Cactus season, ..Two thousand twenty.

[palmsOrl]

54 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Which Loph. species?

That one looks....very pretty.

Could be anything.

[Silas_Sancona]

23 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

That one looks....very pretty.

Could be anything.

Def. a Loph. ( Lophophora ) As for which species, possibly a smoother- less Tubercled form of  L. williamsii ( Aka what most people know as Peyote )  L. diffusa is another possibility.. though this specimen lacks more of the fluff emerging from the Areoles on the Tubercle.. 
 

[Umbrae]

I have found that this cactus swells up fat as a tick when you feed and water it 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, Umbrae said:

I have found that this cactus swells up fat as a tick when you feed and water it 

Yes.. Lophs. have a tendency to "deflate" while resting ..typically in winter, ( except maybe the species found further south in Mexico.. ) or if forced to during a severe drought,  and puff back up as soon as moisture/ ideal growing conditions return.. Can't remember if such conditions increase flowering in these, but know many Hedgehogs ( Echinocereus ) esp. those from the Chihuahuan Desert regions of Texas and Mexico, and cold, high elevation parts of the West / Southwest will do the same thing..  Several of those sp. won't flower well w/ out either a cool ..and/or dry " semi/ fully deflated- state " rest in winter.. 

[Chatta]

some of my lophs

[SailorBold]

Ok Nathan.. are these ready to harvest?  

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, SailorBold said:

Ok Nathan.. are these ready to harvest?  

Nice, Yep, you're good to go..  Should separate from the body of the plant w/ out too much trouble.. If you're nervous about damaging the stem, use a carpet knife to cut 'em off..  You can burn off the spines if they don't come ff easily ( to handle the fruit easier )..

[palmsOrl]

This cactus was a "donation" a neighbor tossed over bareroot from the second story balcony.  I saw it and decided to put it in a pot.  Does anybody have an idea which it might be?

[Silas_Sancona]

15 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

This cactus was a "donation" a neighbor tossed over bareroot from the second story balcony.  I saw it and decided to put it in a pot.  Does anybody have an idea which it might be?

Another Stapelia.   This one looks like S. gigantea. 

Can attain specimen size if happy..  One of a couple specimens in Desert Botanical's collection. Taken 8/ 9/ 2016.

[palmsOrl]

On 6/24/2020 at 3:03 PM, Chatta said:

this one of my favorite selinecereus only flowered once for me so far.

Here is mine growing in a hanging basket.  I always knew it as a "rick rack" plant.  I have never witnessed my plant in flower, but I know how ephemeral the flowers of these epiphytic cacti tend to be.  Pretty easy grower for me in a hanging basket lined with some kind of fine straw-like material and orchid bark potting media.  It hangs in partial shade and gets watered every couple days.

[Silas_Sancona]

Some nice, perfectly timed 4th of July Fireworks..

Cochemiea poselgeri  **formally/ sometimes still listed as  Mammillaria poselgeri**  Small-sized, creeping to semi upright clumping cactus from sandy flats and rocky spots or hanging from cliff ledges in Baja. Despite where it originates, it is quite sensitive to full sun and prefers reaching out into sun from underneath a taller bush where most of the plant will sit in partial shade. Also prefers a spot with a fair amount of airflow to help mitigate heat.. Requires a long, dry winter rest to promote optimal flowering. Hardy to about -4C if kept dry, and such cold exposure is brief. Under the Genus Cochemiea, there are 3-5 recognized species. That number jumps by 10-14 if lumped in w/ Mammillaria.

Flowers, produced mainly in summer strongly resemble flowers produced by some Epiphytic cacti and those on such Genus as Bolivicereus/ Cleistocactus more than a Mammillaria. Tubular structure and bright Red / Red Orange coloration is a strong indication of evolving to be pollinated by Hummingbirds.  Fairly easy cactus if it's needs are met. Must be potted in an open, airy and free draining mix.. NO organics. Regular water in summer only. Likes lots of air movement. Will eventually start to offset from the base, forming a decent- sized specimen, up to 2 Meters wide, and much more flowers. 

Had this specimen since Fall of 2016. Flowered every year except last summer. Love how the Central Spine starts off nearly Black when new, and fades to white as it matures. Nice contrast, esp. w/ the flowers.

