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Turbinicarpus

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:34 am
by DaveW
Nobody seems to be suggesting a subject for February even though we are almost half way through, also we don't seem to have had this genus as a whole before, so how about Turbinicarpus since they are some of the first to start flowering for me in the new growing season and will be starting in a month or so. The only one in Cactus of the Month before I can find was this one:-

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28239

Turbinicarpus polaskii
Turbinicarpus polaskii.jpg
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Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:39 am
by DaveW
Still having trouble posting multiple pictures in one post so posting them individually.

Turbinicarpur schmiedickianus ssp. rubriflorus
Turbinicarpus schmiedickianus rubriflorus.jpg
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Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:44 am
by DaveW
One of the newer species Turbinicarpus gramnispinus. The name means spines like grass as the thin curly spines make it hard to spot among the grass in habitat.
T.-gramnispinus.jpg
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Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 6:39 pm
by 7george
That was the perfect choice for February!
About half of my Turbini's bloom in winter.
Turbini.vald_4679.JPG
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Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus
Turb.swobodae_4705.JPG
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And some small ones T. swobodae waiting for the spring...

The last one is Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus ssp. bonatzii.
(some attached files might be missing.)

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:17 pm
by 7george
Image
And here is one Turbinicarpus (schmiedickeanus ssp.) schwarzii.

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 9:17 pm
by DaveW
Turbinicarpus valdesii ssp. albiflora
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Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus ssp. rubriflorus
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Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 3:27 am
by 7george
Turbin.jauernigii 122.jpg
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Found a photo of T. jauernigii as well.
Turbinicarpus saueri
Turbinicarpus saueri
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And another of blooming Turbinicarpus saueri.

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:02 pm
by ElieEstephane
Lovely plants! What got you into this genus (besides restricted space)? I could never bring my self to grow small species

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:54 pm
by 7george
ElieEstephane wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:02 pm Lovely plants! What got you into this genus (besides restricted space)? I could never bring my self to grow small species
That is the most important thing! They are small and easy blooming. They fit my windowsills. No columnar cacti are hardy enough for my Canadian location. Even some of them been taken out for the summer they go back into my house for winter.

Image
Long harsh winter outside and blooms the same time.
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T. valdezianus, photos from yesterday.

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 5:56 pm
by DaveW
If you live in a colder climate Elie where most heat their greenhouse in winter you tend to not grow tall or rambling species, but the smaller the plants are the more you can pack in. Try getting a 1000 rampant Opuntia's into a 10ft x 8ft greenhouse, but you could Turbinicarpus and Frailea's with shelving as well as staging's.

After Cerei or Opuntia's get fairly large or tall it is hard to give them away in the UK since few have greenhouses large enough or tall enough to take them and we can't grow them outside all year. As British collections tend to mature it is the tall growing or rampant species that tend to be tossed out to make more room for rarer or newer species. In the 1960's the now common plants were prized because that was all that was available, either as plants or seed. Now the plant range as seed is tremendous therefore newer novelties are eagerly sought.

If you want to grow really tall or rampant cacti you really need a climate where you can plant them outside all year and never need to repot them.

The small species also grow easy from seed and flower within a few years. Evidently it is different in Lebanon, but usually the most highly prized cacti in the UK are those that don't get overly large. Aztekium's will always be prized more than Carnegia's or Pachycereus unless they are very large, as will Blossfeldia's etc.

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 6:19 pm
by ElieEstephane
I see your point Dave and that makes a lot of sense. No one would want to invest much money and effort in a plant to eventually see it tossed away. And of course if someone is waiting for flowers, he'd have to wait a long time with cerei.
I tried a lot of the small species from seeds before (rebutia, neobesseya/escobaria, turbinicarpus, strombocactus...) but due to the nature of my work i have to be away for long stretches at a time so i have lost endless amount of seedlings due to dehydration rather than rot so i eventually gave up. I just recently lost most of my G. Damsii seedlings due to dehydration.
The advantage you have over me is that you have cacti specific nurseries. The only one we had sadly closed and import is too expensive.

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:22 pm
by 7george
As British collections tend to mature it is the tall growing or rampant species that tend to be tossed out to make more room for rarer or newer species.
Well, the other option is to have a friend working in big and spacey, government-funded (or commercial) greenhouse where you can donate your over-sized plant. :D
P10103.JPG
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BTW, plants seen above go out for summer display and that is quite labor-consuming. Believe me these are not Turbinicarpus at all...
8)

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 7:45 pm
by DaveW
Turbinicarpus beguinii or Gymnocactus if you prefer.
beguinii.jpg
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Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:20 pm
by ElieEstephane
Some flowerless photos from our french counterpart:
https://www.cactuspro.com/forum/read.php?1,690261

Re: Turbinicarpus

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:46 pm
by keith
Turbinicarpus heres a few I grew from seed. Small and they stay small just be careful watering them and they are not too hard to grow. I took this picture a few days ago and even though they are flowering I won't water them until spring. Its going to freeze here the next few days after being around 80F last week. Watering could rot them which I wouldn't see for at least a month.