Cactus/succulent newb questions

[JohnAndSancho]

Hey y'all. 

 

I guess I'm looking to expand at more than palms, because a) still have space in my office window and b) I guess SE TX is now a desert climate. So, some questions. 

 

I do have some aloes in my office already - I have of course an Aloe Vera, an Aloe Dorotheae (aka Stabbitha Christie), and another one that I honestly can't remember the name....but I can get it tomorrow. I just know it stained one of my dress shirts really bad. I've seen videos that say to separate aloe mom's from pups, I need to pull all of them out of the pot, let them sit for a couple days, and repot. But I've also seen a video on YouTube about a cat with the body of a Pop Tart that runs through space. 

 

I'm also looking at buying some cactii pads/cuttings. Obviously the columnar cuttings appeal to me, but I also had some (apparently guerilla planting) prickly pears at my work that survived Palmageddon but didn't survive a weed eater. I've seen some purple variations and it'd be cool to see some color in the office window. 

 

Any recommended sellers? Any Palmtalk sellers? I'm digging Mexican Fence Post, Peruvian Apple, and the purple prickly pear. If I buy cuttings, is it just as simple as buying a cutting and plopping it in well-draining soil? I also gather that well draining for a cactus means a lot differently than well draining for a cactus. Ie I'd have to add a lot of pumice or sand.

How deep do cactus roots go compared to palms? 

 

Literally, all I know about cactii is that Saguaros grow arms and I got an arm full of stabby from one of my Granny's plants when I was 6 years old. 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/2/2022 at 12:51 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

Hey y'all. 

 

I guess I'm looking to expand at more than palms, because a) still have space in my office window and b) I guess SE TX is now a desert climate. So, some questions. 

 

I do have some aloes in my office already - I have of course an Aloe Vera, an Aloe Dorotheae (aka Stabbitha Christie), and another one that I honestly can't remember the name....but I can get it tomorrow. I just know it stained one of my dress shirts really bad. I've seen videos that say to separate aloe mom's from pups, I need to pull all of them out of the pot, let them sit for a couple days, and repot. But I've also seen a video on YouTube about a cat with the body of a Pop Tart that runs through space. 

 

I'm also looking at buying some cactii pads/cuttings. Obviously the columnar cuttings appeal to me, but I also had some (apparently guerilla planting) prickly pears at my work that survived Palmageddon but didn't survive a weed eater. I've seen some purple variations and it'd be cool to see some color in the office window. 

 

Any recommended sellers? Any Palmtalk sellers? I'm digging Mexican Fence Post, Peruvian Apple, and the purple prickly pear. If I buy cuttings, is it just as simple as buying a cutting and plopping it in well-draining soil? I also gather that well draining for a cactus means a lot differently than well draining for a cactus. Ie I'd have to add a lot of pumice or sand.

How deep do cactus roots go compared to palms? 

 

Literally, all I know about cactii is that Saguaros grow arms and I got an arm full of stabby from one of my Granny's plants when I was 6 years old. 

 

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Take a look through the Cactus Season - related threads i've started over the years for ideas on species..  Keep in mind, Many of the true Desert Cacti will have a tough time growing where it is wet / humid.. There are still plenty that will handle those conditions just fine though.  ...Then there are the " Jungle cacti " IE:  Epiphyllum, Dragon Fruit, etc. ...which is it's own deep rabbit hole.


As far as starting many.. Stuff like Opuntia? ( Prickly Pears ) yes, it is as simple as setting a pad in soil and letting it root. Some people will allow a cutting to callus over before planting. i usually don't, at least w/ Prickly Pears..   Some are definitely spinier than others for sure ( Cylindropuntia, Opuntia esp. ).. Regardless,  would invest in a pair of Reptile feeding tongs for cleaning and/or repotting as needed.

Good reference for info, such as how much water X cacti species requires, overall growing conditions / sun / shade tolerance, and specific soil requirements ( there are numerous species / Genera that have fairly specific soil requirements for optimal health ) look through the llifle.com data base.  Regardless, in a nut shell,  avoid Peat Moss or Compost as an " organic " soil component when making soil mixes.. ..And don't use the bagged garbage from the Big Box stores.

As far as Fertilizer? Most cacti don't need it ..or, require very little... and no liquid stuff.   Potassium, and Calcium ( Crushed Oyster shell ) are the only things i apply and only once during the summer every 2nd year. ( i use slow release Langbeinite only )  Healthiest cacti are grown hard, not babied, or put on a windowsill.