[palmsOrl]

Silas, cactus flowers can be some of the most beautiful because of their sudden appearance among a very incongruent background of very different colors and textures.  I will definitely be getting one here and there from the big box stores as they catch my eye. 

Specific species I would like to try again include the Saguaro and this one epiphytic species occasionally found encircling large trees in the Orlando area.  The actual growths are almost perfectly round and it produces a large, off-white, fragrant blossom at night that only lasts the night.  That just made me remember, it is called the "Night-Blooming Cereus" or "Queen of the Night".

I would also like to grow a Loph. williamsii, but might have to hold off on that one.  

[Silas_Sancona]

24 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

Silas, cactus flowers can be some of the most beautiful because of their sudden appearance among a very incongruent background of very different colors and textures.  I will definitely be getting one here and there from the big box stores as they catch my eye. 

Specific species I would like to try again include the Saguaro and this one epiphytic species occasionally found encircling large trees in the Orlando area.  The actual growths are almost perfectly round and it produces a large, off-white, fragrant blossom at night that only lasts the night.  That just made me remember, it is called the "Night-Blooming Cereus" or "Queen of the Night".

I would also like to grow a Loph. williamsii, but might have to hold off on that one.  

Saguaro might be tricky.. but do-able..  Starting seed collected from habitat in the fall.

Would bet the Epiphytic sp. you're referring to is one of the round stemmed Selenicereus. There's supposedly a few different species that were cultivated there which can be found growing outside gardens around the state.. S. grandiflorus being the most common.

[palmsOrl]

I had fun trying to grow Saguaro when I was a kid on a visit to Arizona just buying the seed at an airport gift shop that came as a seed packet and some instructions that came in a little clear round capsule like the ones you used to get a toy in for fifty cents.  As I recall, a few of the seeds sprouted but rotted after a couple months.  

My cousin did the same thing and had a few last a year or two before rotting.

My second and most recent attempt growing Saguaro was ordering an 8" tall plant in 2012 off eBay for like $20.  Plant lasted a week sitting in its pot at the base of my potted Cocos on the dock before some critter ate about 1/3 of the total mass of the plant out of the side of it! Of all the things to eat on the edge of a swamp, a body of water, a woods and a row of homes and yards in the middle of summer in Florida, that little creature decided the best choice was to go nose first into the side of a Saguaro?

I think Saguaro could stand a chance here long-term in Florida as long as it were covered by a tent during periods of excessive rain or perhaps just planted in sand in a desert garden like the one at Leu Gardens or the xeric garden Kinzyjr is putting together.  Eventually, I think a really dreary period would rot it though unless extraordinary measures were taken to erect a clear structure over the top of it including when the plant gets larger.

Yes Silas, S. grandiflorus is the one I see so commonly in the Orlando area.  Thank you.

[Silas_Sancona]

20 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

 

I think Saguaro could stand a chance here long-term in Florida as long as it were covered by a tent during periods of excessive rain or perhaps just planted in sand in a desert garden like the one at Leu Gardens or the xeric garden Kinzyjr is putting together.  Eventually, I think a really dreary period would rot it though unless extraordinary measures were taken to erect a clear structure over the top of it including when the plant gets larger.

 

Sandy/ rocky soil is key for sure..

Rainfall, esp. in summer doesn't seem to be an issue, especially since they occur as far south as the Sonora/ Sinaloa border.. and up in the Foothills ( Alamos, Possibly in El Fuerte, just south of the border between the two states ) down there where it rains much more than here and is quite humid, esp closer to the coast ( Huatabampo ) Not effected by what winter rains/ occasional snow that occur up this way either. Wish i could obtain seed from specimens at the southern most end of the range to compare our plants with. Suspect those from the south might be more cold / winter- rainfall sensitive.  Would bet they'd survive on what rain they get there pretty easily. Grow at a pretty good pace if provided a deep, once a month soaking this time of year.

