The Amateur’s Digest has some interesting information about cacti and succulents. For instance, here we have an article about Ceraria namaquensis, a plant that we grow but have had trouble rooting, and right there is some advice that we might have to try out.
This year I have been using commercial peat blocks for rooting more difficult items such as rarer euphorbias, Madagascan thorn bushes and stems of Pachypodium succulentum. While I was at it I put some of the ‘unrootable’ stems of C. namaquensis into the blocks. The cuttings survived well in the moist peat blocks and after about three months began to root and grow.
I bought a Cactus for my wife about two years ago from a local home depot. For the life of me I dont know what kind it is and I dont know how to take care of it. Attached is a picture of the plant. My wife and I would be very happy if you could help us out and tell us what this thing is and how to take care of it.
-Chris
Chris,
Your cactus is most likely an Opuntia subulata monstrosa.
It looks like it needs more light, so try moving it closer to a west or
south facing window. It also looks like your potting soil is too rich,
with way too much organic material in it. Re-pot in a quality cactus
soil that does not have any “forest” product in it. If you can’t find
that locally mix two-thirds pumice or Perlite with one-third standard
potting soil. Do not add sand (it stays too wet). Water about every two
weeks during the summer, once a month in the winter. With better light
and soil your cactus should take off and grow into a cool lumpy mound
that looks like a “star-trek-ian Xmas tree” in a few years. O. subulata
is a very fast growing species and the monstrose mutation of it is too.
“This is a moment that (America) is ready for … a major step in completing the unfinished business of a great country,” said Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland, an African American and the first member of the U.S. Congress to endorse the Illinois senator. “I grew up in Texas, and I couldn’t even go to public school or drink out of public water fountains. … It’s a major, major statement about who we are as a country … and how far we have come.” SF Chronicle
Nicole at Pentimento noticed an anacampseros blooming a couple weeks ago when we had the really hot weather. It’s a very nice, vibrant pink color, if you check out her picture. We’ve also noticed that the anacampseroses only bloom in the 90s or above.
Q: Hi there,
I have a Pachypodium lamerei (I am pretty sure based on the pics from your site) from you guys that I have had for about one or two years. It fell over!!! It looks like the base of it was too skinny for it’s thicker top. What can I do? I love it, the leaves look healthy and it never looked sad to me, so it was a surprise when it just fell over. I don’t over water it, if anything I under water it. Any suggestions?
I really appreciate it,
Heather
Heather,
Could you email us a photo of the plant and a close up of the base where it fell over? If not please bring it by the nursery so we can take a look it. Pachypodiums will sometimes loose their roots to an infection over the winter, if that is the case, it will need treatment and help regrowing roots. It could also just need to be re-potted in a larger pot with fresh soil.
Take care,
Hap
Resolution: They brought the plant in, and it wasn’t too skinny, and the roots hadn’t rotted. The base had rotted from an infection, and the plant was dead. We were sorry we couldn’t help save it. It appeared they had really underwatered it. We recommend watering every 2 weeks.
KHTS AM 1220 Outdoor Report reporter Wendy Langhans noticed her cactus outdoors was blooming. I post a quote from her report and a picture from the website, because I feel it is important to let radio have just as much blog support as newspapers. Now, where in the heck is KHTS anyway?
One evening this week as I was watering my plants, I noticed a few cactus buds that were almost ready to bloom. I made a note to check back early the next morning, because most cactus blossoms don’t last very long after they open. And sure enough, the next morning the flowers were open and resplendent in the first light of dawn. As I zoomed in with my camera to take a photo, I noticed that the anthers were covered with a dusting of white pollen.
Liv Moe has an interesting way to display cactus and succulents, as displayed at an art show. Let’s see, there’s the old man cactus in the old man planter. The living stones in the toilet. Well, I suppose you could do worse.
Interesting that the common name and the latin name are the same. Someone must really think that one-leaf aspect of the plant must be really important.
They have pretty flowers. I wonder if they taste good? They bloom all the way through to July. Of course, they’ll die back in winter, and then the bulb expands and grows and comes back next spring. When not in bloom, they look like a grass.
This is one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever encountered on the web. My nursery is being boycotted by the Right Wingers at freerepublic. I wouldn’t normally link to them, but you have to click through to believe this.
I mean, I know we here in Berkeley sometimes do things that drive the Right a little nuts. This was something about the city council voting to support a Code Pink protest of a Marine recruitment office.
Anyway, I think it’s fantastic that they’re boycotting our tiny little local nursery, since posting the link serves to increase our Google rankings.
I really want to write something particularly pithy and humorous, but I’m a little overwhelmed that we got boycotted! Woohoo! It does a Berkeley boy’s heart good to be boycotted by the freepers. Am I bragging on this a bit too much?
