Windowsill and patio growing

[jp29]

.......... Fantastic plants James! ..........

Thank you K.W. -- high praise indeed from the old Master!

[jp29]

I like the wild old look hopefully I wont kill mine before it looks like those two.

I do too -- it takes several years, but with your experience I am sure yours will make it.

[jp29]

.......... Some day I hope to find U. flavispina - that one looks pretty cool!

You mean like this one, Tristan?


Growing in 2¾" (7cm) square plastic pot

[jp29]

Another great miniature cactus suitable for windowsill cultivation is Frailea castanea (syn. F. asterioides). Like the other cacti & succulents I feature here it grows well and can be maintained in small containers and does not need a cold winter rest to flower the following spring and summer. This species is very easy to propagate via seed.

[K.W.]

Growing in 2¾" (7cm) square plastic pot

K.W. (envious)

[jp29]

.......... Some day I hope to find U. flavispina ..........

Another gem of this genus, Tristan, is the diminutive and very rare Uebelmannia buiningii that many enthusiasts consider to be the most desireable species of all. It too is eminently suited to windowsill cultivation -- it grow well in that environment, can be maintained in small containers, and does not need a cold winter rest to flower the following spring and summer.

[jp29]

.......... Typically the (monsoon thunderstorm) season commences with "stops and starts" days -- heavy cloud build-up in the early afternoon with thunder and lightning -- temps in the 100°F+ (approx. 38°C+) range -- followed by strong gusting winds and blowing dust -- but little rain .......... temperatures dropping into the 75°F (approx. 24°C) range ..........

That scenario occurred today. At noon the temp. registered 105°F (41°C) on my back patio thermometer with bright sunshine and hardly any wind. At about 3 pm dark thunder clouds started to build up and within a half an hour the wind was gusting strongly. The temp. dropped to 83°F (28°C) and a very light rain began to fall -- but hardly any drops hit the ground, most just evaporated in the air. It all lasted about 20 minutes -- now the cloud cover remains and all is calm.

So I will have to (spray) water again tonight! But I must be patient -- we desperately need a good rain storm!

Well that need was fulfilled today .......... and then some! The typical afternoon build-up commenced about 4pm when the temperature registered 97°F (36°C) on my back patio thermometer. Within an hour the clouds darkened and thickened and the temperature dropped to 78°F (26°C). There then ensued a ferocious hail storm that lasted for about thirty minutes followed by a torrential downpour. The hailstones were very large and made a terrible racket on our sky-lights. No damage to my patio plants however -- thank goodness for the resilience of 30% shade cloth -- the hail just bounced off harmlessly!


The hail stones had melted quite a bit by the time I took this photo ...............
2¾" (7cm) square plastic pot in background


One of my back patio 30% shade cloth staging carts -- plants undamaged
although the "roof" sagged a little -- quickly tightened up by adjusting the ties


Normally the "roof" looks like this (ties adjusted)

[K.W.]

Good morning James,

very lucky!
That's even gone well.

I keep my fingers crossed that nothing bad happens still.
How are the cacti in your front yard?


Best wishes

K.W.

[jp29]

Good morning James,

very lucky!
That's even gone well.

I keep my fingers crossed that nothing bad happens still.
How are the cacti in your front yard?


Best wishes

K.W.

Good morning and thank you K.W.

My front yard cacti (and desert shrubbery) didn't fare too badly at all -- mostly they are tough old plants -- the major damage was loss of some flowers from the desert shrubs -- the large Mexican Bird of Paradise had a lot of flowers yesterday -- this morning there is only one broken flower and one other. Fortunately I had moved all of my specimen Discocactus, Melocactus and Coleocephalocereus out to my benches at Dan Bach's Nursery some time ago. So over all, not too much damage. Here are some pics taken this morning (after I had cleaned up the ground debris ):


Mexican Bird of Paradise -- one broken flower and one other remain


Golden Barrel -- most flowers and seed pods gone


Opuntia echios I was rooting lost new pads -- I couldn't find them.


Cereus cultivar -- I think some formative flower buds were knocked
off - there may not be as spectacular a floral display as usual this year

[K.W.]

Dear James,

thanks for the information!
That does not sound so terribly.
I wonder if at Dan's nursery was much destroyed? I hope not. , ,

Best Regards

K.W.

[george76904]

Glad everything survived mostly intact! Hope you still get a nice floral display from your cereus,
Will

[jp29]

Dear James,

thanks for the information!
That does not sound so terribly.
I wonder if at Dan's nursery was much destroyed? I hope not. , ,

Best Regards

K.W.

It didn't even rain at Dan's Nursery (only twenty minutes drive from my house) -- that is how it goes in the southern Arizona desert

It looks like we may be in for a repeat of yesterday's weather this afternoon

[jp29]

Glad everything survived mostly intact! Hope you still get a nice floral display from your cereus,
Will

Thank you Will. Just in case, here is a reprise of a previous year's flowering:

[george76904]

Wow, that's gorgeous! I hope I can get my cereus that size eventually.

[jp29]

Wow, that's gorgeous! I hope I can get my cereus that size eventually.

Thank you Will. Is your plant growing outdoors planted in the ground?