A small collection: 2015 and beyond

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MikeInOz
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by MikeInOz »

hegar wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2020 3:19 pm Hello Mike,


According to the table 16-15 for African Violets, the number of flowers was substantially higher, when there was less potassium added for a K/N ratio of 0.52 (52% potassium), than when the potassium amounted to 83% of the nitrogen.
Harald
What the table is demonstrating that regardless of higher K, flowering is still reduced under high P concentrations.
Adding extra K not only increases the K/N ratio but effectively reduces the total N given to the plant - IF you don't increase the concentration of the solution you give to the plant. Optimum K/N solutions in commercial hydroponic set ups in Holland have found a K/N ratio of roughly 1.5 to be best for a wide range of crops including flowering ones. The K will help to regulate (reduce) stretching (and in our case bloating of the cacti) from the N. You could even consider your last 2 feeds of the season to be pure potassium sulphate and zero nitrogen. It will help to harden the plant and keep it compact as the light levels and temperatures fall.

Let's remember what the cacti see in habitat.. Low N and/or high K. 4, 6 even 10 times as much available K as N sometimes!
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hegar
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by hegar »

Hello Steve and Mike,
first off I do thank both of you for being so patient and giving me valuable advice, telling me, that the macronutrient potassium is indeed needed in a higher amount than the macronutrient phosphorus, in order for the plant to do well.
I am going to purchase 10 lbs of potassium sulfate to augment my Dyna-Gro 7-7-7 fertilizer. For just the few cacti I do have, that quantity would be too much and could not be used up during my remaining life time. However, I do have pecan trees in the backyard and lawn. They would most likely also benefit from receiving additional potassium.

Harald
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MikeInOz
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by MikeInOz »

hegar wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:23 am telling me, that the macronutrient potassium is indeed needed in a higher amount than the macronutrient phosphorus, in order for the plant to do well.

Harald
That's not exactly accurate Hegar. They will do fine with K to N of between about 0.8 and 1 but 1.5 should/will help in keeping the plant compact, harder, and less likely to suffer from the effects of too much N. Reducing the N will be just as effective as increasing the K and probably even more so at the end of the season. But it's more difficult to remove an element than it is to add one unless you make your own fertilizer. All this will be for nothing if light is not optimal.
Making up your own is not as difficult as it might seem.
All you need is ..
Ammonium sulphate
Potassium phosphate
Potassium sulphate
Magnesium sulphate
All the trace elements (Fe Cu Ni Mn Zn all usually in sulphate form)
Boron (sobium borate)
Sodium molybdate
And calcium supplied in some way (gypsum and/or limestone)
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Steve Johnson
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by Steve Johnson »

Hi Harald and Mike,

The terms "too much", "not enough", and "just right" can and IMO should be expressed in two different ways. One way has to do with ratios, and that is the balance of N, P, and K. Using N as a constant of 1, the NPK ratio I'm recommending for myself and Harald works out to be 1:0.44:1.5. The P in the Dyna Gro 7-7-7 may not make for the most ideal balance, but it's lower than N and K -- the only question being if we should throw out our Dyna Gro and make up our own fertilizer per the ingredients Mike has on his list. I've been using the All Pro 7-7-7 for 9 years, and as far as I'm concerned, the fertilizer has been proving itself every year. If the P was a problem, I'm pretty sure that I'd see it in my cacti by now. Of course I may not know what to look for, so Mike, if you can describe the symptoms, I'll see if the overly high P is in serious need of correction through the make-your-own fert you're recommending.

