Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

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Snowcat
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Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

I've decided to run my own topic to keep the progress of my collection, cacti names and of course to share some photos.

The name of my topic basically describes my conditions... I have my collection on a window that faces North-East. My cacti see the sun rays only in May-September period and only in the morning. In April and October sun gazes in my window space only in the early morning when its light is very weak yet.

I run my collection from last winter (February 2013), and it consists from Hollad cacti only (as for now at least). I've made some mistakes in cultivating my green friends in the last year and now I am trying to correct them.

Anyway, here is what do I have for now (and a brief story)...

The king of my collection - Echinocactus gruzonii. The largest cactus I have. It costed me only like 5$ in a shop. It grew nicely in summer and now I've decided to free it from growing factory peat and repotted it.
Image

Cleistocactus Sepium (or Strausii). The fastest growing cacti I've ever seen. You can see where they all get thinner. That was it's growth in early spring. Then it gets thicker again - summer period. They came in a smallest pot (d=5cm), and I have to repot them TWICE because they were just falling in smaller pots. The only cactus that still keeps the original shop soil somewhere inside...
Image

Notocactus megalopotamicus. I like the look of this one very much. Unfortunately it stagnated all the summer. Now I've pulled it from the original soil, cleaned it's roots with warm water and repotted it. I hope it will adapt, it's roots were healthy...
Image

Astrophytum ornatum. A new plant in my collection. Bought it just a week ago. Repotted it instantly wuth removing all the peat soil it had on it's roots.
Image

Pilocereus azureus. This one lost ALL it's roots due to my wrong care. So not it is just a cutting which I'll try to give a new chance to live in a new good soil.
Image

Mamillaria ???. Have not identified it... Has no roots also. But it has a small central root intact so I hope it will survive.
Image

Same mamillaria bloomed with beautiful purple flowers this summer.
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Austrocephalocereus dybowskii (? not sure). I've had three plants in one pot. Due to factory soil problems one have rotten. Others have lost their roots but othersise look good. I think they'll live on.
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Stetsonia coryne. A new addition also. Came with a completely dry hard as rock piece of peat around it roots coveres with green mold. Looked scary. I washed that all off with warm water and repotted it.
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And finally - Gimnocalicium baldianum. The queen of my collection. Rather large plant. Came with 3 dried buds that fall of quickly. Has some strange black small spots on it (one is visible here), but I hope that's not something dangerous and I hope to see it's flower next spring.
Image

Well, as you can see - not a large collection (yet)... And with quite some problems. Currently I am trying to solve the problems and looking for a solution to provide additional light for them as it is getting darker and darker. But I hope they all will survive this coming winter :)
Last edited by Snowcat on Wed Oct 02, 2013 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Onzuka
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Onzuka »

Hi Paul. Are you sure about the ID of pic number 4?

Steve
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Snowcat
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

You're right, Steve. My mistake. Definitely not asterias. Must be one of A. ornatum variables/hybrids.
Onzuka
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Onzuka »

That's right, Paul. I guess you were just testing to see if we were paying attention!

Steve
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Snowcat
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

Hehee, of course not, Steve! I've had both of them long ago and just remembered the wrong name.

Yet still, it's good to see someone IS paying attention :)
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Eutow_Intermedium »

Realy nice selection of beginners and maybe not quite so beginners cacti.

Echinocactus Grusonii is basically an everybody should have one type of plant. If you do repot it into new and better compost , there is no need to make a big jump as E. Grusonii likes to be in more confined accommodation. So is Gymnocalycium Baldianum a must have beginners plant , lovely waxy fred red flowers in the summer. That Pilosocereus may need some extra care as i'm not too sure if they like the cold.

I recently went to a local shop and bough more than several big rolls of bubble wrap. I have line the lower part of my window sills where my plants are. I am hoping it will help to keep the cold away from collection.

The Notocactus or Parodia is nice. Will be exciting to see what the flower is like.

Cleistocactus Strausii is another plant that takes some years to grow to maturity. They have a habit of the growing point or Apex drying out if pests get in. So they nee to have the top cut off so they can produce new growing points. But you may not have this problem. When C. Strausii gets to a bigger size , they get nice and smooth and hairy and are pleasing to run you hand down with the spines.

Eventualy it will produce Red tube like flowers =^-^=

.

As for Astrophytum Ornatum , what a fantastic plant if you can get it to a good size . I only bought one myself this year recently. I know of a nursery not so far away from me and they have two big ones there next to each other. They have the nicest yellow flowers Astro's

*nods*
Last edited by Eutow_Intermedium on Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Snowcat
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

The cold is not a problem for me... Quite the contrary, it's always warm in the appartment , especially now, when there is a one year old child :) This worries me, I will have to see how the cacti can survive in a warm conditions in winter.

