Where did everyone go.

Anything relating to Cacti or CactiGuide.com that doesn't fit in another category should be posted under General.
User avatar
mikethecactusguy
Posts: 2173
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:51 am
Location: Indio Ca
Contact:

Where did everyone go.

Post by mikethecactusguy »

Hi All
It's a relief to have CactiGuide up and running again. I was growing more and more frustrated with all the Facebook Groups. To be able to have an intelligent conversation with our resident long time experts is a pleasure. At the same time there is a noticeable absence of many of the newer members that had been working their way up the ladder. I wonder what happened to those.
Mike M
Mike The Cactus Guy
Enjoying the Spines
nes
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:46 pm
Location: Zone 10b

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by nes »

As a newer member and someone who hasn't been growing cacti for very long, I just feel I don't have much interesting things to share that hasn't already been shared on the forum. Most of my interesting plants are in their infant stage, still in plastic baggies. Also, I recently lost all my turb seedlings from last year so I'm in a bit of a cactus slump.

Probably going to start posting seedlings again for the purposes of staying active on the forum.
User avatar
mikethecactusguy
Posts: 2173
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:51 am
Location: Indio Ca
Contact:

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by mikethecactusguy »

Nes. There is a huge following for seedling growth, Post away on member blogs.
Mike The Cactus Guy
Enjoying the Spines
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by keith »

Cactus are becoming more popular and way more expensive yet this forum is fading... I watch allot of YouTube videos on cactus most are dull but some are very good like Crime Pays and Cactus Quest. You can check out other growers collections and see what they are doing.

Maybe video killed the written text ?
User avatar
jerrytheplater
Posts: 1153
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:38 pm
Location: Bloomingdale, NJ (USDA Zone 6b)
Contact:

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by jerrytheplater »

I sent an email to Steve Johnson and he replied that he's very busy at work and has to have his posting on hold, but hopes to get back.

Me, I've been posting some, but want to beware I don't mislead. I did send a PM to Hegar yesterday in hopes an email notification would go out to him to come back. He could help that new member who lives in El Paso with her outdoor cacti rotting question.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by keith »

Ok I added some pictures this is a new PC I am setting up old one won't boot. These are old pictures I had saved on a thumb drive probably from Phoenix AZ 15 years ago.

AZ for sure note plastic pots and sharp gravel and so many flowers from intense heat .
Attachments
Echinocereus rigidimuss
Echinocereus rigidimuss
IMG_0492_1_1.JPG (158.22 KiB) Viewed 4185 times
Epithelantha micromeris
Epithelantha micromeris
IMG_0629_8_1.JPG (121.71 KiB) Viewed 4185 times
Ariocarpus fissuratus
Ariocarpus fissuratus
IMG_1236_1_1.jpg (81.23 KiB) Viewed 4185 times
Ariocarpus retutus
Ariocarpus retutus
IMG_7049_1.JPG (100.76 KiB) Viewed 4185 times
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by keith »

I cant grow these in CA but easier in Phoenix AZ. Fast from seeds I THINK they are short lived cactus.
Attachments
Echinomastus erectrocentrus
Echinomastus erectrocentrus
IMG_1700_1_1.JPG (194.51 KiB) Viewed 4183 times
nes
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:46 pm
Location: Zone 10b

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by nes »

keith wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:51 pm Ok I added some pictures this is a new PC I am setting up old one won't boot. These are old pictures I had saved on a thumb drive probably from Phoenix AZ 15 years ago.

AZ for sure note plastic pots and sharp gravel and so many flowers from intense heat .
Do you still have that double head retusus? Must look insane after 15 years of growth.
User avatar
ohugal
Posts: 409
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:45 am

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by ohugal »

For me the forum continues to be a fantastic resource of information and I love to see the images of people sharing their succulents. My cacti are now not growing in the best circumstances, e.g. no winter rest and not enough light, but that's changing in a few months. I have always been reluctant to post pictures because 90% of my plants don't flower and a lot are slightly etiolated. Once I have a basic setup I want to start sowing and focus more on certain plants such as Pterocacti. From the cacti I got from the botanical garden I already have a Stenocactus which is in flower and many others are on their way. Unfortunately they were exposed to the sunlight a bit too soon and some have a slight sunburn, so I had to move them back from the window in my cactusroom (at the new place). About who are you exactly talking about?
IMG_1177 kopie.jpg
IMG_1177 kopie.jpg (114.98 KiB) Viewed 4149 times
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
temperate, maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers
hardiness zone 8a
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by MrXeric »

I think the newer, younger members prefer things like instagram to share their cactus growing. Instant gratification and all that. Probably why online forums/message boards have been dying off. Admittedly, it's nice to see all the neat plants people take pictures of, but the endless scrolling gets tiring and there is a sense of lack of substance, if that makes any sense.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by MrXeric »

keith wrote: Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:56 pm I cant grow these in CA but easier in Phoenix AZ. Fast from seeds I THINK they are short lived cactus.
This is both encouraging and concerning! I've recently been interested in this genus (and Pediocactus and Sclerocactus too), so it's good to hear they 're fast from seeds! But why are they difficult in California? Not dry enough?
User avatar
eulaspiegel
Posts: 65
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 5:51 pm
Location: Northern Sweden

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by eulaspiegel »

I would like to participate more in this forum but currently just don't have time due to other circumstances in my life. I am keeping my plants going and hope I can share some experiences (the good and the bad) with growing mostly indoors with lights in the future.
Growing mostly under LED lights, in northern latitudes. Especially interested in stem succulents and caudiciforms. Dreaming of my first greenhouse.
User avatar
madkactus
Posts: 169
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:22 pm
Location: Hessen, Germany

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by madkactus »

I'm still around and usually check the forums regularly for new and interesting posts.
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by keith »

But why are they difficult in California? Not dry enough?"

I don't know ? Maybe not hot enough for example I had a Echinomastus in CA moved to Phoenix AZ and the plant came back to life , flowered etc.
Moved back to CA and they slowly died away. This is coastal CA where I live, inland way hotter so probably growers there may have better luck ?

The two headed Ariocarpus retutus I think I sold it when I moved out of AZ I just couldn't move everything. Probably should have made the effort but these plants were not expensive in 2009. The big Fissuratus 20 bucks.
DaveW
Posts: 7376
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Where did everyone go.

Post by DaveW »

Covid and the long time changing the board did not help. We tend to be creatures of habit and once our previous habits are interrupted and we have found new ones meantime we tend not to go back.

We could not hold our cactus branch meetings due to Covid in the UK as the hall was shut, therefore we all kept in touch via an email round robin that probably kept us all together until we could all meet in the hall again. We get few youngsters at branch meetings since most prefer using Social Media containing people their own age. They would sooner be online than meeting we geriatrics face to face or often on these supposed more advanced Forums filled with older collectors.

https://metro.co.uk/2018/01/29/young-pe ... 86e7da126f

Also for some it has been our winter close season with nothing really happening, therefore no new flowers to post. I only started watering again from September this week, but many of the Turbinicarpus flowers appeared before watering started. However not had the camera out yet as still moving plants out of the house back to the greenhouse.
Post Reply