On-line Guide to the positive identification of Members of the Cactus Family
https://cactiguide.com/forum/
Thank you Spence.greenknight wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:13 am This site will help you calculate how much N to add: https://www.planetnatural.com/compostin ... c-n-ratio/
When they came out of the compot, a couple of the larger ones went straight into this size pot (80mm) as the root system was large enough to take up almost half of the pot's volume. By now the roots will be touching the sides of the container so there won't be any problems. The other smaller seedlings went back into community pots with a little more room. The mix is also very course and mainly mineral.
Indeed.
Ouch. Glad you tried to save it.MikeInOz wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2023 5:12 am I found this poor little micro bat caught on a Ferocactus this afternoon. It must have been chasing a moth or something. I don't know how long it was there but it was still alive -just, so I got a pair of tweezers and slowly unhooked it. Seems only the wings were hooked. It was very weak but made a squeak. I wrapped it up in an old rag a put it in a quite place in the potting shed. It's smaller than a mouse. Soon after, it came out and put itself the right way up - upside down. If it's gone in the morning I will assume it has recovered......
We have lots of these guys flying around at dusk.
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For fertilizer, I use Osmocote for cacti and succulents with an K/N ratio of of about 1.3. I use gypsum of all cacti as a top dressing for Ca. For the limestone species I add washed limestone/dolomite ''sand'' trickled down into the dry mix after potting up to supply more Ca and Mg. There is also Mg and a little Ca in the osmocote and all trace elements as well. For more trace elements I use home made compost and/or 2 year old cow manure at about 10-20% depending on the species. (desert or forest/grassland habitat)"Wiandry Adi" post_id=403521 time=1695959841 user_id=19043]
- How do you determine the nutrients of the fertilizers you use, esp. regarding calcium and magnesium? Also, what kind/form of Cal-Mag fertilizer do you use?
It varies. At the moment I am interested in the smaller Mamms and other Mexican species like Pelecyphora, Astrophytum, Escobaria. The list is endless... Copiapoa and Echinocactus horizonthalonious varieties are worthwhile collecting. I would highly recommend the book ''Cacti for the connoisseur'' by John Pilbeam. Timber Press 1987. He goes through each genus and lists his favourites in all of them. Of course more great species have been discovered since then but I still read it regularly.
- In your collections and experience, what do you think are the most interesting cacti? And what aspects of said cacti you consider interesting? (I ask this to find inspirations for my collections in the future)
Scoria and pumice is a good base but for me, I like to add an organic fraction, and preferably some good quality soil. If you live near a bonsai outlet, you might find a bag of Akadama soil from Japan. It is a red granular clay that does not break down. There are 3 grades. Try to get the hardest type with the 3 lines on the bag. Almost every plant in the world does well in it. I add about 10-20% of that. Kanuma is another Japanese clay which works well. Zeolite is another mineral which hold nutrients and is great in mixes and diatomite is another one. Don't forget good old quartz or granite sand. They are always in my mixes too.
- Any recommendations on coarse materials for cactus soil mix? I use scoria and pumice often, but I'm always open to some cool suggestions.
There are a few succulents in Australia but I don't know them well and they are not very interesting to me at the moment.
- Do you have recommendation for any native Australian succulent/xeriscape/desert plants I can get? Most of my collection came from continental Africa - and Madagascar, the Americas, but I can't tell if there's any species hailing from Australia/Oceania.