The other way has to do with the amount of fertilizer going into our watering solution. I dilute 1 gallon of water with 1/2 tsp. of the All Pro, so the amount is just about right. If I went with 1 tsp., then too much, 1/4 tsp. not enough. I grow the vast majority of my cacti in a soil-less pumice and granite gravel mix -- pumice has a very low CEC, which is why they have to be fertilized every time they're watered. In that case, 1/4 tsp. may be okay. For growers using a higher CEC medium, fertilizing doesn't have to be done nearly as often, so would 1 tsp. per feeding be better? Interesting question, although I'll have to leave the answer for those of you using soil-based mixes. One thing I hadn't considered before is hardening-off. The collection got its last deep watering of the year on 10/10, so there's nothing I can do about it now, but when the time comes again next October, I'll go with Mike's suggestion to add only Potassium sulfate to the water for their last feeding of the year.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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MikeInOz
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by MikeInOz »

Steve Johnson wrote: Thu Oct 29, 2020 5:18 am Hi Harald and Mike,

The terms "too much", "not enough", and "just right" can and IMO should be expressed in two different ways. One way has to do with ratios, and that is the balance of N, P, and K. Using N as a constant of 1, the NPK ratio I'm recommending for myself and Harald works out to be 1:0.44:1.5. The P in the Dyna Gro 7-7-7 may not make for the most ideal balance, but it's lower than N and K -- the only question being if we should throw out our Dyna Gro and make up our own fertilizer per the ingredients Mike has on his list. I've been using the All Pro 7-7-7 for 9 years, and as far as I'm concerned, the fertilizer has been proving itself every year. If the P was a problem, I'm pretty sure that I'd see it in my cacti by now. Of course I may not know what to look for, so Mike, if you can describe the symptoms, I'll see if the overly high P is in serious need of correction through the make-your-own fert you're recommending.

The other way has to do with the amount of fertilizer going into our watering solution. I dilute 1 gallon of water with 1/2 tsp. of the All Pro, so the amount is just about right. If I went with 1 tsp., then too much, 1/4 tsp. not enough. I grow the vast majority of my cacti in a soil-less pumice and granite gravel mix -- pumice has a very low CEC, which is why they have to be fertilized every time they're watered. In that case, 1/4 tsp. may be okay. For growers using a higher CEC medium, fertilizing doesn't have to be done nearly as often, so would 1 tsp. per feeding be better? Interesting question, although I'll have to leave the answer for those of you using soil-based mixes. One thing I hadn't considered before is hardening-off. The collection got its last deep watering of the year on 10/10, so there's nothing I can do about it now, but when the time comes again next October, I'll go with Mike's suggestion to add only Potassium sulfate to the water for their last feeding of the year.
Hi Steve.
I think 1-0.4-1.5 is about as close to perfect for cacti as you can get. No need for further adjustments IMO. If you get prolific flowering and consistent growth, without bloating or stretching your feeding and light levels are correct as far as I'm concerned. There's not much more you could ask for. Obviously each species has it's preferences for heat, sun exposure, moisture etc. As for the solution strength, the only way to know if more gives better performance is to do a trial with 2 or 3 plants of the same size and species in each block. One block gets regular concentration and the other double. Then look at the results at the end of the season. Trials are a real pain though.
Do you ever do any leaching with plain water?
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Steve Johnson
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by Steve Johnson »

MikeInOz wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:50 amHi Steve.
I think 1-0.4-1.5 is about as close to perfect for cacti as you can get. No need for further adjustments IMO. If you get prolific flowering and consistent growth, without bloating or stretching your feeding and light levels are correct as far as I'm concerned. There's not much more you could ask for. Obviously each species has it's preferences for heat, sun exposure, moisture etc. As for the solution strength, the only way to know if more gives better performance is to do a trial with 2 or 3 plants of the same size and species in each block. One block gets regular concentration and the other double. Then look at the results at the end of the season. Trials are a real pain though.
Do you ever do any leaching with plain water?
Hi Mike,

First of all, thank you so much for patiently guiding Harald and me on knowing the ins and outs of fertilizers. I haven't had any problems with bloating or stretching, and the light levels here are about as good as one could hope for. Growth and flowering have been generally good, although I think they'll be even better since I started supplementing the Dyna Gro 7-7-7 with the right amount of Potassium sulfate. I'm already seeing signs of improvement here and there, but unfortunately too late in the growing season to get a whole lot of it yet. I may have some "anecdotal evidence" of this I'll include when I assemble my 2020 end-of-summer review (always a big project, but sure is fun to do!). I think the improvements in next year's growing season should be pretty amazing. Being an apartment-dweller with incredibly limited growing space, trials with different solution strengths are out of the question, so I'll stand pat with what I've been doing.