Biggest thing to remember is while young, they prefer part shade. full sun is too much.  so starting them off under shade cloth would be a perfect set up there.  One thing i wasn't fully aware of, while the root system isn't really deep, it can extend far out from the plant.. Something like.. " if you have a 10ft tall "spear" ( specimen too young to start forming arms ), the roots can extend 2 or 3X's that height in distance.." One reason the knowledgeable growers steer clients toward start smaller rather than obtaining a huge specimen..  A big old specimen having a tough time reestablishing itself isn't something you want falling on ..or near your house, lol

 

[palmsOrl]

Silas, thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge, as usual.  I will definitely be attempting a Suguaro again at some point in a large pot and will probably end up treating it a lot like my Adeniums.  Perhaps they can dwarf a bit if grown in a pot for long enough.  

Also, maybe a systemic fungicide treatment four times per year or so would be enough to prevent that problem here.

It is interesting how you note that the Saguaro need shade when young.  I think I had read that baby Saguaro (the ones that survive to become large) survive by being located near and/or under larger Saguaro or other desert plants, so these plants act as "nurse plants" for the smaller Saguaro, providing shade and perhaps allowing more moisture to be retained in the surrounding soil for longer.

A friend was just pointing out how he has noticed in his recent experience that desert palm species and palm species from drier climates in general need shade or at least partial shade when they are seedling size and perhaps up to when they are just a tad larger than seedling size.  So species like Washingtonia filifera and Medemia argun benefit from some shade when small and likely the seedlings in the wild that survive to maturity are the ones that receive some shade as small palms.

In contrast, I have noticed that rainforest species that presumably get their start most often at the dark forest floor and in most cases have to get much taller to get to direct sun can tolerate full Florida summer sunshine as long as they don't dry out.  There are a few exceptions of course, but I am talking species like Cyrtostachys renda, Carpentaria, Veitchia, Dictyosperma, Ptychosperma elegans and Adonidia merrillii, just to name a few.  Also, Washingtonia robusta seedlings do well in full-sun in my experience.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, palmsOrl said:

Silas, thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge, as usual.  I will definitely be attempting a Suguaro again at some point in a large pot and will probably end up treating it a lot like my Adeniums.  Perhaps they can dwarf a bit if grown in a pot for long enough.  

Also, maybe a systemic fungicide treatment four times per year or so would be enough to prevent that problem here.

It is interesting how you note that the Saguaro need shade when young.  I think I had read that baby Saguaro (the ones that survive to become large) survive by being located near and/or under larger Saguaro or other desert plants, so these plants act as "nurse plants" for the smaller Saguaro, providing shade and perhaps allowing more moisture to be retained in the surrounding soil for longer.

A friend was just pointing out how he has noticed in his recent experience that desert palm species and palm species from drier climates in general need shade or at least partial shade when they are seedling size and perhaps up to when they are just a tad larger than seedling size.  So species like Washingtonia filifera and Medemia argun benefit from some shade when small and likely the seedlings in the wild that survive to maturity are the ones that receive some shade as small palms.

In contrast, I have noticed that rainforest species that presumably get their start most often at the dark forest floor and in most cases have to get much taller to get to direct sun can tolerate full Florida summer sunshine as long as they don't dry out.  There are a few exceptions of course, but I am talking species like Cyrtostachys renda, Carpentaria, Veitchia, Dictyosperma, Ptychosperma elegans and Adonidia merrillii, just to name a few.  Also, Washingtonia robusta seedlings do well in full-sun in my experience.

 

Yes.. Out in the desert, the best opportunities for success start out under stuff like Palo Verde, shorter Mesquite, and Desert Ironwood.. or stuff like Bursage / various other large, woody shrubs which act as a habitat modifier for seedlings/ younger plants.. Moisture retention is part of it.. but more importantly, these " Nurse plants" shield young Saguaro from the sun and any potential extra cold winters that might occur before the seedling has reached a size whee it can tolerate both  conditions w/ out issue. 

While not especially "dense" trees, most people don't realize that the ambient temp. under the canopy of Mesquite and large Ironwood and Palo Verde  ( perhaps to a lesser extent ) can be 15-20F cooler during the summer, and several degrees warmer during a cold spell.. Mesquite takes things a step further by actually drawing water up to the surface from deep in the soil during the summer.. which helps keep whatever is growing beneath them "irrigated" until Monsoonal storms bring rain. 

 

[palmsOrl]

My other prickly pear (Optunia humifusa) is really taking off in full-sun and wet, humid summer conditions, having also been planted in a really high-quality soil mix a few weeks back.  It has grown twice as much as my other potted prickly pear on the porch at my place.

