"My First Growing Season" 2012

[peterb]

Everything is looking great! I love Echinocereus mapimiensis, really cool brownish green flower. I guess it is related to viridiflorus. Where did you get the new Astrophytum? They are great looking young plants.

peterb

[billdee]

Everything is looking great! I love Echinocereus mapimiensis, really cool brownish green flower. I guess it is related to viridiflorus. Where did you get the new Astrophytum? They are great looking young plants.

peterb

Thanks peterb,
I love the color of the E mapimiensis flowers too, but I didn't know it was related to E. viridiflorus. I have an E. viridiflorus ssp. correllii
I got most of my Astros from Miles2go and a couple from a local garden center (A. ornatum, A.asterias), and a couple from Cactus Limon.
Edit: spelling/ sorry if this sounds silly, but what do you mean by the E. mapimiensis being related to the E. viridiflorus?

[billdee]

What a great collection, Bill. Hope you get your greenhouse soon.

I'm jealous--your E. mapimiensis has a bud; mine has yet to do so, although my E. papillosus angusticeps finally has buds after three years. I'm stoked! (sorry, I watched a surfing movie yesterday)

Thanks Rich.

Bill - I think you've already outgrown the "small" greenhouse you were "thinking" about! Then there's the 2012 seed-growing! This is my 1st "real" seed-growing year (I'll call last year's effort my "redshirted" season). I have 36 survivors from last year, and 270+ seedlings after 6 wks this year! Ah, but we all "figger out sumpin' " Doing a great job!

Thanks!
Good luck on your seed growing.
I'm trying a little experimenting my self, but not anywhere close to your level.
I collected seed from my Melocactus matanzanus, and I'm just trying to see if I can get them to grow. I also took 2 off sets that were under my Matucana madisoniorum, and they had 2 little roots on em, so I planted them in a 2 1/4'' pot. I hope they make it, because I would like it to look like a double headed plant.

[billdee]

What a great collection, Bill. Hope you get your greenhouse soon.

I'm jealous--your E. mapimiensis has a bud; mine has yet to do

well.... Rich I'll trade you my E.mapimiensis for your greenhouse

The sun came out just a tad bit this morning and I snapped a pic of the E. mapimiensis bud, but then it started snowing,
But the sun was back out for a bit, and look what happened.

[peterb]

Nice flower! I'm just guessing mapimiensis is related to viridiflorus or that whole complex (russanthus, chloranthus, cylindricus, rhyolithensis, etc) by the flower characters.

peterb

[billdee]

Nice flower! I'm just guessing mapimiensis is related to viridiflorus or that whole complex (russanthus, chloranthus, cylindricus, rhyolithensis, etc) by the flower characters.

peterb

Thanks peter!
I understand now what you mean by being related.

This is the time I need a better camera because my phone isn't doing this plant justice.
RichR has pointed me in the right direction on a camera that takes nice pics and most importantly in my price range.

[billdee]

The sun has finally come out today, and my E.mapimiensis loves it. It only has one flower, but that's alright with me.
I've been flower gardening for almost 28 years, and never realized the beautiful flowers that Cacti have. "I know now"

I was talking to an accomplished Cacti grower yesterday, and he said "even after all years that he's been collecting and growing Cacti he still get's excited when his Cacti flower.''

[hoteidoc]

Your grabbing camera to shoot plants between bursts of sunshine (5 mins, maybe) & snow/rain showers is exactly what has been going on here, Bill! Then if you have to change rings (never could afford a good macro) to get the "right" shot -- sun gone! I'm sure you also have memorized the sunlight patterns through every window, so you know which plants you can shoot at any time of the day ! Or is that just me ?

[billdee]

hoteidoc,
I do know the sun pattern, but I only keep my cacti in one a room with good lighting. (southern exposure) As far as a camera goes, I'm still using my cell phone. I don't have a clue on what you mean by changing rings, although I do know what maco mode is, but I sure in the heck don't have that feature.
My biggest concern now is that as the sun is starting to get higher in the sky and my lighting situation is changing, so by mid March I wont have hardly any sun coming through the window where I keep my Cacti, because the sun is steady getting higher and higher in the sky each day, and the upstairs balcony is blocking it from getting through the window I'm probably going to have to take a couple of my spare reef aquarium lighting systems out of storage until I can get my Cacti outside.

[hoteidoc]

"Rings" are just extenders - no glass/lens, but works. I'm fortunate with an old farm house with south & east windows. With no family around, I have shelves right across the windows, usually 2 tiers. And the higher sun of Spring is when the lower shelves start getting blocked out. But think, Bill, in a few weeks or so, ALL this will take 2nd or 3rd tier to what's about to happen with your "Family" And if you're a compulsive "doater" like me, the plants will be just as glad!

[Minime8484]

Wonderful E. mapiensis! I wish I knew the trick for keeping these alive...I've gone through 2 already!

[billdee]

Thanks, Minime
Sorry about your couple losses.
I've had it for a few months. I really don't now much about the cultivation of this species myself. I'm currently looking for more info, but in the mean time I'm happy it flowered, so I'll keep you updated on its progress.

I have 21 new plants. I have 6 potted up so far. I have to wait until Tuesday to pot the rest, because I need more soil.
One new edition is a Ariocarpus scaphirostris Its a small one, but I'm fine with that. I'll post some pics when every thing is potted up.

In the mean time here is a few new Coryphantha pics except the little C. pallida
Edit: spelling/adding pics

[Tony]

Great looking collection!
Its great to see someone else is collecting corys to. It seems that very few folks I know are concentrating on them.
Im working on growing the whole set from seed, but only sowing two or three species a year, so its going to be awhile...

[Minime8484]

Your pics of E. mapimiensis made me go take a look at mine - the one that didn't look all too happy when I last looked at him closely and figured he was a goner like the other I had before. Well, lo and behold, it must be relatively happy because it has a flower bud about to bloom! So glad your post reminded me to look!! Woohoo!