Cool happenings up my way...

[daiv]

the buiningii looks to be a nice healthy plant, very strange that it flowers so weakly!

This is not normal for this plant - it is the result of going dormant while in the process of flowering. Actually, if it was a weaker plant, the buds would have probably just fell off. Here is the same plant when it was much smaller:



Daiv

[Arjen]

yes, that looks more like it! maybe it will make some buds this year...

[daiv]

It sure should - we've had some rainy/cloudy days so things are a bit slow, but as soon as the sun comes back out, I think the flowers will really start kicking in here.

[hob]

It sure should - we've had some rainy/cloudy days so things are a bit slow, but as soon as the sun comes back out, I think the flowers will really start kicking in here.

wettest April in a 100 years here ..............things are kicking in now though

[daiv]

Ha ha - Hob - I was just thinking today - "This must be what it feels like in England!"

[daiv]

Well, I think I need to move this thread into "Member Topics" and rename it. Now that I've said that, I realize this will be past tense for anyone reading this - so I moved this into Member topics because it was just turning out to be my 2012 thread anyway.

So here are some more happenings:

I have several E. viridiflorus blooming away:

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That Turb from Craig Fry is also doing its thing (I have to check the species on this one I think it is T. saueri):

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This Stenocactus is always one of the first to bloom for me.

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Now for some sad news.... My first seed-to-flower plant died over the winter. These aren't particularly long-lived plants anyway. E. mirabilis remains:

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Also, a few of the plants I got from GeneS this spring started to scorch so I had to quickly move them under the bench where they only get part sun. This one took the worst hit, but I'm sure it will recover.

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I had this happen with plants I got from Craig Fry too. I just have to get used to the fact that plants from California aren't necessarily acclimated to the strong MN sun!

[GeneS]

Looks more like pure heat damage to me. Perhaps you have them a bit close to the side wall or glass where there is little or no air circulation. Late afternoon sun as well if my guess is correct.

If it were just sun/UV damage I would expect the new tender growth at the apex to show the first damage.

Another part of the acclimation puzzle is know what the "before" condition was. Craig and I are both costal folk. In spring, we have morning fog or cloud cover from the coastal influences. Burns off anytime from 9 - noon, leaving an effective day length (insolation time) that is much shorter then in your northern, fog free climes. In summer here, I am cloud covered until 10 or 11 and fogged in by 6-7 pm. Compare with your 14-16 hours of sunlight.
My smaller plants -- the seedlings I sent you - are under 30% shade but get lots of heat and air due to my GH and fans. Craig has similiar conditions.

Under the bench might be a bit extreme but some 30-50% shade cloth and a big fan would surely be a help in the transition to your conditions.

Cheers ... GeneS

[daiv]

Thanks Gene,
The one pictured is by far the most affected. I had then in the center, in a line up against larger pots on one side. I thought that would be enough protection, but also kept an eye out just in case.

One thing that surprises me is that I put my plants out in spring - sometime around May 1. All my plants that sit in the basement all winter in complete dark go directly out into the greenhouse. Only a few show a brief lightening up of the upper surfaces and quickly acclimate. My conclusion on that is that the conditions while the growth is occurring is what makes the difference. Since the dormant plants do not put on new growth, the growth that comes out in spring is growth that occurred in the greenhouse.

Whereas the plants from you did their growing in different conditions.

Oh and "under the bench" still has plenty of light as the bottom of the bench is about 2 feet off the ground and light on both sides. So they get direct sun, but less of it and it is cooler there of course.

[Arjen]

lovely flowers! too bad about the mirabilis though, did you sow new ones?

[majcka]

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What a color.

[daiv]

On the mirabilis - I don' think they are self-fertile as the seed all looked no good in the fruits.


I thought this was need on M. hahniana - bud-flower-fruit all at once:

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[Tony]

I cant say all, but all of the Setiechinopsis miribilis i have grown have set seed on their own.
In fact, If you want to give that plant another go, I have 5 or 6 fruits full of seed ready.

[daiv]

Tony,
The seed was brown in my fruits -looked no good to me, but maybe that is the way they look. Thanks for the offer of seed. I am thinking about starting another seed batch later in the year - I was pretty discouraged after getting zero germination on my last attempt.

[GeneS]

seed was brown in my fruits

That's correct. The fruit will dehisce vertically when ripe. Just wait for it before collecting as the seed will not fall out without some help.

It appears to have good storage life as well. I have germinated seed that was 5-10 years old with good results.

Cheers ... Gene

[daiv]

Thanks Gene - then I should have plenty of seed!

First flower on T. bicolor from Darryl - this will be flowering all year long - such a rewarding plant!

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