[Silas_Sancona]

28 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

My other prickly pear (Optunia humifusa) is really taking off in full-sun and wet, humid summer conditions, having also been planted in a really high-quality soil mix a few weeks back.  It has grown twice as much as my other potted prickly pear on the porch at my place.

I think this might be Opuntia cochenillifera rather than O. humifusa ..which tends to hug the ground and often has some degree of spines/ Glochids on the pads.  I say this because ..and i honestly don't recall exactly where i'd picked them up but knocked a few pads off a large specimen somewhere in Sarasota and this looks exactly like mine.. No spines on either the new or old pads, and they're more ovoid rather than round shaped..  That species is also documented in numerous places across the state, inc around Orlando if i'm reading the map correctly..

Great Cactus regardless, but will grow quite large. ( one i collected pads off was 10ft tall ) Is one of the Arborescent, tree-like Prickly Pears.  Supposedly some really interesting variegated forms around as well..  Has grown like a weed here surprisingly.  Pads/ fruit are supposedly edible.

[palmsOrl]

23 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

I think this might be Opuntia cochenillifera rather than O. humifusa ..which tends to hug the ground and often has some degree of spines/ Glochids on the pads.  I say this because ..and i honestly don't recall exactly where i'd picked them up but knocked a few pads off a large specimen somewhere in Sarasota and this looks exactly like mine.. No spines on either the new or old pads, and they're more ovoid rather than round shaped..  That species is also documented in numerous places across the state, inc around Orlando if i'm reading the map correctly..

Great Cactus regardless, but will grow quite large. ( one i collected pads off was 10ft tall ) Is one of the Arborescent, tree-like Prickly Pears.  Supposedly some really interesting variegated forms around as well..  Has grown like a weed here surprisingly.  Pads/ fruit are supposedly edible.

Houston, we have a problem.  I passed by this same little cactus today and noticed that it has suddenly gone flaccid.  Yesterday, it was the picture of health and today, this.  I recently repotted it into what I feel is an excellent cactus mix and it receives full sun for several hours each day.  Any thoughts?

[Silas_Sancona]

17 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

Houston, we have a problem.  I passed by this same little cactus today and noticed that it has suddenly gone flaccid.  Yesterday, it was the picture of health and today, this.  I recently repotted it into what I feel is an excellent cactus mix and it receives full sun for several hours each day.  Any thoughts?

Maybe give it a little water?.. Or it's just being weird, lol..  One of mine was looking a bit floppy today but i haven't watered that particular specimen in a few days..  You'll know if there's a rot issue if the pad rooting in the soil starts turning blackish/ brownish..  Very tough cactus though. Have a piece growing in a pot i need to move that fell over and hasn't had much water..

[Johnny Palmseed]

On 5/10/2020 at 3:48 PM, aztropic said:

You mentioned pups and now mine has gone crazy!

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

Ugh. Just realized today why no pups. I went to move it and it rolled out of the pot with no roots! I had noticed the other day that the lower section was graying up the side. I guess the rain that we have had was just too much. I also have a snail problem. Luckily, I have 1 pup that I saved a few years ago. Still, it's kind of sad that my oldest plant is now dead.

[Silas_Sancona]

32 minutes ago, Johnny Palmseed said:

Ugh. Just realized today why no pups. I went to move it and it rolled out of the pot with no roots! I had noticed the other day that the lower section was graying up the side. I guess the rain that we have had was just too much. I also have a snail problem. Luckily, I have 1 pup that I saved a few years ago. Still, it's kind of sad that my oldest plant is now dead.

Picture(s)?  You can save it if it hasn't rotted too much. Did this w/ a Ferocactus that did the same thing. That said, use ONLY an inorganic mix to re-root, ie: course River Sand/Grit, Pumice, Turface.. none of that packaged "Cactus Mix ". Keep it somewhere out of the rain/ full sun and water only occasionally. Will take awhile but can be done.

[Johnny Palmseed]

10 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Picture(s)?  You can save it if it hasn't rotted too much. Did this w/ a Ferocactus that did the same thing. That said, use ONLY an inorganic mix to re-root, ie: course River Sand/Grit, Pumice, Turface.. none of that packaged "Cactus Mix ". Keep it somewhere out of the rain/ full sun and water only occasionally. Will take awhile but can be done.

