I think you should continue to water them but at a lower rate. As long as the roots don't approach complete desiccation they should be ok. Slightly more shade is probably a good thing as well. Not sure what you mean by "lower rate" -- are you talking about watering less often or watering ...

[quote=zpeckler. Just wondering if I should continue to water those plants that go into heat dormancy? [/quote] I think you should continue to water them but at a lower rate. As long as the roots don't approach complete desiccation they should be ok. Slightly more shade is probably a good thing as w...

Wetta soil is actually a good quality wetting agent. The coir is (was) only used as a carrier. The Debco company (which is just down the road from me) has been bought out by a German company and I don't think they even produce Wetta soil anymore. I get my bulk potting mix from them each year. The q...

Also in regards to a wetting agent, I wonder if this would work? https://www.tuigarden.co.nz/product/debco-saturaid "It is a granular soil wetter made from coir and other non toxic ingredients." Remember what Mike said: I would not recommend any of the organic types. Many have been found ...

Don't bother. Save your money and buy more cacti or pots. I have looked into all that stuff before. (a lot!) It makes no difference to the plant response whatsoever in most cases. A good mineral fertilizer formulation is all you need. If anything, you can use a high quality kelp extract from time to...

Dormancy is important because the low temps help the plant produce the carbohydrates it uses in spring and summer for flowering and possibly even fruit set. There are exceptions like autumn flowerers. I presume the summer dormant plants do not need low temps to produce the sugars. Perhaps it is a co...

SpriteFish post_id=406709 time=1717283400 user_id=19480] Questions/starting discussion: Pumice vs Scoria, what's the differnce? Scoria has a variable and usually high pH which needs to be accounted for. It also holds a lot of water. What is zeolite and what roles does it play? (I see that it can ho...

Has anyone grown these Thai Gymnos from seed? If so, what was the outcome?

I did find this from a new zealand brand, it looks like it could work and doesn't have added fertilizers. Would you suggest adding coarse sand to it? https://www.bioleaf.co.nz/product-page/bio-leaf-bonsai-potting-mix I'll defer to Mike on that. What say you, Mike? Looks to coarse and too bony. I wo...

SpriteFish post_id=406662 time=1716872318 user_id=19480] So reading this, would the conclusion of potting soil (specifically one that actually contains loam) bring less overall hydrophobic than bark be correct due to not being pure organic materials (plus containing clay)? Yes. But I would not excl...

Group 1: asterias, coahuilense, capricorne, senile (yellow petals and orange throat) Group 2: myriostigma, ornatum ( yellow petals only) Crossing species in same group can make a healthy hybrid. Crossing species in group 1 x group 2 can make seeds but seedlings are very weak which can not live long...

What are the pros and cons of loam (commercial potting soil), bark, and compost? I might aswell ask so I can compare them! I was just thinking that soil might be more versatile than bark, as I can add it to any mix and adjust the pumice:soil ratio depending on the plant species. Also I was wonderin...

Yes I have used pot sealers many times. It was not necessary on this one. From memory, the sealers were not available when I last potted this plant. I recommend you spray just the outside of the pot and perhaps an inch on the inside. If you look at glazed bonsai pots you will find they are never gl...

I downloaded those pages as jpegs, so I have them archived for future use. What you said is what I was hoping for -- I'll readjust my fertilizer recipe for a 1:1 ratio. Urea will be required to make it happen, which gives me a couple of options I detailed in the PM I sent you: Option #1. Add a touc...

Mammillaria plumosa is flowering....