CactiGuide.com

I used to put infested cactus in a bucket of water mixed with soap and a small amount of rubbing alcohol and a old cigar split open.

I would soak them in this for a few hours to overnight. Used to be able to buy rubbing alcohol in CA but now its usually sold out because of the virus.

Never did straight alcohol but sounds pretty good, Pickled mealy bugs . And I would follow Dave's 1/2 minute immersion. Cigars are kinda stinky.

I just chopped a bunch of cactus and am attempting to re-root the tops which usually works. Root rot problems.

An old friend of mine, now dead, used to save all his old cigarette ends up and boil them in an old tin to use as a nicotine insecticide. Not to be encouraged since nicotine can be absorbed through the skin. But like most of his generation being an ex miner he was a heavy smoker.

Main problem as said before is the eggs since they are pretty insecticide proof, but you do get rid of the bugs and have to catch any hatchlings later with normal insecticide sprays or a systemic insecticide. However if it is an uncommon plant the genetic material is worth saving in order to propagate from it.

Some really beautiful plants that have been lost. That has to hurt.

Dave, I do use denatured alcohol, too. I usually repeat the treating a week or 8days ago to get at the "next generation" freshly hatched. In urgent cases there is a third go.

Easy, cheap, doesn't hurt the plant a bit -- and it does help.
N.

Unfortunately, I just said goodbye to a Mammillaria microhelia. Was going beautifully last fall and going into the winter, but for some reason never came around this year. No sign of pests, no rot. I let it be but today finally pulled it and tossed it. Unfortunately, they are not easy to find.

Fashion as usual Bartab. When I started in the UK in the 1960's M. microhelia and what was then called M. microheliopsis (only difference being flower colour) were common beginners plants and freely available. As usual after a while the dealers stopped propagating them and moved on to more lucrative and exotic newer species which sold better.

As with many legacy species they are still available from international seedsmen as seeds and raise quite easily.

http://llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACTI/Fa ... microhelia

DaveW, just want to say thanks for all of the information you offer. Appreciate it.

Overall, the microhelia stood out because the spination was so beautiful. Don't think the flowers were anything to write home about. I will find another one at some point. For a slow growing plant, last fall it put on a great amount of growth. Maybe it was telling me something.

Very sad theme, beautiful pictures, RIP.
As many others I also have such a list of memory.
In worst times of my collection I lost Echinocactus visnaga, at the last bad moment,
it could be very big and nice now as many of my ferocacti now enjoying life in greenhouse.

That's a new one to me: "legacy species".
Usually I read about and have to deal with "legacy software"!
N.

Looking through this thread makes me realize that I'm not alone and sh*t happens. Here's my notable losses.

Just read through this thread. DaveW, you put up a good topic. I plan to add to it soon. I've just been organizing my computer photos and can add a lot in here. I still have to scan my actual prints.

My deaths come from learning errors, forgetfulness to move the plants before a freeze, Root Mealy Bugs not noticed, Loss of interest in the hobby ( That really hurts to say, but it happened to me.)

I had a deer prune off all of the stems of a Trichodiadema bulbosum and learned that was really good for it. It came back stronger and more compact. Then at work a mouse was in the plant and loved gnawing on the raised roots. It survived that too. It is currently bareroot waiting for me to repot.

This post will just be a start.

Here is a planter of Frailea castanea I had going for 5 years till they all got this yellow orange discoloration. Anyone know what it is? Parodia ubelmannia in 2008. Died from neglect. Sad on my part.
Uebelmannia pectinifera in 2008. Died from neglect.
Turbinocarpus psuedopectinatus in 2008. Died a few years later. Need to confirm when, but it is gone.

If not counting small seedlings, I had just several potted indoor plants lost in recent time, some Frailea's of different kind among them.







Wholes do not stay vacant for long being quickly filled by newly transplanted plants.

And these are going in the same direction...

High humidity and poor ventilation took this one from me last summer.

ohugal wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:26 am High humidity and poor ventilation took this one from me last summer.

Was it watered during that high humidity poor ventilation period, what kind of soil mix you used? Also, if ventilation would have been good, would it have survived?

Asking because my situation is a bit similar but they are in ventilated space and I am not watering them till they see sun in rainy season.