Last of the new arrivals!
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 4:34 am
Well, Saturday was the big one -- 7 beautiful plants from CoronaCactus raring to get started on my new plant bench. Let's have a look...
Fissuratus is the only Ario I tried growing in my younger days. Emphasis on "tried", since I gave up after managing to rot them. Hmmm, I dunno -- something about heavily composted cactus mix that wouldn't dry out? My pumice/DG mix has made a huge difference since I started using it last year, so I think this fissuratus might actually make it. May seem over-potted in a 3" standard pot, but the depth looks just right to accommodate that honkin' taproot. (As we speak, I'm taking diligent notes on what I looked up here -- http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... =2&t=27501" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.)
A wonderful selection, and I love its diminutive form in contrast with my hypogaea and tenuissima. Don't let the pic fool you -- that's a 2.5" pot!
The hesteri I got from M2G was my first-ever Coryphantha, so here we are a week later with my 2nd. Haven't tried growing Coryphanthas before, and it's nice to have these representatives of the genus in my collection at long last.
Beautiful form and skin color -- in a 3.5" standard pot, and those deep roots really need it! Given its Atamaca heritage in common with my E. odieri, I'd like to know if it'll also need regular but infrequent watering only when the weather is warm and sunny. If that's the case, the cool, cloudy Springs I usually see in my area indicate that watering should be very infrequent or not at all until June. (My Spring weather was pretty crappy this year!)
Okay, I just showed you the little guys. Now here are a few that look like monsters by comparison:
Going strictly by plant size, it looks like the Strombocactus might actually be a bit under-potted in its 3.5" pot. But there's not much going on below-ground yet, so the roots will have to grow in more. With that said, they grow more wide than deep, and I think Darryl called it right for being an Azalea pot. I have never tried growing a Strombo before, so I'd welcome some watering advice for the species from those of you with more experience. By the way, this very interesting cactus came with a little flower bud. I'll have to see if it develops into a flower.
Columnars are under-represented in my collection because I simply don't have the space for anything really big. However, I do love Echinocereus, and having another go at rigidissimus rubsipinus inspired me to search for a companion species. Since I'm having success with my current rubispinus, I hope to see great things out of the pectinatus. By reputation it should be a little easier to cultivate, too. Darryl recommended a 3.5" Azalea pot for this plant, although truth be told I was a tad skeptical. But Darryl called that one as well -- more wide than deep, and the pectinatus looks really good in its new home.
And last, but not least:
I thought it would be along the lines of my Sulco callichroma in terms of size, but man was I wrong!
Am I complaining, though? HECK NO!!! That's a 5" pot, and the only cactus in my collection which takes a bigger diameter is my Cephalocereus senilis. I had to pull off a whole bunch of spent flowers, but the ones that were left confirmed the flower color I was looking for. Just a gorgeous plant, and I'm so looking forward to all the flowers next Spring. Wait a minute -- what's all this then? A new bud at this time of year? Yes, and a nice little bonus if the aranacea gives me its first flower off-season. Here's a view from the top:
I think this was my most challenging transplant to date for a couple of reasons:
1. The offsets aren't firmly attached, and I could just see a couple of them breaking off if I wasn't really careful. But I was, so the plant is intact pups and all.
2. I normally center my cacti when I repot them. This time I couldn't see it working, so I approached the matter by providing decent margins between the pups and the edge of the pot. At least the roots weren't crowded in the process, although I think even the Azalea pot seemed awfully deep for them. Am I handling the situation right, or am I making a newbie mistake? Yeah, I
know -- worry, worry, worry. Anyway, I take some confidence from growing skills I didn't have until last year, and I believe this gorgeous addition to the plant bench will grow well for me over the years.
Now all my new additions are settling in. The M2G and MG cacti will get their first watering this weekend, then watering for the CCN plants a week after that. Their first order of business will be to get started on new root growth. Even with it being Summer and all, I'll have to be careful about not overdoing it on watering frequency. Time to put those skills of mine (such as they are) to the test. Now I'll leave you with some flowers...
My first Mammillaria guelzowiana flower:
I can't take credit for this one, but a host of new buds are coming in -- those flowers will be all mine!
My Coryphantha hesteri from M2G, with 5 buds that came from out of nowhere earlier this week -- I think this cactus likes me!
Next, here's my CCN Frailea castanea that came in December. Think it's joining veteran status here as the bud is about to pop:
I'll end this presentation with a flourish -- blooms from 2 of my 2011 "veterans" (Gymno ochoterenae vatteri and Mamm grahamii) with the blossfeldiana getting ready to close up shop for the evening:
Happy growing, everyone!