As far as succulents,  like cacti, which ones will grow there depends on where they originate.

 

[JohnAndSancho]

@Silas_Sancona thanks for the info.

Do cactus roots grow deep like palm roots? 

Does your advice for non-callousing apply to columnar cactii like Mexican Fence Post and Prickly Pear as well? 

 

My go-to palm soil is a mix of garden soil, LECA, and Repti-Bark - I've got some aloes going in this but should I add more rocks like pumice for cactii? 

 

I know the drought we're dealing with here is far from normal, but - what is normal anymore? 

 

 

[JLM]

  On 8/2/2022 at 1:34 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Take a look through the Cactus Season - related threads i've started over the years for ideas on species..  Keep in mind, Many of the true Desert Cacti will have a tough time growing where it is wet / humid.. There are still plenty that will handle those conditions just fine though.  ...Then there are the " Jungle cacti " IE:  Epiphyllum, Dragon Fruit, etc. ...which is it's own deep rabbit hole.


As far as starting many.. Stuff like Opuntia? ( Prickly Pears ) yes, it is as simple as setting a pad in soil and letting it root. Some people will allow a cutting to callus over before planting. i usually don't, at least w/ Prickly Pears..   Some are definitely spinier than others for sure ( Cylindropuntia, Opuntia esp. ).. Regardless,  would invest in a pair of Reptile feeding tongs for cleaning and/or repotting as needed.

Good reference for info, such as how much water X cacti species requires, overall growing conditions / sun / shade tolerance, and specific soil requirements ( there are numerous species / Genera that have fairly specific soil requirements for optimal health ) look through the llifle.com data base.  Regardless, in a nut shell,  avoid Peat Moss or Compost as an " organic " soil component when making soil mixes.. ..And don't use the bagged garbage from the Big Box stores.

As far as Fertilizer? Most cacti don't need it ..or, require very little... and no liquid stuff.   Potassium, and Calcium ( Crushed Oyster shell ) are the only things i apply and only once during the summer every 2nd year. ( i use slow release Langbeinite only )  Healthiest cacti are grown hard, not babied, or put on a windowsill.


As far as succulents,  like cacti, which ones will grow there depends on where they originate.

 

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I had gotten some of the prickly pear cactus from a neighbor a couple years back that has thorns that arent visible until they are in your hand. I took 2 pads and set them in a mulched over area with some aloes and those things are pretty big already, and produced their yellow flowers earlier this year. Although unfortunately the grass and weeds has taken over the little bed i had made for them and i cant weed it due to not wanting to get thorns in my arms and hands. These things grow very well for me despite being engulfed in weeds lol

Edit: One of the aloes also flowered this spring, it too produced a yellow flower. I didnt know what the hell that strange thing that looked like asparagus coming out of my aloe was until the flowers opened.

Edited August 2, 2022 by JLM

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/2/2022 at 1:47 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

@Silas_Sancona thanks for the info.

Do cactus roots grow deep like palm roots? 

Does your advice for non-callousing apply to columnar cactii like Mexican Fence Post and Prickly Pear as well? 

 

My go-to palm soil is a mix of garden soil, LECA, and Repti-Bark - I've got some aloes going in this but should I add more rocks like pumice for cactii? 

 

I know the drought we're dealing with here is far from normal, but - what is normal anymore? 

 

 

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Cactus roots grow out wider than deeper.. Agood example:  A 40ft Saguaro can have roots that stretch out 2x the height ( or more ).  A Trichocereus candicans that is 3ft tall but 8ft wide ( stems naturally lean over over time ) can have finer roots that reach out about 15ft or so.. This is in the ground of course.  In pots, they'll obviously be more restricted.

No bark..  I myself use Coconut Peat ( Ground Coconut Husk ) as the sole " organic " content of soil mixes i put together..  Most of my cacti are in a mix that has less than 30% organics.. other 70% of that mix is Pumice, Turface MVP, and/ or grit i collect ( esp for those species that will rot in anything but a " Mineral- based"  Soil mix ...which contains less than 20% organics )  Fine sand / anything Clay-ey compacts too much / holds too much water. 


