~A glimpse into my cacti world~

[DesertSun]

Hello everybody! So, what's new? I had some more cacti in bloom these days. We also had two days of stormy weather and I had to try and protect the exposed cacti, which I did, so no losses from the winds and heavy rains. My astrophytum senilis flowered and what a beauty it proved to be! My gymnocalycium cacti are so dependable, giving me blooms all the season! Some more additions to the collection but I think that for now it's coming to a halt for the season. A mamm was lost, its vascular center got orangish when I cut it to see if there was a piece of it that could be saved, it couldn't unfortunately. This one was a plant with stunned growth, it didn't flower this season, so I got it out of the pot to check the roots and saw that the bottom was soft, even though she had not been overwatered and the soil mix was the same as with all the other cacti. Now I cannot think but wonder if the top soil that was limestone had something to do with it as Elie had warned me about it.
Anyway, here are some images to show you how all is coming in the collection.

[ElieEstephane]

Hello marina. Beautiful photos as always
I only warned about limestone top dressing because it will leach alkalinity into the soil which some cacti resent. Mammillarias are fine with limestone.
Rot is sometimes inexplicable even if you are meticulous. It could be single damaged root from an insect or minor damage that rotted and caused a snowball effect.

[DesertSun]

Hi Elie! Yes, I think that it was a matter of time, since it obviously wasn't growing at all and it was supposed to, perhaps if I checked it earlier I could have got it sooner. This one wasn't a rapid rot, like the Frailea, I will show what I mean in the section of the Pests and diseases, it was not soft and mushy, rather rubbery and orangish in color in the inside. Perhaps some fungus? Anyway, you are right, I am not taking it to heart, since I understand that there is always the possibility of what you so well described!

[Pompom]

Hello DesertSun! I've been too busy too long and I've been missing too much here!
At first I want to say you have gorgeous collection! I don't even know where to begin. I noticed you have many species from my "must find, must get, buy at all costs"- list. For excample that Tephrocactus papyracanthus and that "thootpick cactus". And many others. Which makes me jealous but at the same time excited.
The way you take the pictures looks so professional to me. The plants look like they are just there, they look so real and alive. If I could only touch the spines through the screen... Keep posting!

[DesertSun]

Hello DesertSun! I've been too busy too long and I've been missing too much here!
At first I want to say you have gorgeous collection! I don't even know where to begin. I noticed you have many species from my "must find, must get, buy at all costs"- list. For excample that Tephrocactus papyracanthus and that "thootpick cactus". And many others. Which makes me jealous but at the same time excited.
The way you take the pictures looks so professional to me. The plants look like they are just there, they look so real and alive. If I could only touch the spines through the screen... Keep posting!

Wow, thank you so much for the lovely comment Pompom! It made me smile! So glad you like my cacti, I get so much out of caring for them and seeing them flourish under my care, as all collectors feel I'm sure! Thank you for the feedback, it's nice to see you back!

So, hello everybody, how have you been doing? My cacti are doing alright, the flowering season is almost over for me now, there are only some gymnocalyciums that have buds and I am waiting for them to bloom. All the others have closed their flowering season, and I must admit I am happy for all the blooms this spring and summer! Still struggling with the mealybugs, but not in a serious level, I have made it my mission to treat every sign of pest that I see each day, so nothing gets out of control, and I hope it stays this way! They are such a nuisance!
This has been a wet and rainy summer for us up to now, lots of rainy and windy days but I have managed to keep everything under control by protecting the cacti and succulents, moving, replacing, adjusting, etc. I hope to be able to put up some tents in the autumn, so they can have more protection in the future.

[DesertSun]

Hello everybody! Hope all of you are doing great and so do your beloved plants!
I have been very driven into making my collection get bigger but more importantly, more diverse and with some much wanted for me cacti.
My great love has been the Ferocactus genus and I now have nine of them and intend to keep adding. I love the color of the spines, the shapes, the different species! I am going to move some of my bigger plants onto the terrace, so I can have more space for my plants.
I got myself two Ariocarpi, some Astrophytum, but more important of all, I have made some new, precious friends that share the same passion!
So, have a glimpse into my cacti world friends, I hope you enjoy looking at my plants and give some needed feedback!

[DesertSun]

Good morning/evening everyone! How are you?
The weather keeps being mild for the end of November, we just had some rains the previous week. I keep moving the cacti that I have
exposed, as I have stopped watering for this season. I will only keep watering the very small pots, every month or so and on sunny days followed by mild weather, as much as this is possible, lightly of course.

