CactiGuide.com

I took a bunch of pictures today the weather being nice before the heat wave next week. Not many flowers but you can see the plant better this way

And some more cactus

A few more Lithops

Hello Keith,

you most certainly have some nice cacti growing in your collection. I especially like the Mammillaria herrerae and of course those Ariocarpus spp. plants. With the latter I do have a checkered rate of success. While I am able to keep the Ariocarpus retusus plants alive, although not growing much or flowering, I am having trouble with other species of that genus, e.g. A. kotschoubeyanus and A. bravoanus. I have tried to grow A. kotschoubeyanus twice and the result was, that all of the plants died. Perhaps they were in too bright sunlight. I still do have one of the two A. bravoanus plants, which I transplanted from the ground into a planter bowl. It is hanging in there thus far. Also, I only lost two or three of the Ariocarpus fissuratus cacti.
I had purchased two A. bravoanus ssp hintonii plants and two A. kotschoubeyanus cacti from Miles2Go and they did look healthy. However, all four did not survive until spring came around. Do you treat your A. kotschoubeyanus cacti any different from your A. fissuratus? Do they require different cultural care?
I do like your open-sided greenhouse setting. That way you can control both rainfall and also solar radiation from hitting your plants full force.
Perhaps I should look into purchasing a simple, small greenhouse. I am not handy with tools and would not be able to build a structure like the ones you have and have it appear pleasing to the eyes.

Harald

Hi hegar, all cactus including kotschoubeyanus are under 50% shade cloth. I grow the fissuratus the same way 50% shade cloth and no rain in the Winter. I guess try the kotschoubeyanus are under 50% shade cloth or somewhere in filtered sunlight. I rooted stems from a Mammillaria herrerae clump that was doing poorly and can spare you a extra rooted plant if you want to give it a try.

Keith

I moved the Stenocactus multicostatus because they have a funky smell like turpentine and wet dirt. Laurel Sumac also smells funky like that.
They like half shade so they are with the Dudleyas now.

The Mammillaria pectinifera is hard for me to grow well. they get beat up looking over time. the Lithops and the Ariocarpus both need very little water and a porous quick drying soil. The lapidaria ( 5 in a pot) I water like cactus, dinterianus and lithops they are all Summer growers. Possibly not all Lithops are summer growers in Africa but they are here . All under 50% shade cloth and afternoon shade.

The other picture shows the roots on a Mammillaria species pretty vigorous grower , seeds straight out of Zacatecas Mexico not sure what it is exactly?

Very nice cacti, Keith!
Do you grow big Echinocactus horizonthalonis also under shade protection?

Do you grow big Echinocactus horizonthalonis also under shade protection?'

yes , Not sure if I have too but yes I do. Cactus in Pots tend to get sunburned unlike cactus in the ground.

love seeing your collection!

Cactus are dormant now but winter growing succulents are growing in the short daylight hours

Turbinicarpus and not sure about the andersonii ? Flowers in Winter like so many Turbinicarpus. Small plants with big roots for their size that need a porous soil , careful watering and filtered sunlight. I have not watered these plants for months now. Daytime temps about 65F, nighttime about 45F. Mostly sunny days .

Hi Keith
Where are you in So Cal?

Hi Mike, I'm in Moorpark . Used to be the boonies but not anymore

Nice Collection.. Yep! Moorpark is no longer the boonies. Used to be a place called "Jungle Land" there in the 60's when I was a kid.

I remember Jungle land in Thousand Oaks , and a black panther escape which cause panic.