Cacti are tough.. Even w/ the heat here, i water ( barely hit with the hose ) only once a month this time of year, and don't water at all in winter ) W/ some, you can't water much ( ...if at all ) when night time temperatures exceed 78F ..otherwise they cook.   Out in the desert, they only get what falls from the sky, when it rains  and do fine.  Aside from rotting, cacti can literally burst open if they get too much water as well. Cacti are like batteries that need a recharge only every so often.

You can plant stems of columnar- type cacti like Mexican Fencepost right after cutting, though i myself would allow the cuttings of those types to sit out in a shady spot for a week before planting..

When you plant any cutting, soak once and set in a bright, shady spot.. not direct sun. W/ Opuntia, when they start forming a new pad(s) they are rooting. Others?  Have to watch them to notice them adding new growth.  Can take 6 months or longer, depending on the time of year started  ..and sometimes the species.

 

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 8/2/2022 at 2:25 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Cactus roots grow out wider than deeper.. Agood example:  A 40ft Saguaro can have roots that stretch out 2x the height ( or more ).  A Trichocereus candicans that is 3ft tall but 8ft wide ( stems naturally lean over over time ) can have finer roots that reach out about 15ft or so.. This is in the ground of course.  In pots, they'll obviously be more restricted.

No bark..  I myself use Coconut Peat ( Ground Coconut Husk ) as the sole " organic " content of soil mixes i put together..  Most of my cacti are in a mix that has less than 30% organics.. other 70% of that mix is Pumice, Turface MVP, and/ or grit i collect ( esp for those species that will rot in anything but a " Mineral- based"  Soil mix ...which contains less than 20% organics )  Fine sand / anything Clay-ey compacts too much / holds too much water. 


Cacti are tough.. Even w/ the heat here, i water ( barely hit with the hose ) only once a month this time of year, and don't water at all in winter ) W/ some, you can't water much ( ...if at all ) when night time temperatures exceed 78F ..otherwise they cook.   Out in the desert, they only get what falls from the sky, when it rains  and do fine.  Aside from rotting, cacti can literally burst open if they get too much water as well. Cacti are like batteries that need a recharge only every so often.

You can plant stems of columnar- type cacti like Mexican Fencepost right after cutting, though i myself would allow the cuttings of those types to sit out in a shady spot for a week before planting..

When you plant any cutting, soak once and set in a bright, shady spot.. not direct sun. W/ Opuntia, when they start forming a new pad(s) they are rooting. Others?  Have to watch them to notice them adding new growth.  Can take 6 months or longer, depending on the time of year started  ..and sometimes the species.

 

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So as a follow up - and I am sorry because this is a lot - I don't know how long the current drought here will last. Long story short I've got a few pots I want to fill ranging from 6" where I'll have to add drainage to 3g nursery pots where I'll have to add screens to limit drainage. I'm more than likely going to have to bring everything indoors in winter - I left a Washingtonia outside under a flannel sheet this year and it's just now recovered to where it was last year. I do have room in my south facing office window that seems to be completely blasted with full sun in winter (I am in SE TX, cooked some d. Lutescens and aloe vera) but strangely less brutal in spring/summer. 

 

What would you suggest @Silas_Sancona? You're kind of the go-to expert here. I do want 2 columnar or  I can add to both my patio and one I can add to my office window, plus something else not green I can add to the office window. 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/2/2022 at 2:57 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

So as a follow up - and I am sorry because this is a lot - I don't know how long the current drought here will last. Long story short I've got a few pots I want to fill ranging from 6" where I'll have to add drainage to 3g nursery pots where I'll have to add screens to limit drainage. I'm more than likely going to have to bring everything indoors in winter - I left a Washingtonia outside under a flannel sheet this year and it's just now recovered to where it was last year. I do have room in my south facing office window that seems to be completely blasted with full sun in winter (I am in SE TX, cooked some d. Lutescens and aloe vera) but strangely less brutal in spring/summer. 

 

What would you suggest @Silas_Sancona? You're kind of the go-to expert here. I do want 2 columnar or  I can add to both my patio and one I can add to my office window, plus something else not green I can add to the office window. 

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Guarantee, your drought isn't even a 1/4th of a second blip on our radar, lol..  If it lasts 22 years there, you might come close.

6" pots will probably be small, but could work for certain things ..at least until they get bigger ( Glory of Texas, Thelocactus bicolor; various Mammillaria sp., Coryphantha, etc... 3 gal would be good for larger cacti ( Prickly Pear, Columnar- types.. though they'll out grow a 3gal pretty quickly. ) but, would carefully study the hardiness of various things..