William Miller Interior Design in Palm Springs likes to design with succulents during the hotter months in the desert. They have a company blog where they show you how they make mixed succulent planters using large hybrid echeverias.
This one I’ve borrowed seems to be in a shoe.
Mini succulent arrangements are a favorite solution at William Miller Design. These attractive and unique “mini landscapes” can provide a wonderful look for a centerpiece or coffee table arrangement. Taller arrangements are great on a kitchen or bathroom counter.
Susan at Garden Rant went to a co-housing Green Roof in Maryland, and has pictures to prove it. Look at all the pretty colors. The balconies had hanging baskets too.
Here’s the 4th and final picture “borrowed” from the Arizona Daily Star‘s article about David Yetman’s new book, “The Great Cacti: Ethnobotany and Biogeography.”
“This is probably the easiest of all columnar cacti to identify just because it has this extraordinary cephalium (a brightly colored structure of wool and bristle at the growing tip of certain cacti). . . . It only grows in one small area, not even as big as Pima County, in Mexico. . . . What’s extraordinary about this, not just the appearance, those cephalia look as though they’re layered (coffee) drinks. . . . They have been wildly exploited because cactus collectors like them.”
This looks like it’s from Arizona, maybe into New Mexico, but no. It is from right here in the giant megalopolis urban Bay Area. In Santa Clara. Must be old.
Here’s the 3rd picture “borrowed” from the Arizona Daily Star‘s article about David Yetman’s new book, “The Great Cacti: Ethnobotany and Biogeography.”
“I’m always sort of perplexed by how few people who have lived in the desert for a long time have not eaten a saguaro fruit. It’s the consistency of a fig but sweet and very tasty. Not only is it delicious, it’s really good for you. . . . Look at how abundant they are. You begin to understand how the Tohono O’odham considered this a miraculous occurrence. It’s not necessarily the easiest thing in the world to gather. So the O’odham devised various collecting sticks to get them off of there. But it is a gift of nature to desert people.”
Travel Snippets went to the Galapagos Islands and took some decent shots of some cactus in the dry season. There’s a nice shot of a tree prickly pear at the coast in silhouette.
Here we have an arm from a cactus that had so many blooms, it broke under the weight. I feel like there could be a fairy tale about the cactus that tried to bloom too much. We could call the cactus Pokey; and the other main character, the cactus that bloomed just the right amount, we’ll call Pimsey.
Maybe we should have an evil Queen, Vordella, and a shining Knight by the name of Silmark. Vordella controls the Cholla Army while Silmark, speaking in cactus, requests the help of the Hedgehogs. A battle ensues, but Pokey is more interested in playing with the snails and slugs and doesn’t realize when Vordella, using mind tricks, convinces him to help the nasty Chollas gain access to the Hedgehog store of gold.
Well, you get the idea. You can finish the fairy tale in the comments.
Here’s another picture “borrowed” from the Arizona Daily Star‘s article about David Yetman’s new book, “The Great Cacti: Ethnobotany and Biogeography.”
“They get maybe 20 feet tall. Here they’re growing toward the southern end of their habitat. This is a royal plant. I’ve actually visited this particular plant on numerous occasions.”
I caught this late in the day when the blooms are already starting to close for the evening. It’s pretty amazing what these hedgehogs can do. I counted over 2,000,000 blooms on this one, before giving up.
Today’s question comes from concerned parents. Well, not so concerned that they didn’t ask the question before the son had taken care of the problem.
Q: My son recently dug out a cactus while landscaping. The lady told him the neighbors called it “the cactus from hell”. When he was done he had tiny needles, the size of a hair, all over his body and around his head and neck, even though he never touched the cactus, except with a shovel. It took him hours to get all of the needles out, and had to throw away his shoes, they were covered in them. This happened in Indiana. What kind of cactus is it? Thank you.
Jim and Joy
A: Jim and/or Joy,
Opuntia microdasys is most likely. The spines will go aerosol when you
whack it with a shovel. It is also known as the Cow-Blinder cactus, and
we spray it with soapy water before we handle it.
Peter
The Arizona Daily Star lets us know about a new book with holy-moley-fabulous pictures.
It’s David Yetman’s new book,
“The Great Cacti: Ethnobotany and Biogeography,” is a treasure trove of photos taken by Yetman of exotic, often hard-to-find specimens in Central and South America.
I’m going to be “borrowing” a few photos from the Daily Star, which republished them from the book, over the next few days.
“It’s actually a relative of the saguaro. These grow so densely you literally can’t walk through them. They are somewhat parallel to the saguaro in importance to the local people. . . . They make a salsa from the fruit which is very good, very different.”
Apparently the Chelsea Garden Show this year had a green theme, and they’re looking into cactus and succulents.
