Cactus Blog

Q: Hi Cactus Lover

I have this plant at work which really looks sad. There wasnt any information with the plant, so I dont know what it is called or what the best treatment of the plant could be. I hope you can help me out with cheering up the cactus plant :)

Daniela


A: Daniela,

Your Cactus is a "christmas cactus". Most likely a hybrid from the genus Schlumbergera. It is an epiphyte from Brazil so it likes being treated like an orchid and not a desert cactus. It likes bright indirect light as in the wild it grows up on tree branches, under the canopy of leaves, fast draining but rich soil and regular bloom fertilizer to encourage flowers around mid winter. We grow ours in Jungle/Orchid soil and water about once every two weeks.

Good luck,
Hap

for something new, in Las Cruces, NM


I want one of those begonias. I always want more. Unfortunately, the exchange happened last week. Oh well. Maybe next year.

Enough of that silliness yesterday. Here's a better picture.



Echinocereus pectinatus v. rubispinus

From Counterpunch

via Digby

It's an extreme closeup of the stamens and pistil of a cactus flower. The stamens being the male organs; the pistil, the female organ, is the receptive area for the depositing of the pollen. So they tell me. It looks like some pollen has already been deposited, if you know what I mean. Those busy bees....



Echinocereus pectinatus v. rubispinus

wink wink nudge nudge

I can't resist. One more picture of the siamese-twin flowers, this one more of a posed portrait style picture. Just imagine the twins sitting still in the wind just long enough for their portrait - they're just so photogenic it hurts.



Echinocereus armatus

It's a whippet lamp. From Taborton Equine Books.



A very skinny whippet lamp. That's just not healthy.

It's all about Missouri, so the rest of you non-"show-me-staters" and can just skip this post entirely:

Q: Can you recommend someplace for me to research the best Cactus plants for Missouri. I live in the St. Louis area and our winters can get really cold.

I have been told there are some types of Cacti that will flourish here but I haven't been able to find the names of them.

Thank you.
Debbie

A: Debbie,

You should be able to find all sorts of information about cacti and succulents that will thrive in your climate at your local chapter of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, which is Henry Shaw Cactus Society. They generally meet on every second Sunday at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

Good Luck,
Hap

Echinocereus armatus, siamese twin flower, close-up

We Get Questions

Q: I have a orchid cactus. I’ve had it for approximately four years. This year, little white clusters formed on it. They look like little Styrofoam balls. Do you know what this is and how to take care of it?

Thank you,
Kris
Cornelius, Oregon

A: Kris,

It sounds like you have mealy bugs. Clean them off with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. The white balls are a waxy coating surrounding an evil little vampire like insect that will weaken your plant. They also feed on the roots, so you may need to de-pot your plant and wash all the roots off as well with mildly soapy water. Then re-pot in fresh jungle/orchid soil in a clean pot.

Good luck,
Hap

So that's what the kids are calling it these days. We used to call it "getting stink-faced". But then, it's the Australians again, explaining what the rest of the world does at Spas, so what do I know.


Liquor up, I say.

Echinocereus hybrid

Petaluma tries to save water.


Here in the East Bay, EBMUD has some good information about coping with the California drought conditions. And they'll pay you to remove your lawn and replace it with a drought-tolerant garden. Now that's a deal.

Tara Tucker sent us a dark and lovely photo of one of our plants that has bloomed with a siamese-twin flower. She says she's being haunted by the twins.



Echinocereus armatus

AG Alberto Gonzales in hearings today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, summing things up rather nicely:

Link, Via.