CactiGuide.com

Hello George,
you have a nice assortment of beautiful cacti. I especially like your Turbinicarpus plants. Also, those two cacti shown on your last two images, are they both Pediocactus simpsonii? Also, are you able to leave them in the ground in Calgary, Alberta?
Those two are very pretty plants and the flowers are very pretty. I have never even thought about the genus Pediocactus and do not recall, ever having seen them in a nursery here. I will have to find out, if this plant can be grown here or if it is perhaps too hot for it.

Harald

Hi Harald,

Thanks for your attention to my plants. These plants above are Pediocactus simpsonii v. minor and have been grown outside here ~ 3 years. They are, as some other Pediocatus spp., hardy for zone 3 without any problems. Different colour comes from different field ##s: SB194, SB930. They grow naturally in mountains of New Mexico, been cultivated in California, so I think will grow in your place but starting very early in late winter and having long summer dry dormancy.

From these days:






Escobaria minima first bloom - it's a real miracle...

The unstoppable Rebutia...

Gymnocalycium nigroareolatum.






Neochilenia occulta.




Yes, that time is coming hare again - Opuntias will be blooming in my garden.



Stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum) already does.

New events mostly outside: Opuntia in my back yard.


An unknown Opuntia with a similar to O. polyacantha (the large one) flowers.


Not so neat after the rain next day.


O. aurea, pink flowers.


And an aerial view. Hard to fight the weeds, consider those as a part of the habitat.
Decided to keep some plants in the pots hoping this way will be less harm from the ants living under my rock garden. Last season these pads just made roots.
Some young Lobivia will stay in a container outside for the summer instead of small platsic pots. Mountain cacti feel OK this way in our cool environment.
Not much happens inside, a Turbinicarpus these days.


That Lophophora did 2 flowers last week.


Some of the seedlings growing under lights. Frailea angelesii from seeds swap.
From my seeds (the avatar plant) - almost 100% germinated.
Also known as Reb. fiebrigii, my seeds from self-pollination, had low germ. rate. I like to have some spare plants produced, in case of occurred losses.


Opuntia fragilis - the first flower in my back yard.

Assumed this is M. hutchinsoniana.


Last flowers outside.







I visited our native habitats once again. Opuntias, still in bloom.



Meanwhile Opuntia polyacantha seedlings from last year seeds started to emerge in my back yard these days. Hurry up - winter is coming.


Some others kept outside for the summer.

Second wave this season for this Aylostera.


Lobivia leucomalla.


And back inside the house.

Turbinicarpus schwarzii, repeated bloom.


Here 3 buds turned into offsets.


My weird Thelocactus setispinus makes flowers on the top.


Mistery seedlings under lamps. (Notocactus & Frailea).


These are Escobaria vivipara mixed with two Frailea in the centre.


Most seedlings got their spines already.



Three cotyledons is not so rare case among these.


Another flower gently hugged by spines.

That is a very pretty lophophora.

And how about this one?


This plant always surprises me because I can not see buttons before its flowers emerge from the woolly top.

Yes another very nice lophophora. They look great when they get older and have lots of fur.

Not much more flowers were seen this month, just a couple of Disco-nights:




... and this Mammillaria:


The rainy and cool summer held most of the cacti.
Outside - hardy cuttings obviously rooted, but are still in pots:



... other new Echinocereus plants in the rock garden.


My seedling of O. polyacantha started some flat segments on the 5th year.


And these my earlier seedlings of Escobaria vivipara I consider now "grown up" and will be left outside for the winter.


A Crassula muscosa, been evicted outside for the summer.

Fall is here in Canada and all indoor plants are already moved inside the house. The "easy" season begins.
I thought first this is an Agave. That was an old photo, now after this hail season it looks like this.



Yucca glauca (most hardy one) growing outside, started from cuttings.
Other hardy stuff left outside. Even something (a hydride stonecrop) is blooming in these chilly days.


Last seedlings taken out of the propagator. Will be grown further at room conditions.

Parodia turecekiana, different ages, plus one Lophophora.


Ferocactus latispinus, from my seeds.


Echinocactus grusonii, pinkish for some reason.


Some others are growing in pots along the big plants and this is maybe the way I'll be seeding these in future.




Adromischus cristatus at my windowsill.

Christmas is coming. I bought one of those a day ago.









An winter flower opened at this Mamm.


First offset at this R. heliosa.


And that Schlumbergera blooms too.


Flowers of the short winter days. Mammillaria sanchez-mejoradae.



Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus.

Some of the winter events around:



















And this is my only graft for the last season. An offset of Discocactus set over Stenocereus dumortieri.

Some of this spring months:























And even outside in the back yard is that time again...

Last flowers only caught of these.



First-winter outdoors survivors - some Opuntia seedlings.


Some blooms indoors.

Rebutia sp.


Escobaria minima.


The very first flower of this Sulcorebutia. Other bud dried.



These seedlings of M. bocasana are regular.


Ferocactus seedlings under full sun at south-facing window. Be strong, guys!


Tonight will be that night... The Discocactus again.

It did it in 2 consecutive nights: 2+1 flowers.