Plenty of tough cacti which can tolerate low 20s, or brief dips into the high teens in the winter  ..if kept absolutely dry..   Wet and chilly in winter can mean doom for lots of cacti, even stuff from cold winter places in S. America..  Many things need lots of light in winter to flower later as well..

Window sill or office?  ...tough call since cacti generally need more light to grow correctly.  Inside, in a south or east facing window for a couple months might be ok.. but, anything longer than that would be too much ( low light exposure )
 

[JohnAndSancho]

I promise it'll rain every day if I buy cactii

I've got a little room in my office windowsill. My apartment has virtually no natural light since my only windows are a set of French doors, but I have LED grow lights scattered. I've got some patio space but I'm totally ignoring the fact that all of my palms will have to come inside for winter and our winters are definitely not dry. 

 

Another random question but sometimes we have prickly pear in supermarkets here. Would these be viable to plant out?

 

Office windowsill pictured. Couple aloes, sansevieria (sp?) and a Mandarin spider plant being guarded by General Sam Houston. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:42 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

I promise it'll rain every day if I buy cactii

I've got a little room in my office windowsill. My apartment has virtually no natural light since my only windows are a set of French doors, but I have LED grow lights scattered. I've got some patio space but I'm totally ignoring the fact that all of my palms will have to come inside for winter and our winters are definitely not dry. 

 

Another random question but sometimes we have prickly pear in supermarkets here. Would these be viable to plant out?

 

Office windowsill pictured. Couple aloes, sansevieria (sp?) and a Mandarin spider plant being guarded by General Sam Houston. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yes, those Prickly Pear pads you see in the Produce sect. at the Grocery store will root.  They get BIG though.. and not slowly.  See them used as 6-10ft tall " hedges " in some yards here. Pads are supposedly quite delicious when cooked. Fruit of some sp. are also quite tasty while others contain wayy too many seeds to be "edible".

The plants you have in your office windowsill are great for that type of exposure.. Sansevieria themselves take low light with almost complete immunity.  Haworthia, sort of look like tiny Aloes, can do alright in lower light situations as well and stay on the small side. They'll take a little more organic content in their soil mix, though, if indoors, i'd still err on the side of keeping the soil they're planted in chunky and well draining.

Hoya are another group of tougher, succulent- like plants that can take lower light ( but not dark shade ).. Many will flower as well if happy.  Some really weird species out there, and apparently still popular enough that many specialty growers can't keep them is stock very long.  They like a little more water than cacti, but can go several days between soakings as well, esp. through the cooler months... Tougher species anyway. 

Had several sp. outdoors all year in FL. and they grew like crazy.  Left one i had at my grandparent's back in a cool-ish part of  San Jose.. Don't think she watered it much and it too grew like a weed under a covered, north facing Patio that never saw any direct sun except right after sunrise or near sunset during the height of summer. 

 

[Merlyn]

I have had good luck in pots and in ground with about 300-400 agaves, aloes, and cacti here in swampy Floriduh.  My beds are raised or generally above grade, with mixed in perlite and Sakrete Paver Base (crushed limestone gravel).  My pots are the same stuff with generic "topsoil" making up about 25% of the mix.  Some species just croak here with our daily afternoon thunderstorms, like Utahensis, Victoria-Reginae, Asperrima, Parryi, and Parrasana.  

[JLM]

Funny enough i have had an aloe plant growing bare root in my bedroom for months now, and yes its still growing. This thing gets no water, it has no soil, it just grows 

I of course dont have much recommendations here since i have almost no experience with growing anything like this in pots. I am curious to see where this goes though.

[spike]

  On 8/3/2022 at 5:18 AM, JLM said:

Funny enough i have had an aloe plant growing bare root in my bedroom for months now, and yes its still growing. This thing gets no water, it has no soil, it just grows 

I of course dont have much recommendations here since i have almost no experience with growing anything like this in pots. I am curious to see where this goes though.

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I heard somewhere that saguaros disconnected from the ground can continue growing for several years including flowering and fruiting... There was one whose base was burnt in a wildfire and the top kept growing for a bit until its energy ran out. I guess aloes do that as well.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/3/2022 at 5:26 AM, spike said:

I heard somewhere that saguaros disconnected from the ground can continue growing for several years including flowering and fruiting... There was one whose base was burnt in a wildfire and the top kept growing for a bit until its energy ran out. I guess aloes do that as well.

