peterb's 2014

[peterb]

It's January, so it's time to start a new member thread for the year!

I moved to a new place last September and have all the plants on an enclosed back porch. The issue here in Tempe AZ is always finding the right balance of light, in order to avoid scorching and heat stress. Not always easy. The porch is on the south side of the condo, so I have had to really watch out for the incredible burning power of the sun and heat here. A few plants got wasted by the autumn sun after I moved, which I had underestimated. At my old place, these had been on the east side of the house, so it was a dramatic increase in light and temps. I'm still trying to tweak a lot of the placement of various plants on this small porch. Unfortunately, the HOA won't allow me to put window screen up around the south edge of the porch. I may still get away with using shade inside the porch, however.

I noticed a few things in bud already. Here in Tempe, the winter rest is over soon. I just did the first full watering of the season a couple days ago. There is a segment of Sonoran and Mojave plants I try to keep bone dry until later, or they will rot, but most will start growing and flowering very soon.

peterb

[kpj35]

Nice plants! I especially love the Astrophytum capricorne 'crassispinoides'.

I can't imagine having too much sun...haha...around here my fluorescent lights are shining brighter than the sun has in months

[sabotenmen]

quote Nice Echinofossulocactus crispatus, buds a little out of focus. Still playing with depth of field with the Canon and new lens.quote
Yeah, it's difficult to get a good depth of field when shooting macro. Nice Capricorne indeed. A mature Capricorne , when potted in an "old looking “glazed ceramic pot , has a real ancient look to it which no other plant has. An eye catcher in any interior.

[Eutow_Intermedium]

Nice to be with you as your Collection kicks off for 2 0 1 4

I have had Echinofossulocactus myself over the years including Violaciflorus. Unfortuntely I have lost a few and also labels have faded , so I don't know which ones they are now really. Is it my imagination or do I find that Steno's or Echinofoss's prefer being in porous pots ? Maybe they like being slightly on the drier side. I also found this with my Neoporteria( Neochillenia ) paucicostata, can't believe that that plant is still with me and happy. It has the nicest and long dark spines up top and Glaucous blue body.

I recently obtained yet another Echinofoss from the usual place, it was a good size and I couldn't leave it behind. It even has several small buds on top and could very well be the first of my plants to flower this year. Unfortunately unless these plants are already named it is very hard to identify their species names. And this one unfortunately wasn't blessed with it's own identity. Just the usual Cactacae, but thats just IKEA all over . .

I do like the extra long and filament like spines on that Astro =^-^=

Very nice

[peterb]

re: Echinofossulocactus-- I actually find they like *more* water here in the hot southwest and a little more shade than I expected. They are incredible beat up, rugged, gnarly looking plants in habitat, but I like them a little sleeker and happier looking in cultivation. I do find them very slow from seed, generally. Yes, it is true, it can be very challenging to ID them. I decided to order a bunch of named ones and named seed from Mesa Garden for that reason. The ones that have different names really do have some rather different *looking* characteristics. Apparently, someone did a systematic revision of the genus for his PhD work but it was never published. I would love to see that.

peterb

[peterb]

First flowers of the season, Mammillaria lasiacantha. Usually these are a tad later and the first ones are from a couple Pedios.

A few other random pics.

peterb

[Minime8484]

What a cool Mammillaria! Going to have to put that one on The List!

[GeneS]

Just catching up on this thread ... your "something" johnsonii is most likely Weberbauercereus johnsonii. Eventually it will branch and flower like this one that flowered for me the first time this year. From MG 132.13 seed sown 3/1/96.

c7882_W_johnsonii.jpg (59.39 KiB) Viewed 4403 times

The odd O. basilaris may be the var ramosa called "the stacking opuntia" by Ferguson. It is most commonly seen in cultivation as the white flowered "whitneyana" or "albiflora" It is smaller like brachycladia but not as slim jointed. I have the "whitneyana" clone but don't have an image of it in bloom. I seems to really like the local grey, soft, citrus scale and is currently recovering from treatment.

Cheers ... GeneS

[peterb]

Thanks Gene for the hope on the Weberbauerocereus, would love to grow just one columnar to flowering size this lifetime.

I don't think the basilaris is ramosa. I have one of those also, and the joints are much more chubby. I think this thing is a cultivar. GMO crops for the win!

I would love a white flowered basilaris though. Time to climb Mt. Whitney!

peterb

[peterb]

Tristan, I think the lasiacantha is this one from MG: 718-lasiacantha SB233 /17/ Jarilla Mts, NM, pink sp, winter flowers

peterb

[peterb]

a few pics of some of the plants.

peterb

[peterb]

some more pics.

peterb

[Snowcat]

Very nice looking EFC. I've never saw one of them blooming, I hope someday my EFC will flower too.

[peterb]

Echinofossulo flowers are remarkable similar, across many different forms. A lumper's paradise!

some more pics.

peterb

[Minime8484]

Marvelous Austrocactus! I hope to be able to grow more of these...I have one left from seed from last year, but it is painfully slow.
Even if you don't get blooms, the spines alone are worth it!