John C's 2011 Outdoor Cactus Topic

Discuss hardy cacti grown outside all year.
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John C
Posts: 3743
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:23 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Post by John C »

Thanks everyone!
John P Weiser wrote:Great garden .
I am suprised at the size of your Cylindropunia imbricata in bloom. Mine always take four or five years of growth before they start to bloom. Wish they would mature a little faster for me. It's like watching paint dry. :?

I think the Ecobaria vivipara might be variety arizonica. Very nice! :D

The Coryphantha sulcata and Echinocactus horizonthalonius are two I will admire from afar, I'm sad to say. :(

When you say "Texas sage" are you referring to Leucophyllum frutescens. This is a shrub I have been thinking about trying. It may be marginally hardy for me. What winter temps do you think it will stand? :-k
Yes the cylindropuntia did bloom quickly. It bloomed last year as well. I think I took the cutting 2-3 years ago.

I had no idea about the variety of vivipara. Thank you!

You can't grow sulcatas there? Hmm... I thought they were pretty hardy. Maybe I'm wrong.

As for the Texas Sage, I honestly can't say for sure. They are super common here and just go by the name Texas sage. I looked up the name you said and that looks to be it, but I don't know for sure as I don't know if there is anything similar. Next time I go to the hardware store I'll check the scientific name and get back to you. It's plenty hardy for here. Even after one of the coldest winters on record here (This past winter) mine and all of the ones around here are still fine and were not hurt at all. We had 100+ hours straight below freezing and reached temps close to 10f and had a very large amount of ice and snow for that time period as well (Some of the longest snow to stick around ever here). It was a crazy cold winter, but they all survived. I don't know how that compares to your climate but for us that was cold. It may be worth trying, as they aren't super rare plants.
John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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John C
Posts: 3743
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:23 am
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Post by John C »

Well I haven't had enough time to do an update, but I'll try and get some updates up now. This summer has been hard on a lot of plants, it's been hot and dry, so most of the cacti are thriving! 8) It's all part of the Texas weather. I'll take a record summer of drought and heat any day over our record cold winter. I like the heat, I hate the cold. Now I'm sounding more and more like a cactus :shock: :lol:

After my trip to Lubbock I came home to find a number of my plants in my garden dead. It was just to hot and sunny for my grassland species. I lost 1 Escobaria missouriensis, and nearly lost another, but I dug that one up and kept it shady and wet and it is healthy again and will soon find a new home in the protection of a Mexican Feather Grass plant in my other garden. I lost my Echinocereus dasyacanthus for completely mysterious reasons. That one really stumped me, it just died. I also lost my Coryphantha sulcata do to the blazing sun, all during my week long trip to Lubbock in July :idea: Just this week I lost my largest Echinocactus texensis, also to mysterious reasons. :idea: Everything else in my garden is very happy and very healthy, but a couple of my losses have confused me. Looks like I will be getting some new plants sometime soon to fill in the sparse spots in the garden.

Now to the happier things. My Texas Sage burst into flower the other day. 8)

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John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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