Yes, water behaves differently in a pot than in the open ground. Without deeper soil to wick away excess water, the medium in the bottom of the pot stays saturated, as explained here: http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/13774/what-is-a-perched-water-table This isn't a problem when a thirst...

The Bonsai growers generations ago found that restricting the roots kept plants small as the less food available the slower they grow. To a certain extent cactus and succulents in pots rather than open ground are Bonsai'd anyway, it just depends on how vigorous a growing species they are. Your post...

The clump will just keep expanding, more of a mound than a carpet. Not sure how big it could get on 20 years, probably a foot across or more. They elongate more in partial shade, grow in more of a trailing fashion. In full sun they form compact clumps like yours. They rot pretty easily, I find it s...

How big can this plant get in 20 years? Will it just form a carpet of hundreds of small spines?

Does anyone recognize the species of this cactus?

Sounds like it’s all figured out. Post some pics when you get it goin. Here are photos of 1) the tripod lift rigged to the cactus, 2) the roots after clearing and 3) the cactus after transplant to a new pot of pumice soil. I went with steel tubing for the tripod legs. PVC is not strong enough. Miss...

I have this plant elevated on a crane and I worked to get the clay soil off the roots today. The photos below show the roots after washing. Instead of a root rake, I used my hooked finger and dug up under the plant and started to pull down as many individual roots as I could. I have lost about 20% o...

Can someone explain to me the main differences between these two species? They look almost identical, except that Ammak has a variegated version. Both trees are called "Candelabra" trees, which makes it confusing to distinguish them online.

I have an interesting looking Cereus Peruvianus Monstrose that was purchased as a three-foot-high plant. The very top of the plant looks like it may have grown out of damage to the bottom mother plant. The top section is pristine. The bottom plant is covered with scars. The area where the two plants...

But is there any experimental proof that excess phosphorous in the fertilizer does any harm to cactus with low phosphorous needs?

@MikeinOz Do you happen to have a similar NPK utilization chart for other types of plants, and in particular Euphorbia?

Sounds like it’s all figured out. Post some pics when you get it goin. So far, the plan is to have a tripod head with three PVC pipes as legs and a chain hoist as the lifting mechanism. To the chain hoist, I will strap towing straps. Around the base of the plant I will loop a strap designed to lift...

You did not mention the intention was to use the equipment for other jobs as a commercial venture, so I presumed it was solely a one off? If it's to be a regular professional occurrence then invest in or hire professional lifting equipment and you can always put it down as a tax deductible business...

Here is a current view of the plant in this thread. It has shown some real growth in less than two months. When I cut off the top section, should I be cutting at the narrow appendage where it joins to the mother plant (the thin orange line), or should I be cutting up higher around the yellow line, i...

If you need to winch it up just move the pot under the bough of a tree or some structure where you can screw a hook in that will support it. No need for special lifting frames as an ordinary block and tackle will then do. See:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAcv7qoQpGM What he does in this video ...

wow. $6000 to move a single statue. Bekins is charging me $6000 to move the contents of my 1100 sq ft house. Times sure have changed. Movers understand how to carry out furniture without enormous risk. What is beyond their skill set is getting a 700-pound statue off a pedestal that is three feet hi...