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Just wondering if any of you green thumbs out there are growing the prickly buggers. It's definitely not instant gratification gardening, some of them take three years or more to flower the first time, but the varieties and the pictures I've seen of the flowers are amazing.
Some are faster growing, some slower. I think the barrel ones like you have are very slow.
I like them cos I forget to water plants. But cacti like it that way. In fact, one of the best ways to trigger a growth spurt is to give them a drought.
Obviously the length of time they can go without depends on the size of them and how much water their holding, but I leave mine for 2 or 3 months at a time, in summer!
You'll need to keep an eye on their skin, if it's full of water the skin will be plump and nice and smooth. When they're getting a little dry the plumpness will start to go, and if you continue they'll start to shrivel slightly and the skin will start to get wrinkles -- but don't worry!
Then, water them. Lots and lots. Again how much depends on their size, I have a large pot with 4 in, and it gets 3 litres, then as soon as the soil is dry again, 2 more litres, and then 1 more about a week later.
Within a day or 2 of the first drenching they'll be back to their normal selves, and then they will start a growth spurt while the water is there.
I've had cacti since I was a kid and they really do love this treatment. Don't forget, they don't see a lot of water in the desert they live in so this is natural for them. In fact, if you water them too regularly you will kill them, as they start to rot on the inside.
One of mine is an Aloe type one, and during it's drought you can see it using it's own stored water, the leaves start to thin. Once I left it so long they went all skinny and spindley I thought I'd killed it, but it came back just as strong!
However, one year in Alabama I noticed our local Walmart pushing miniature cactus plants pretty hard. I have no idea what the names of them were. These were fully grown cactus, albeit miniature. Very attractive and very affordable. 2 bucks each I think they were. I had a real job back then and a real paycheck and say what you will about Walmart but they were on my list every Friday evening. So were the cactus. Each week I'd buy a new one. They were gorgeous and the low maintenance aspect had me totally sold on the idea. I built a box for them and researched proper soil and growing conditions, manipulated the PH to where it was exactly right and the cactii project took off like a bat outta hell. I can't remember what happened. I think my GF had a pissy fit and threw them out the window one dramatic night when she couldn't get her way. She did that often.
If you're growing from seeds, you're much more advanced than I ever got. I wouldn't even know what a cactus seed looks like. I couldn't even tell you the names of them now either, although I could then. I'm an avid gardener and have been all my life. I rarely grow for pretty though. If I have to work at it, I want a paycheck in the end and that means tomatoes, peppers and cukes.
You sound like you're doing good with it DG. If you get satisfaction from it then you certainly are.
I've been growing a succulent for many years: Crassula arborescens. It became huge, at one point, and I have since cut it back. Several new plants came from branches that fell off, and our neighbours now have flourishing plants. Architecturally, it looks great.
Several new plants came from branches that fell off
I'd love to have one that big! Sadly the UK's climate isn't really suitable.
I'd like to see a pic though if you could send me one?
I started 12 seeds, three of them have sprouted. The package said it can take from 7 days to 56 days for germination so I'm waiting on a lot of them. I have a large Aloe, don't know what type, started two more plants from cuttings from that Aloe and plan to start a few cacti that way too, when they get large enough.
Sorry about your Cacti wyweb, I know how rewarding it is to grow things.
>>has decided to do nothing for a couple of years
I read that putting a cactus in a larger pot might start the flowering process again when they "stall".
I got interested in Cactus because I saw Prickly Pear growing wild here and I like the look of the spiny plants in the outdoor beds. To go along with the Cacti I'm going to start a batch of Lithops too. If you've never seen a Lithop, go look them up. ;)
That plant take down to -2C, although ours is happily growing in the conservatory. I'll organise a pic sometime over the w/e.
>seeds
That's fun. Sometimes you'll never know what is going to crop up.
>when they "stall".
Right, i'll give it a try, thanks.
Aloe is an awesome plant though. I could write 10 pages about it.
