50+ years.

Post by **DaveW** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:28 pm

Been growing cacti for just over 50 years and also been a member of the Nottingham Branch British Cactus and Succulent Society all that time. Have an 18ft x 12ft and a 10ft x 8ft greenhouse with around 1000 plants in them. Also a member of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America, The Chileans, Mammillaria Society and Tephrocactus Study Group.

I recognise a few of the names on here from other forums.

Daniel · Post by **Daniel** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:50 pm

Wow, you must have a good knowledge of plants! Welcome to the forum, perhaps you can teach us some things!

majcka · Post by **majcka** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:39 pm

I believe I met you on another forum. Hi here.

hoteidoc · Post by **hoteidoc** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:54 pm

An honor to meet you, sir! Been a member of the Forum just a little over a year now - a cactophile @ 4X that ! Some wonderful people & experience from around the Planet, including the good ol' US of A!
Peter - (There are a bunch of us, I think all stateside!)

gemhunter178 · Post by **gemhunter178** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 12:30 am

Wow!

Welcome!

Post by **DaveW** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:07 am

"I believe I met you on another forum."

Yes majcka, I am hard to get away from, you may run but you can't hide! LOL

I was also once a UK Moderator on an American Nikon camera Forum too, so countries are no barrier keeping me out!

I see a few names I think I know here from other Forums too.

Dave

Rod Smith · Post by **Rod Smith** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 3:31 pm

DaveW wrote:I see a few names I think I know here from other Forums too.

Dave

Iann and me for a start.

Post by **DaveW** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:21 am

I remember Hob from some time back too Rod.

Thanks hoteidoc, nice to meet anybody with an interest in cacti. I am afraid though I am a dyed in the wool cactophile since I do not grow any Other Succulents.

You in the US and warmer countries have a longer growing season than we do, which is why our plants don't grow so fast in the UK.

majcka · Post by **majcka** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 1:01 pm

DaveW wrote:You in the US and warmer countries have a longer growing season than we do, which is why our plants don't grow so fast in the UK.

That is an interesting statement. England has zones 8 and 9 and a bit of 7. That's for winters. USA have 2 - 10.

Did anybody ever mesured hotnes zone????

That would of been interesting.

England winters doesnt seem that cold to me.

I have zone 7.

Post by **DaveW** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:19 pm

It's the humidity that makes both heat and cold feel greater than it is Maja, both for humans and plants. In no place in the UK it is said you are you more than 72 miles from the sea. So this does influence our atmospheric humidity, both summer and winter.

The American troops came to the UK in WW II claiming we don't get real cold here, that was before they experienced our winter. However they were evidently walking around wrapped up cold and shivering when they did due to the damp making things feel far colder. Both dry cold and dry heat do not feel as bad as when humidity is introduced into the atmosphere. Cacti will often stand dry cold and being covered with snow as a blanket from the start of winter to the end, but they don't like our damp, freeze thaw, freeze thaw climate throughout the winter.

If you ever go to a botanical garden note the temperature when you go into the dry air of the cactus house, then go into the tropical house with it's 100% humidity and you will find even though the thermometer says it's not so hot, in the damp heat will feel much hotter. Conversely cold works the same way, if not why do cacti grow normally outside in colder winters in some places in the USA, but usually die in in our supposedly warmer winter climate?

majcka · Post by **majcka** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:31 pm

Aha. I got it now. That's why my A. americana died last winter even thow a member on this forum claimed to be hardy to -20C (or something like that in any case much colder than my was).

hoteidoc · Post by **hoteidoc** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 1:19 am

Yeah, it was the "americana" that did it in, Maja

If it had been "neoslovenia", it probably would have been OK!

majcka · Post by **majcka** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 8:21 am

hoteidoc wrote:Yeah, it was the "americana" that did it in, Maja If it had been "neoslovenia", it probably would have been OK!

There actualy is a plant we love to call it Slovenian. We call it "Slovenska lipa" and its latin name is Tilia. But it is no suculent nor is a cacti.

Jens · Post by **Jens** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 12:25 pm

Hello Dave, very nice to read from you in this forum too, welcome! (even though you have been here before, haven´t you?)
To pic up the overwintering theme too: are both of your greenhouses unheated or only one of them?
I did put some test specimen of Echinocereus (some you sent me too) under the little coldframe on the raised cactus bed.
- I really hope that they will still be there next spring.

: GH 2012 Februar02-1.jpg (90.21 KiB) Viewed 1629 times

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:27 pm

Hello Dave, and welcome!

I am looking forward to seeing some of your collection and no doubt learning a thing or two.

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