A proper post now:
So far this year has been about root mealy bugs, established cacti maturing, and struggling to settle in new cacti.
My Crassula ovata and Epi cactus had root mealy infestations so bad that their growth was being distorted. I couldn't get poison to all of the roots, so I chopped off the entire root ball in the end. I'm not sure if I'll bother re-rooting the Crassula, but I repotted the Epi cuttings last week. My unlabelled Gymnocalycium also had a severe infestation, bad enough that I couldn't deal with it, so I disposed of the whole plant. My Rebutia albiflora has been all but killed by them, leaving me with just four sickly offsets to try to nurse back to health. My Thelocactus conothele v. aurantiacus and Parodia magnifica also had less extreme numbers of the damned things. I have tried 0.05g/l acetamiprid and Isopropyl Alcohol - I have learnt that the latter badly damages the waxy coating on the Parodias
As far as I can tell the mealys come in from infested plants in the garden - I know at least two bushes have them - and I'm reluctant to fill my garden with poison.
--------< I will add a photo of a root mealy infestation next time I find one, as I keep forgetting to take one! >--------
I also lost my unlabelled Mammillaria, the one I reckoned was a laui f. dasyacantha, apparently because I was too rough cleaning the peat off the roots. It died oddly, with the core going dry but the outer tubercles staying green despite the entire root stock and vascular bundle being dead - I only noticed because it was leaning a little to one side and I thought it best to check it.
As for settling in new cacti, some have done well and others have struggled. My Thelocactus tricolour produced a flower bud, but terminated it before opening. My M.herrerae is being a right pain, refusing to take up much water, and water is also travelling up the spines to discolour it.
One of my Turbinicarpus valdezianus from Croston has put on some new growth which looks really good:
Unfortunately the older growth is clogged up with what I assume is either limescale or dried fertilizer - does anyone know if it is possible, and worthwhile, to remove these deposits without harming the cactus?
I also bought two cacti from an eBay seller called cactuscroatia and was really impressed with the quality. The plants are blemish free and have very good and clean roots (always good when I don't have to clean off horrible compost!) First a Thelocephala esmeraldana to compliment the ones I got from Croston:
Then a Sulcorebutia canigueralii
And they sent this beautiful Sulcorebutia rauschii violacidermis for free!
All three have settled in really well, with both the Sulcos producing new offsets (one on the canigueralii developed from a terminated flower bud).
The cacti I got from Glenhirst last year are also doing well, except the R.albiflora. The M. snowcap has even produced a flower! It's not showy, but still appreciated
The Loph shown in a previous post eventually produced three seed pods, and along with seeds stuck in the fluff from old pods I collected about 40 seeds. Of these four have germinated, two of which are here:
My Rebutia hoffmannii also produced three seed pods, despite being the only plant flowering at the time, and being inside with no insect activity!! I've planted them and will see how it goes.
Out in the garden, the two Deliosperma (cooperi and dyeri) I bought from garden centers last year have flowered:
and my only Echeveria, which I think is E.secunda, has a couple of spikes coming up:
I'll no doubt post once the pod is ready.
