. I only have a few and all are kept in the same mixes as my cacti and all is going well so far. If they ever start to look line they are suffering I could fertilise but it's not been needed yet.

[mmcavall]

ok thanks again. Waiting for your new posts and pictures!

[adetheproducer]

I been struggling with adding pictures since the forum update to be honest, I have tried reducing to 6 megapixels but still to large and with not much time free rinning up to Christmas and short daylight hours I have not managed to get any photos. It's all a bit doom and gloom at the moment anyway since that freeze. I have had more evidence of frost damage today. My new lophophora williamsii (not the big one fortunately) collapsed into a mushy mess as did my parodia mairanana and copiapoa tenuissima cristata. I also lost my last 2 agave stricta but I did give one to my friend and that one is fine, I was a bit gutted with those as I grew them from seed but at least one is surviving even if I don't own it anymore. Also there are a few of my favorite plants with frost damage a couple of lophophora williamsii and a diffusa, ariocarpus scapharostrus, trigonus and one fissuratus and ortegocatus gave scared patches/tubercles but should be ok. My two pelecyphora look like they may well succumb to death by freezing they are both looking fairly yellow and wrong.
On the plus side I have got a few new plants for Christmas, I had a mammillaria boelderliana and tezontl, a wigginsia sellowii and gymnocalycium ragoneseii on top of the others I mentioned in earlier post just gutted the one lophophora didn't even make it to Christmas day. My light box is going well too, I have used it to rescue my gymnocalycium damsii and rotundulum with took a freeze last year and both are growing again and I'm running out if space with all the seedlings I got going. The mammillaria tezontl had a load of seed pods too so I have sown half of them which was easily 100 seeds and they are starting to germinate after only 2 day's, think I will start the other half soon but need to move some to a windowsill to make soace. I also have a few cuttings doing well, I just took out an opuntia monacantha monstrose and moved to the kitchen windowsill as it's too big and in its place put an echeveria cutting which has rooted and started growing a new head.
So some losses and wins but winter has still got another 2 and a half months to go technically, hopefully february will be warm again next year and start spring early like it did this year. I may invest in a better green house next year as well which will make the winters easier to cope with, my cold frame is starting to show its age now the wood is starting to decay and the polycarbonate panels have uv damage. Real glass and aluminium frame and a bit more serious winter protection is the next step.

[adetheproducer]

Let's see if I can add some pictures. I have reduced to 800 (bits I assume) it was an option on my photo editor software.

First of all the bad, frost damage

Lophophora williamsii

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Ariocarpus scapharostrus

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Ariocarpus fissuratus

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Ariocarpus trigonus

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Ariocarpus scapharostrus

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Lophophora diffusa

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Ortegocatus macdougallii

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Lophophora williamsii

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Lophophora williamsii caespitose

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And the good, some more christmas presents

Mammillaria boelderliana

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Lophophora decipiens (I assume it's a fricii)

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Lophophora diffusa

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Gymnocalycium ragonesei

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Wigginsia sellowii

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Mammillaria tezontl

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And just a couple of plants I picked up in the garden centre

Mammillaria camptotricha

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Melocactus azureus

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[adetheproducer]

Yey the picture size worked.

[mmcavall]

many of my seedlings grow having never seen organic soil or fertilisers.

Interesting to know that even your sowing mix dont have organic soil, that's inspiring.

since I read your thread and (after your suggestion) the Stone Eaters issue of Xerophillia, I am more and more interested in growing cacti without organic soil.

In another post you said "I have seedlings which have never seen any organic material and grow well, yes it is slower than with organics in the soil but strong and great spines".

In my personal point of view, plants grown under harsh conditions looks much better than those grown "confortably".

I continue following your posts and soon I'll have something to share too.