SoCal is fickle when it comes to rain. In some years, I'm able to store enough rainwater to give the collection deep watering twice over to begin its growing season. When our winters are dry (and I think this one will be), I'll give my cacti their first deep watering of the year with distilled water only, no fertilizer. This flushes out any fertilizer salt residue left behind in the mix. If the runoff water is dirty (usually brownish), that'll be fert residue, in which case we should flush again until the runoff water is clean. IMO flushing with rainwater is best, but distilled water is fine too. Either way, the cacti start their growing season off with a plain water flush and nothing more.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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Steve Johnson
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Think it might still be summer

Post by Steve Johnson »

Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do -- but in a good way! Here we are at 1:30 p.m. on October 30, with the view looking out the door of my apartment:

Image

Daytime highs are still in the 80s and 90s (my outdoor thermometer topped out at 97 today), lows have dipped down into the upper 40s, but they'll be in the mid-50s for at least a week. Do I dare give the collection a deep drink? The watering rule is "when in doubt, don't". But that's conventional wisdom, and since fall can often be pretty hot around these parts, my unconvetional wisdom here in Casa de Jefferson Park is -- when in doubt, go with half-watering. What does that mean? It's somewhere between a sip and a soak. Since my soil-less mix drains so freely, it takes a certain feel for how much water should go into each pot without accidentally drenching the mix. If a few drops of water come out the drain hole, no problemo, although I've found that half-watering in the early morning is better so the pots warm up during the day. Taking a cue from Mike, I'll skip on the Dyna Gro and put 1/8 tsp. of Potassium sulfate into a gallon of water to harden off the cacti a little bit. My tap water isn't nearly as hard as it used to be, so adding 1/2 tsp. 5% white vinegar should be sufficient for a touch of acidification without overdoing it. The solution will be on tap (literally and figuratively) for half-watering tomorrow in the a.m.

Believe it or not, the big photo shoot for my 2020 review isn't quite done yet -- 52 plants are already "in the can", with only 15 left to go. And one of these days, I will give y'all the last installments to wrap up 2019.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
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keith
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by keith »

"when in doubt, go with half-watering"

That's what I did also , just enough to clean the stems from all the dust blown in from a Santa Ana wind event. Hot and it gets 12% humidity so not much danger of over water but it is cool during the night and the days are short. Weather and I think it will be a dry one because of El Nina .
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Steve Johnson
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Re: Think it might still be summer

Post by Steve Johnson »

keith wrote: Fri Oct 30, 2020 10:42 pm "when in doubt, go with half-watering"

That's what I did also , just enough to clean the stems from all the dust blown in from a Santa Ana wind event. Hot and it gets 12% humidity so not much danger of over water but it is cool during the night and the days are short. Weather and I think it will be a dry one because of El Nina .
Hi Keith,

I grew up in Sylmar and Glendale, so I know exactly what that's like. And sorry to be Mr. picky-fussy, but it's La Niña. Not sure how many people outside of California even know the terms "El Niño" and "La Niña", so here's what they mean for those of you who are interested in the details:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ni%C3%B1o

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Ni%C3%B1a

Basically, El Niño creates a lot of precipitation during winter, and we've had some really good ones in recent years. When we're in a La Niña pattern (as we are now), the winters are on the hot side with a smaller-than-normal amount of precipitation. Some La Niña winters are drier than others, and too many of those lead to droughts. Been living here for pretty much all of my 62 years, and the El Niño/La Niña patterns are nothing new. Neither are droughts, although California has a water storage problem, not a drought problem. (I could have a few pointed things to say about that, but we're not supposed to talk politics here.) Anyway, if SoCal deals us a dry and relatively hot winter, at least we'll get an early start on the new growing season.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
keith
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by keith »

La Niña thanks I was close :D

Can I water my cactus with this ? Go ahead and delete this if you want its quite a bit off topic :D

"Unfortunately, far more funding is still needed. Proposition 1 funding for drinking water has been completely tapped. "

:shock:
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Steve Johnson
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by Steve Johnson »

keith wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 7:58 pm"Unfortunately, far more funding is still needed. Proposition 1 funding for drinking water has been completely tapped. "

:shock:
Maybe I shouldn't get into this too much, but I think we're among friends here...