Climate change was very much on gardeners’ minds at (the) Chelsea Flower Show, the fashionable high point in the British gardening season. Designers looked for inspiration from warmer, drier climes – southern France, Australia and Chile – for a future which is thought to augur wetter winters, more erratic rainfall and extended droughts….
Palm trees in a London park? Cactus in an English cottage garden?
Anything’s possible if you put your mind to it. The key is to rethink what a cottage garden can be, rather than just assume you already know. For instance, there are some very nice Aeoniums that are very cottagey.
From the Deccan (India) Herald, comes a story about a Saguaro and sharing. I promised Hap I wouldn’t insult any articles today, so I’m passing this along without comment.
Gilded Flickers create holes for nests in Saguaros. Flickers excavate larger holes higher on the stem, penetrating the ribs. Their holes sometimes cause enough damage to cause death and other problems….
We now know that this thorny cactus offers food and shelter to the creatures of the desert but above all this selfless giant inspires you to believe that – Sharing and caring make life truly laudable.
We Get Questions always prefers to have pictures to go a long with the questions, and here we have a nice portrait of a cactus.
I have had a cactus for approximately fourteen years. I was living in Chicago when I bought him and currently reside in Fremont (northern) CA. I love “Borus” and have only recently discovered that he is a Cereus Montrose. I have always kept him in a clay pot until 1 1/2 years ago when I transplanted him to a plastic pot because of his size. He is now 4″1″ tall from the base of the pot. He is currently in a pot which is 22 1/2″ diameter and 21″ tall. Unfortunately I keep him outside. In the winter I have put him in the garage during rain and at night when the weather is cold.
I would like to know if I should transplant him. His pot is cracked and his top roots are as wide as the pot on one side and 1/2″ from the side on the other. I do not know how deep his roots are since I can”t lift the pot. I have been looking for a clay pot but can’t find one any larger than the one he is in.
I did find a ceramic pot which is somewhat bowl shaped, 22″ in diameter on top, but 26″ three inches down. I know he should be transplanted into a pot two inches larger, but would five inches hurt? I found the internet to be too expensive for pots and could not find the right size.
Attached, are some photos of him. He has never flowered. I didn’t know he would flower. I thought I was caring for him properly. but now know I was wrong. I did recently water him with Cactus Juice fertilizer a few weeks ago and have noticed the top branches which were getting soft, have hardened up a bit. His yellow tinted color has also faded a bit.
Please look at the attached pictures and advise me on what to do to make him a healthier and happier cactus. He has been with me for so long, I would be heartbroken if anything should happen to him. I don’t know if your answer will be on the internet or you will send me an email? I’m new at this. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Janice
Janice,
Your Cereus monstrose would be happy with a much larger pot, though clay would be best, plastic just holds too much water in the winter. A five inch jump is not too much for a plant that size. You could also plant
him in the ground in Fremont (where he would soon become a tree) as long as you amended the soil so he had good drainage. Cereus like yours are hardy enough to be happy planted outside in the Bay Area. My own Cereus monstrose in planted in a raised planter in my Berkeley backyard and handled 25 degrees without damage.
Yours looks like he could use a bit of fertilizer and minerals and that should green up the yellowing. We use slow release organic nutrients with great results, cactus are slow growers so they like slow food as well. If you use a chemical fertilizer only use it a low strength and not very often. Make sure to use a fast draining soil without a lot of organic material.
…are causing damage in National Forests. What can be done? Well…
TONTO NATIONAL FOREST – Surrounded by illegal off-highway vehicle trails, this one patch, with a replanted cactus taking root, marks an effort repair at least some of the desert near Mesa.
Boy Scouts planted the cactus and several others dotting this landscape, and groups representing riders, hikers and others often volunteer to help repair damage off-highway vehicles cause here.
Another solution is to stop riding over cactus, and stick to the trails, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.
No, I’m not posting any scenes from the Sonoran Desert, for crying out loud. I live in California – we post scenes of the Mojave Desert, and sometimes the Great Basin.
It’s the Seattle PI telling you how to make your own little Sonoran Desert scene in a pot.
Don’t let the lack of eaves stop you from enjoying the Sonora at your home. Start with a low bowl-shaped container. Make sure there are plenty of drainage holes and fill the container with cactus soil (available at most garden centers). Now for the real fun: Shop for cactuses, agaves and other succulents at your favorite quality nursery or indoor plant store. The contrasting forms, textures and colors of the desert plants will provide lots of variety to play with. Create a realistic desert landscape look by adding rugged colorful stones between the planted succulents…. Display your desert container in a protected, out-of-the-way, full-sun location where visitors can enjoy it without having to get uncomfortably close to the prickly plants.
Man, that’s some stupid advice. “Create a realistic desert landscape”! Most people aren’t designers and can’t do it. If the instructions aren’t paint-by-numbers quality, they’ll fail. They want your help, Seattle PI, and you’re not helping.
