Only if you know the origin of the plant. Other than that, I would go with just hybrid. I have several that looks similar to that color flower, from seed and cutting. The person I received the cutting from may have received the original cutting ( E. glorious.) from the hybridizer. Knowing this I sti...

b.jpg As you can see the one on the left is off setting. The one on the right will be up for surgery next. Both were healthy but looking ugly in the middle. Shown in Jumbo pots, 5.25 inches. a.jpg Here is the cutting with one year of regular watering. So, it was cut 2 years ago. When the plant offs...

If the growth point is gone, chop. I had two that had damage in the middle and I cut out the middle part out and potted the top. The lower part produced a offset. Rooting the cutting requires time, about a year for me before I watered as I water normally. My outside Old Man is sunburned and frost da...

Keep the soil and body dry and most cactus will take those temps. My greenhouses are not heated and the outside temps can get into the mid 20's during the winter. If you are getting ice on the inside of your window at night, I would put a freeze cloth over them at night as an added protection.

I would use large Styrofoam flat pieces to raise the height. On top of the Styrofoam I would place a weed screen and then put the soil on top of that. Styrofoam will reduce the weight, weed screen will allow the soil to remain in place and will allow water drainage. I use this method to reduce the w...

25 years ago my wife bought some seeds that were sold as Saguaros at the Phoenix airport. They ended up being Ferocactus. The first picture is what happens when the growth point freezes and pups start to grow. The pups are so numerous and heavy it is growing downward. 2.jpg 3.jpg Another two growing...

If I was into show plants, new cactus mix each time I repot. So I reuse my soil and it is always interesting to see what sprouts up after repotting. I had an Ariocarpus come up once and let's not forget about Kalanchoe appearing out of nowhere.

I use a tan shade cloth I bought from Lowe's 2010, and it is still working. All my greenhouses have tan shade cloths.

Thanks Dave, I think you ID one I had in the garden and was not sure if it was an Echinopsis.

On the greenhouse side, I would think wind, snow and ice would be the biggest concerns. I would do an internet search for your area and see what is out there. A well built greenhouse using polycarbonate triple wall and around 16mm would work, but no less than 8mm. I don't heat and my greenhouse on s...

Bayer Advanced All-In-One Rose and Flower Care Concentrate, I use this at the beginning of growing season and again 8 weeks later. I use mainly for 3 systemic products in one: insect control, disease control and fertilizer.

You may want to check out baseball field conditioners. I remember some bags having material just for drainage. Very pricey.

You may need to look for horticulture pumice. You can get lave stone at the big box stores, but most of the stones are to big. I use just the small stones in the root area and spread out the rest. Larger plants I'll dig out a deep hole and back fill it with crushed packing peanuts and native soil. I...

The older beds have something like decomposed granite as a base, but it packs too much. I add lighter material around the plants and I stay away from bark. My soil is clay so I use pumice and small lava rock to break up the soil in my new beds. When I plant new plants, I make the hole much more wide...

I have had losses in the outdoor garden and in the greenhouse. I bought a Obregonia denegrii for a show plant, lots of money, and it never made it to the show.