As far as all of us in California are concerned, the state's first priority should be to protect people and property, with necessary infrastructure upgrades and expansion a close second. What do we get instead? California being ruled by a one-party state, and it's the wrong party. Unless and until the majority of voters who actually vote understand that they've been voting against everyone's long-term best interests, they'll never change what seriously needs to be changed. Unfortunately I don't see this happening anytime soon. I do understand why so many people are leaving or want to, but there are things I love here that I won't find in any other state, so I'd rather stay and fight for the prospect of a better future right where I live.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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Steve Johnson
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Ariocarpus fissuratus in flower

Post by Steve Johnson »

More pressing matters have kept me away from posting new material here, so let's do something about that now...

The Ario fissuratus that's been with me for 8 years isn't exactly a reliable bloomer. In fact, the last time it flowered was toward the end of October 2017. When I was in the middle of the big photo shoot for my 2020 end-of-summer review, I noticed a telltale sign that the plant might flower again. Here it is on 10/18:

Image

My highly recumbent Mammillaria perezdelarosae wanted to stand watch right over the Ario, so I moved it aside just in case we might have a bud that'll go into bloom. And we sure do -- the view on 10/18, 11/6, 11/9, and 11/11:

Image
Image

The bud turned into a wide-open bloom on 11/10, but unfortunately I couldn't get it on camera because I was too busy working. (Yeah, I seriously need to retire!) Guess I missed my only opportunity. Or did I?

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Image

That was on Friday the 13th (so much for the bad-luck superstition). Two days later as the flower keeps going:

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Image

And here's what else we had blooming on the 15th:

Image

My Turbinicarpus jauerniggii always blooms in November, so that's normal, but it was a pleasant surprise to see the krainzianus flowering this late in the year:

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Image

The jauerniggii up close and personal:

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If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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7george
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by 7george »

Steve Johnson wrote: Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:14 pm As far as all of us in California are concerned, the state's first priority should be to protect people and property, with necessary infrastructure upgrades and expansion a close second. What do we get instead? California being ruled by a one-party state, and it's the wrong party. Unless and until the majority of voters who actually vote understand that they've been voting against everyone's long-term best interests, they'll never change what seriously needs to be changed. Unfortunately I don't see this happening anytime soon. I do understand why so many people are leaving or want to, but there are things I love here that I won't find in any other state, so I'd rather stay and fight for the prospect of a better future right where I live.
:thumbright:
La Niña impacts even Canadian climate too: for our region higher then normal precipitation is predicted this winter, so I will have enough snow-water for winter growers.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
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Steve Johnson
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And now for something completely different

Post by Steve Johnson »

2 of my passions in life are cacti, and oddly enough -- marine life. I have deep sentimental ties to the California coast, and for all the problems we're dealing with here, this is a big reason why I can't imagine living anywhere else:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134602763 ... 728550252/

With a small, but wonderful cactus collection to maintain and plenty of tidepools to explore, I plan on making L.A. my home base for a very long time.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
keith
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Re: A small collection: 2015 and beyond

Post by keith »

Central coast of CA is nice. I'm not sure what I am going to do right now I live in a pretty nice place and with the new green administration it may become very expensive to cool a home in the desert. Central coast would be a nice place to live they keep building down by refusing to tap into the CA water project, no water no growth.

I went to school in SLO even nicer than VC IMO. I remember all those places you took pictures of. :D
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