Fissuratus is the only Ario I tried growing in my younger days. Emphasis on "tried", since I gave up after managing to rot them. Hmmm, I dunno -- something about heavily composted cactus mix that wouldn't dry out? My pumice/DG mix has made a huge difference since I started using it last year, so I think this fissuratus might actually make it. May seem over-potted in a 3" standard pot, but the depth looks just right to accommodate that honkin' taproot. (As we speak, I'm taking diligent notes on what I looked up here -- http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... =2&t=27501" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.)
A wonderful selection, and I love its diminutive form in contrast with my hypogaea and tenuissima. Don't let the pic fool you -- that's a 2.5" pot!
The hesteri I got from M2G was my first-ever Coryphantha, so here we are a week later with my 2nd. Haven't tried growing Coryphanthas before, and it's nice to have these representatives of the genus in my collection at long last.
Beautiful form and skin color -- in a 3.5" standard pot, and those deep roots really need it! Given its Atamaca heritage in common with my E. odieri, I'd like to know if it'll also need regular but infrequent watering only when the weather is warm and sunny. If that's the case, the cool, cloudy Springs I usually see in my area indicate that watering should be very infrequent or not at all until June. (My Spring weather was pretty crappy this year!)
Okay, I just showed you the little guys. Now here are a few that look like monsters by comparison:
Going strictly by plant size, it looks like the Strombocactus might actually be a bit under-potted in its 3.5" pot. But there's not much going on below-ground yet, so the roots will have to grow in more. With that said, they grow more wide than deep, and I think Darryl called it right for being an Azalea pot. I have never tried growing a Strombo before, so I'd welcome some watering advice for the species from those of you with more experience. By the way, this very interesting cactus came with a little flower bud. I'll have to see if it develops into a flower.
Columnars are under-represented in my collection because I simply don't have the space for anything really big. However, I do love Echinocereus, and having another go at rigidissimus rubsipinus inspired me to search for a companion species. Since I'm having success with my current rubispinus, I hope to see great things out of the pectinatus. By reputation it should be a little easier to cultivate, too. Darryl recommended a 3.5" Azalea pot for this plant, although truth be told I was a tad skeptical. But Darryl called that one as well -- more wide than deep, and the pectinatus looks really good in its new home.
And last, but not least:
I thought it would be along the lines of my Sulco callichroma in terms of size, but man was I wrong!
Am I complaining, though? HECK NO!!! That's a 5" pot, and the only cactus in my collection which takes a bigger diameter is my Cephalocereus senilis. I had to pull off a whole bunch of spent flowers, but the ones that were left confirmed the flower color I was looking for. Just a gorgeous plant, and I'm so looking forward to all the flowers next Spring. Wait a minute -- what's all this then? A new bud at this time of year? Yes, and a nice little bonus if the aranacea gives me its first flower off-season. Here's a view from the top:
I think this was my most challenging transplant to date for a couple of reasons:
1. The offsets aren't firmly attached, and I could just see a couple of them breaking off if I wasn't really careful. But I was, so the plant is intact pups and all.
2. I normally center my cacti when I repot them. This time I couldn't see it working, so I approached the matter by providing decent margins between the pups and the edge of the pot. At least the roots weren't crowded in the process, although I think even the Azalea pot seemed awfully deep for them. Am I handling the situation right, or am I making a newbie mistake? Yeah, I
know -- worry, worry, worry. Anyway, I take some confidence from growing skills I didn't have until last year, and I believe this gorgeous addition to the plant bench will grow well for me over the years.
Now all my new additions are settling in. The M2G and MG cacti will get their first watering this weekend, then watering for the CCN plants a week after that. Their first order of business will be to get started on new root growth. Even with it being Summer and all, I'll have to be careful about not overdoing it on watering frequency. Time to put those skills of mine (such as they are) to the test. Now I'll leave you with some flowers...
My first Mammillaria guelzowiana flower:
I can't take credit for this one, but a host of new buds are coming in -- those flowers will be all mine!
My Coryphantha hesteri from M2G, with 5 buds that came from out of nowhere earlier this week -- I think this cactus likes me!
Next, here's my CCN Frailea castanea that came in December. Think it's joining veteran status here as the bud is about to pop:
I'll end this presentation with a flourish -- blooms from 2 of my 2011 "veterans" (Gymno ochoterenae vatteri and Mamm grahamii) with the blossfeldiana getting ready to close up shop for the evening:
Happy growing, everyone!