As for E. Gruzonii, I only changed the soil, but not the pot. This pot looks great with it. Unfortunately our local shop stopped to sell them and I can't buy more, or Baldianum would be sitting in the same kind of pot, not in a regular deeper one...

I know Astrophytums are very beautiful. I've used to have one 20+years ago but never saw i blooming. It's still alive BTW, but not in my house, my parents gave it away to someone they knew...
Last edited by Snowcat on Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

And some additional photos...

My brand new lighting setup. 2x32w energy saving lamps.
Image

This device automatically turns the light on in the evening and automatically shuts them at midnight.
Image

My 10 year old Ciclamen. A gift from my girlfriend-back-then, grown by herself from a seed. It blooms non stop last 5 years.
Image

And this is one of thee Calankhoe plants. They are blooming non stop since June.
Image
Eutow_Intermedium
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Eutow_Intermedium »

You mean to say that you cant get the Hydroponic cacti anymore ?

Oh and by the way thats n African Violet not a Cyclamen.

The Kalanchoe is correct however =^-^= *nods*

.

Do you have Radiator heaters. Only it would'nt do the plants much good to have them near a radiator. The warm drier air rising affects the plants. Well thats what I would natural think.

But now saying that !

I have had a Gymnocalycium Schroderianum on a West window sill in my grandpa Rex's old peoples home window now for several years , and thats smack over an under window radiator. But then the windows can be opened ajar slightly , and I do try to look after each time I go there.

.

Two low energy bulbs ? Might work. We will have to see how your small gathering does over the next year. Even if your collection does'nt grow , having a small collection is'nt a bad thing , it just means that you will care for these plants more.

And to me your plants are more like jewels in a window that get more attention. Keep up the good work and stay with us , even in the cold months. I'm sure there will be something to talk about even when the Cacti are sleeping. .

=^-^=
promethean_spark
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by promethean_spark »

I think the cyclamen is actually an african violet.
Here's a cyclamen in my border garden, just waking up for the winter:
Image
Note the caudex. It's kind of camouflaged, but it's 95% of the plant.
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Snowcat
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

I have this kind of heaters under each window in apartment.


They keep the air warm and dry in autumn and winter...
Oh and by the way thats n African Violet not a Cyclamen.
Oh ok :) I always thought it's the same...
Keep up the good work and stay with us , even in the cold months. I'm sure there will be something to talk about even when the Cacti are sleeping.
Yep! Perhaps, seeds or something like that? I think I'll inevitably come to growing from seeds...
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adetheproducer
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by adetheproducer »

Lovely cacti I like how they get the really dark green colours when kept in a bit more of the shade.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
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Snowcat
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

Recently I went to an OBI hypermarket (OBI a German network of shops i believe) to buy a soil moisture meter. And of course I wandered into a cacti part of it... I swear I did not want to buy anything, I thought I'll just look what do they have now... And I looked... And saw this one lovely cactus:

Image

It had no price tag and stood among astrophytums. But I doubt it is an astophytum... I think it is Echinopsis eyriesii or Echinopsis subdenudatum maybe. I asked a consultant about the price, and she shaid that I cannot buy something without a price tag and advised me to choose another one. However my attention was already consumed by this very plant, you all know how it can happen. So I just chose another cactus (almost dead one) and sticked its tag (~1.2$) to this one. And now it's resting on my bookshelf drying it's roots after a good wash.

I just hope that spots on it (visible on the photo) are nothing serious...
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Eutow_Intermedium »

Slightly cheeky method. but I have had the same problem in the past with a plant without a price. Either a dead plant nearby or even worse when I was younger. Price for a cheaper /smaller cactus on that pot.

But I dont have to do that stuff any more because I am older and much more experienced.



Most definately and Echinopsis. Subdenudata can be slightly variable in body colour , areole fluff and spines. But i'm half in agreement that it's that plant.

Anyone to back up the notion ?
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Snowcat
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Re: Snowcat's dark window cacti collection

Post by Snowcat »

I asked about the price in the first place... And a consultant could easily solve the problem. She could print a prise tag for me, or she could take another plant with a tag and go with me to a cashier to use it as a template... That's what consultants are for, right? And since she did nothing I decided to do something myself. I chose a dead plant that obviously will be thrown away anyway. So yeah, cheeky, I agree... But veeery slightly :)
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