Thanks for the info but no it’s gone. I had thought that it might be salvageable but I decided to just keep the pup. I actually lost an “elephant foot” earlier in the year due to rot. The bed it was in had a tattered lemon tree that I removed and dug out the entire bed. I am amending the soil and will replant when it cools down. So I got that going for me, which is nice.

[amh]

Just how much full sun does it get per day?

I have an in ground opuntia ellisiana that did the same, but it is in part to dappled sun.

[amh]

On 7/9/2020 at 11:44 PM, palmsOrl said:

Houston, we have a problem.  I passed by this same little cactus today and noticed that it has suddenly gone flaccid.  Yesterday, it was the picture of health and today, this.  I recently repotted it into what I feel is an excellent cactus mix and it receives full sun for several hours each day.  Any thoughts?

Just how much full sun does it get per day?

I have an in ground opuntia ellisiana that did the same, but it is in part to dappled sun.

[Silas_Sancona]

Some end of the summer flowers. Normal, bigger display has been somewhat subdued by the heat this year..

Echinopsis  X " Gene Joseph cross " 4th flower cycle of the year..


Echinopsis  X " Scorceress " Flower cycle #5.. heat burned off a bunch of other developing buds this time around. More coming.





Echinopsis  X " Napea "  Decided to throw a smaller than normal flower this time around ( other flowering attempts were aborted this year )




The little Glory of Texas, Thelocactus bicolor  Making a surprise appearance..

[RyManUtah]

Some pups staring to surface since the cool down. 
 

first up, Echinopsis candicas. 

 

Echinopsis pachanoi 

Cereus repandus

this one surprised me, as I wasn’t aware of this species growth habit.

[Silas_Sancona]

The last flush of flowers of the season on Echinopsis X "Sorceress ", and some other fall blooms. Specimen itself has become somewhat floppy and i may end up cutting it up and re-setting the tops of each of the stem. Already had to do the same thing w/ a couple other Echinopsis / Trichocereus that got a little fat and were falling over this summer.






After a brutally hot -and dry- summer, ..and starving the front yard of water for over 2 months, since watering during the hottest part of July and August seemed to cause more issues than benefit, give everything a good soak over the last two weeks, and everything responds nicely, especially Guaiacum coulteri.  This marks the 4th flowering cycle on this specimen this year.  The " starve then soak deeply cycle " may be key to encouraging heavy flowering cycles on these vs. soaking once a week during the warm season. Nice that it is flowering at the same time as everything else in bloom atm. 





Aside from cleaning up the mess ( ..and dead plants ) the summer left behind, not planning on doing much out here this year, aside from putting a few extra Cacti i have in, maybe tossing around some seed from annual Composites i'd collected in May out east of Florence, just to add something interesting to next spring's flower display... While i want some color out here next spring, don't want the display to be quite as heavy as last year since i likely won't be here to clean up everything when the season ends. Regardless, want things to look good for whomever rents the house next. Just hope they water.

Leucophyllum langmaniae " Lynn's Legacy " TX. Sage/Ranger Good display but somewhat reduced flower size on this bloom cycle. Amazes me how tough these things are. Only soaked once or twice ( mid July- Sept. ) when they started looking really dry. Don't try that on plants less than 3 years planted.





Coues' Senna, Senna covesii.. As dependable as native perennials come. A good soak, and they go to flower -again. Other than that, don't blink w/ extreme heat. Cut the big specimen back hard and it is already starting to fill out again.



Isocoma sp.  Still not sure which species. Survives on no extra water but gets larger/ flowers more each year. Nice, fall flowering, Golden Rod-esque native for the low desert/ other hot dry areas. Bees/ Wasp-y things of all shapes and sizes love it.





Baja Fairy Duster, Calliandra californica showing some life after a hot and dry summer.  Sounds odd but once again the Sacred Datura got wacked hard by the extreme heat this year and are just starting to push out some growth/ re emerge from the ground. Odd because these usually don't start growing until the ground is warm in March, April, or May, slowing down/ dying off for the year come October in many places.