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If the skin of the Sag. was lightly burnt, but most of the living tissue wasn't damaged, they can keep growing relatively well.   If the temperature of a fire was hot enough to damage more tissue, they might have another couple years of minimal growth - at best- until the stress of being burnt catches up and causes secondary issues that finish them off..   Seen this first hand while assessing post fire damage in the Catalinas down in Tucson..  Pretty depressing too...

As far as those that completely detach from the ground?  ..they're done, and start the rotting process almost right away.  Never seen one on the ground that kept growing or tried to flower..  Smell like dead bodies as they are returned to the earth as well

Have seen many where the base / center trunk was severely damaged, but the plant kept growing ..or, had lost 60% of their top, and put on new growth. 

[spike]

  On 8/3/2022 at 5:41 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

If the skin of the Sag. was lightly burnt, but most of the living tissue wasn't damaged, they can keep growing relatively well.   If the temperature of a fire was hot enough to damage more tissue, they might have another couple years of minimal growth - at best- until the stress of being burnt catches up and causes secondary issues that finish them off..   Seen this first hand while assessing post fire damage in the Catalinas down in Tucson..  Pretty depressing too...

As far as those that completely detach from the ground?  ..they're done, and start the rotting process almost right away.  Never seen one on the ground that kept growing or tried to flower..  Smell like dead bodies as they are returned to the earth as well

Have seen many where the base / center trunk was severely damaged, but the plant kept growing ..or, had lost 60% of their top, and put on new growth. 

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Interesting. I managed to find the article.

https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/4403/PostfireSaguaro.pdf

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/3/2022 at 5:50 AM, spike said:

Interesting. I managed to find the article.

https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/4403/PostfireSaguaro.pdf

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 Burnt Saguaro, 8 months post Big Horn fire.. Middle Pima Canyon, Tucson..  2/9/21. Fire occurred June 2020. 










 

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 8/3/2022 at 2:23 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Yes, those Prickly Pear pads you see in the Produce sect. at the Grocery store will root.  They get BIG though.. and not slowly.  See them used as 6-10ft tall " hedges " in some yards here. Pads are supposedly quite delicious when cooked. Fruit of some sp. are also quite tasty while others contain wayy too many seeds to be "edible".

The plants you have in your office windowsill are great for that type of exposure.. Sansevieria themselves take low light with almost complete immunity.  Haworthia, sort of look like tiny Aloes, can do alright in lower light situations as well and stay on the small side. They'll take a little more organic content in their soil mix, though, if indoors, i'd still err on the side of keeping the soil they're planted in chunky and well draining.

Hoya are another group of tougher, succulent- like plants that can take lower light ( but not dark shade ).. Many will flower as well if happy.  Some really weird species out there, and apparently still popular enough that many specialty growers can't keep them is stock very long.  They like a little more water than cacti, but can go several days between soakings as well, esp. through the cooler months... Tougher species anyway. 

Had several sp. outdoors all year in FL. and they grew like crazy.  Left one i had at my grandparent's back in a cool-ish part of  San Jose.. Don't think she watered it much and it too grew like a weed under a covered, north facing Patio that never saw any direct sun except right after sunrise or near sunset during the height of summer. 

 

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Good to know that I can buy pads at 3/$1 vs paying $15 plus shipping.

 

Do cactii typically root aggressively and deep like most palms? I asked about the small pots because I've got so many from repotting... And I've got a handful of palms I repotted in spring that are already rootbound.... And decent looking/sturdier/larger pots are getting hard to find and expensive. 

 

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/4/2022 at 12:06 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

Good to know that I can buy pads at 3/$1 vs paying $15 plus shipping.

 

Do cactii typically root aggressively and deep like most palms? I asked about the small pots because I've got so many from repotting... And I've got a handful of palms I repotted in spring that are already rootbound.... And decent looking/sturdier/larger pots are getting hard to find and expensive. 

 

 

 

 

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They'll fill out a smaller pot pretty quickly for sure..  As far as pots, with a few exceptions, only thing i use are sturdy black plastic cans..  Won't waste the $$ on pots i'll likely break.

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 8/4/2022 at 1:08 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

They'll fill out a smaller pot pretty quickly for sure..  As far as pots, with a few exceptions, only thing i use are sturdy black plastic cans..  Won't waste the $$ on pots i'll likely break.