I got myself some long wanted ferocacti, I'm enamored with them! I changed the position of the plants, so cacti are getting as much sunlight as possible and keeping other succulents on the side of the balcony that is semi shaded.
I went to the Hellenic Cacti and other Succulents Society show and enjoyed myself so much! The colors, the shapes, the variety, the spikes on those plants, everything was special, a marvelous sight, breathtakin' species and such an interesting study/seminar on the genus Turbinicarpus! I am so grateful to people that help me along the way, it is important for me to learn as much as I can for the plants I have in my care. So, hope you enjoy the images I have taken of my latest additions. They come from a great grower and I feel honored to have them under my care from now on. Gonna do my best to keep them healthy, happy and strong!

[DesertSun]

Hello everybody! Hope you, your loved ones and your succulents are doing alright!
We've entered the winter and with it came some cold days and nights. Lots of cloudy mornings with rather soft rains but chilling cold.
I keep moving the most sensitive cacti that are exposed into their indoor shelter, which is not permanent and the sunny days I move them again outside. Fussy for sure! I'm glad I have closed the other succulents into the stands with plastic sheets, a rather poor temporary solution. Most of the nights the temperature doesn't go below the 10-12oC, so that should do. I will buy one or two rolls of frost resistant sheets to cover them just in case.
I have decided to close all the balcony with transparent canopy, so I don't have to continuously moving plants around. I'm afraid of spines being broken if I keep on doing this, as accidents happen.
Today we went to another collector's house, she is a friend of mine. I helped her identify some cacti, I wrote her some labels, helped her move some cacti around. Some of her plants were etiolated unfortunately, they were held in the shade, hope they make it in spring. Well, I hope all of our plants do! She is one of my favorite cacti persons and we have so much fun talking about our plant loves, what we got, what we dream of getting, all our coffee sessions turn mostly around our hobby, and that sure is funny!
Right now the sun is shining outside but the days are shorter and the light is not enough for most of our succulents to keep growing. I try to give them as much sun as possible. So, have a look at some pictures I took of my cacti and other succulents and I wish you a great day/or night!

[ElieEstephane]

Your collection has grown marvellously marina! Im really jealous. You have been bitten hard by the cactus bug.
Those ferocacti sure are amazing!

[Pompom]

Just like Elie, I'm also jealous of your collection! I wasn't aware there's so many different feros!

You have really interesting species there, I especially like the one in pic DSCN9603 (1).jpg, may I ask what it is?

[Spikylover]

I especially like the one in pic DSCN9603 (1).jpg, may I ask what it is?

That one caught my eye too! Maybe it's something like eriosyce aurata?

Rachel.

[DesertSun]

Your collection has grown marvellously marina! Im really jealous. You have been bitten hard by the cactus bug.
Those ferocacti sure are amazing!

Hello there Elie! So glad to hear from you and thank you for the feedback! I'm so pleased to hear you like what I've been doing all those months! Yes, I admit I've been bitten very hard by the bug! I can't imagine myself without my cacti any more! It was good that we decided to finally take the step and invest on making things on the outside of our home, it's definitely a work in progress still though. I am enjoying every part of it, I fully confess, it is delightful to study, acquire, take care of, love plants, all the way!

[DesertSun]

Just like Elie, I'm also jealous of your collection! I wasn't aware there's so many different feros!

You have really interesting species there, I especially like the one in pic DSCN9603 (1).jpg, may I ask what it is?

Thank you very much Pompom! There are so many species and I have grown incredibly fond of the genus, the more I study it the more I see and want to have! hehe, don't we all anyway? As SpikyLover identified it, (btw Hello Spiky!, how are you doing?) it is indeed an Eriosyke aurata, sorry I had been in a hurry and did not mention the species on each photograph. How are you and your beautiful cacti, is the winter giving you a hard time?

[DesertSun]

So, hello guys! How are you? All those days were rainy except some sporadic days of sunshine which the cacti need so much. It's not really usual for us to have so many rainy days in my area and I am trying to keep everything dry, by keeping the plants covered and by even mopping extensively the balcony floor when the rain stops, so as not to further enhance the humidity around the cacti and other succulents when the sun gets out. I have managed to keep everything safe till now, but the winter has just started and it is expected to be a rather heavy one for my neck of the woods.

I wanted to show you some images I had taken of the gorgeous specimens at the Hellenic Cacti and other Succulents Society show. I should have done it earlier, but anyway, here they are! I hope you enjoy looking at them as much I did at the show. I realized that I am growing fonder of some cacti when I have the chance to see them grown and mature. I am now fonder of numerous astrophytum species for example at the time being.

HELLENIC CACTI AND OTHER SUCCULENTS SOCIETY SHOW, June 2018
Part 1

[DesertSun]

HELLENIC CACTI AND OTHER SUCCULENTS SOCIETY SHOW, June 2018
Part 2