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This is good to know. I guess I need to just suck up my want for aesthetics. 

 

When I first got into palms I bought a crap ton of tiny 2" pots thinking they'd be useful for palm seedlings. They are completely not useful. I used a handful of them for C. Elegans seedlings and they weren't enough for even them. 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 8/4/2022 at 1:49 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

This is good to know. I guess I need to just suck up my want for aesthetics. 

 

When I first got into palms I bought a crap ton of tiny 2" pots thinking they'd be useful for palm seedlings. They are completely not useful. I used a handful of them for C. Elegans seedlings and they weren't enough for even them. 

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For certain " show piece " things ( mainly smaller sized Cacti, Caudiciform, and Bromeliad- type things )  i'll invest a little $ in something nicer, mainly standard clay pots.  For most stuff.. It's into a plastic can they go.. Much easier to get stuff out of a plastic can when it is time to step up compared to some expensive piece of pottery.  While i really haven't, except in an attempt to keep pots in more sun cooler, one could get creative w sturdier plastic containers and paint them using water based, non-acrylic tree / whitewash paint.

Aside from cones, or 1gal pots,  found sturdy black 5" squares worked well for starting seeds.. The white 4" square?  worked well for Chamaedorea metallica  i'd started.. ...and for Cactus seed ( those are about 4 years old.. and i need to get them separated.. )  Little Green 2" -ers are for getting tiny cactus seedlings established. Not useful for anything else really.  Since i have very few 4"-ers, I'll step them to 5" pots once about the size of this one pictured.



Sabal seedlings in a 5" Square



Cham. metallica in the same 4" white square as those cactus seedlings

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 8/4/2022 at 3:47 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

For certain " show piece " things ( mainly smaller sized Cacti, Caudiciform, and Bromeliad- type things )  i'll invest a little $ in something nicer, mainly standard clay pots.  For most stuff.. It's into a plastic can they go.. Much easier to get stuff out of a plastic can when it is time to step up compared to some expensive piece of pottery.  While i really haven't, except in an attempt to keep pots in more sun cooler, one could get creative w sturdier plastic containers and paint them using water based, non-acrylic tree / whitewash paint.

Aside from cones, or 1gal pots,  found sturdy black 5" squares worked well for starting seeds.. The white 4" square?  worked well for Chamaedorea metallica  i'd started.. ...and for Cactus seed ( those are about 4 years old.. and i need to get them separated.. )  Little Green 2" -ers are for getting tiny cactus seedlings established. Not useful for anything else really.  Since i have very few 4"-ers, I'll step them to 5" pots once about the size of this one pictured.



Sabal seedlings in a 5" Square



Cham. metallica in the same 4" white square as those cactus seedlings

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My favorite are Bloem Lucca pots. They're sturdy, they've got a lip which makes moving them around easier, and my palms like the water reservoir in the bottom.... They show me that by rooting all the way into it. I've bought a lot of the bottom watering pots from Target too. They're not as sturdy or aesthetically appealing but they have the reservoir and less of a taper to them. So I'm not going super fancy here - the Lecuza planters are beautiful but I just can't justify putting a $15 plant in an $80 pot. 

[JohnAndSancho]

So I just plop these in dirt and they grow? 

 

Would it be ok to stick these in the pot with Dirty Sanchez temporarily?

 

Can y'all id the species? Bought off the produce shelf at Kroger lol 

 

Edit: it stabbed me already 

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/1/2022 at 10:39 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

So I just plop these in dirt and they grow? 

 

Would it be ok to stick these in the pot with Dirty Sanchez temporarily?

 

Can y'all id the species? Bought off the produce shelf at Kroger lol 

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That's a fruit.. You need pads if you want a new plant, though you could try to grow the seeds -if they're mature.

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 9/1/2022 at 11:21 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

That's a fruit.. You need pads if you want a new plant, though you could try to grow the seeds -if they're mature.

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🌈⭐

[spike]

Yep, it's a fruit, but regardless might want to watch out for glochids. They are the little brown spots on it. After you peel them they taste good, I like them.

https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=215

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/2/2022 at 2:46 AM, spike said:

Yep, it's a fruit, but regardless might want to watch out for glochids. They are the little brown spots on it. After you peel them they taste good, I like them.

https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=215

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Reminds me, it is about time to go grab some off local O. englemanii specimens for making some Syrup. 

[Tom in Tucson]

Opuntia fruit will form roots just like the cladodes. Some growers even use the rooted fruit as grafting stock (after rubbing off the glochids).

Hi 103˚, Lo 75˚

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/2/2022 at 3:53 AM, Tom in Tucson said:

Opuntia fruit will form roots just like the cladodes. Some growers even use the rooted fruit as grafting stock (after rubbing off the glochids).

Hi 103˚, Lo 75˚

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Interesting.. Wonder if it is just certain species, or the fruit having to be at a certain size??🤔.  Never happened on any Opuntia i have.  Fruits always fall off and rot, ..or are consumed by visiting Fig Beetles / other insects, and the Doves.  Never seen this on any of the O. englemannii specimens here or others out in the desert when they're fruiting.

[spike]

  On 9/2/2022 at 4:21 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Interesting.. Wonder if it is just certain species, or the fruit having to be at a certain size??🤔.  Never happened on any Opuntia i have.  Fruits always fall off and rot, ..or are consumed by visiting Fig Beetles / other insects, and the Doves.  Never seen this on any of the O. englemannii specimens here or others out in the desert when they're fruiting.

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I've seen it happen a few times, its usually fruit that don't ripen. Maybe picking them off unripe will work?

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 9/2/2022 at 5:46 AM, spike said:

I've seen it happen a few times, its usually fruit that don't ripen. Maybe picking them off unripe will work?

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I'll have to play around with the fruit on some at a nearby park next year.. I'm now intrigued, haha.

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 9/2/2022 at 5:46 AM, spike said:

I've seen it happen a few times, its usually fruit that don't ripen. Maybe picking them off unripe will work?

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But the ones I bought aren't going to be viable, correct? 

 

Feels weird saying this after such a dry summer but it's probably too wet to try them here right now anyway. 

[spike]

  On 9/2/2022 at 10:39 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

But the ones I bought aren't going to be viable, correct? 

 

Feels weird saying this after such a dry summer but it's probably too wet to try them here right now anyway. 

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You can always grow the seeds.

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 9/3/2022 at 1:08 AM, spike said:

You can always grow the seeds.

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From what I've read, that is a long term project and I am horribly inpatient. Also I've got a rep for murdering seeds. 

[spike]

  On 9/3/2022 at 1:26 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

From what I've read, that is a long term project and I am horribly inpatient. Also I've got a rep for murdering seeds. 

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Oh, me too haha! I killed some opuntia seedlings earlier. I've seen pads for sale but I've never tried growing them

[JohnAndSancho]

I should just skip a lunch and buy some pink or purple pads off Etsy. I still have a little room in my office window even though I just bought a $5 croton. 

[Merlyn]

  On 9/3/2022 at 1:35 AM, JohnAndSancho said:

I should just skip a lunch and buy some pink or purple pads off Etsy. I still have a little room in my office window even though I just bought a $5 croton. 

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I've had good lucky buying pads off of eBay or Etsy.  I bought a bunch of pads from CaliforniaDreemin on Etsy for about $5-10 each, pretty much all of them rooted easily in a pot with 75% inorganics and a bit of generic topsoil.  I stand them upright with the cut end down.

[JohnAndSancho]

Welp, my first mangave. Mission To Mars. $12 HEB find. I've read these grow fast - would it be ok in one of my spare 2g pots (which would fit in my office window great) or go ahead and put it in a 5g and throw it on the patio? 

 

They had Black Magic too, but they were smaller so I grabbed this one. 

[Merlyn]

Mission to Mars is a pretty quick grower but you might not get good reds unless it is in sun.  At that size a 2g is plenty.  FYI - it's not one of the hardiest Mangaves, mine burned pretty bad at ~25F with frost.  It's still struggling now, 8 months later...  Black Magic died, but it was a pretty small 4" pot plant last fall.

[JohnAndSancho]

  On 9/8/2022 at 11:37 PM, Merlyn said:

Mission to Mars is a pretty quick grower but you might not get good reds unless it is in sun.  At that size a 2g is plenty.  FYI - it's not one of the hardiest Mangaves, mine burned pretty bad at ~25F with frost.  It's still struggling now, 8 months later...  Black Magic died, but it was a pretty small 4" pot plant last fall.

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I guess that's the cool thing about being potted. I can bring everything inside. I mean my apartment looks like Ace Ventura's house minus the birds in winter but I do have flexibility.