Cactus Blog Archives

Cactus Blog Writers

Peter Lipson
Hap Hollibaugh

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Desert Milkweed


Asclepias subulata

It’s a Milkweed pod, because of course we have milkweed pods. Soon to be milkweed seeds, ie Milkweed, everywhere.

Asclepias subulata

Desert Milkweed

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Panda Plant Questions


Hey guys, I’d absolutely love to pick your brain about this monster I’ve created. A couple years back I received a leaf from what I feel is clearly a panda plant, Kalanchoe tomentosa.

It rooted fine, but then what grew out of the leaf was…something strange. It’s just a whole bunch of sad fuzzy leaves on squiggly vine-like stems. The leaves never get very big (the two containers are the same in both pictures), and it just keeps making more and more squiggly growth.

At first I thought maybe it needed more light to reach its panda destiny, so I moved it right under my grow lamp. No change. I got mad, ripped some off, and threw it in a deeper pot thinking maybe the roots wanted more space? Doesn’t seem to matter. Tried rooting from its own leaves again…they root fine, but then just keep turning their noses up at me and doing the same thing.

I’ve racked my brain/the internet looking for examples of panda propagation gone wrong, alternate growth patterns, kalanchoes turning into vines, but I’ve found nothing to help with my mystery. Any ideas you could share with me would be so much appreciated!

Cheers,
Jordan (more…)

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Christmas Cactus


It’s Christmas Cactus season!

Schlumbergera hybrids have the best flowers.

Christmas Cactus will bloom for up to 2 months in the winter. A jungle cactus that grows in trees – needs bright indirect sun, or dappled light

Tips to get your Christmas Cactus to re-bloom every year:
1. August, September and into October: Use bloom food every time you water
2. September and October: 14 hours of darkness, with 8-10 hours of indirect light every day
3. November and December: bring out to bright indirect light and watch it bloom!

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Euphorbias


Euphorbia aureoviridiflora with wide spreading leaves, thick green succulent leaves.

Madagascar

Stocky trunk, green turning grey-brown with age. Prominent leaf scars. Freely branching. Yellow-green bracts. Rocky soils.

Possibly hardy to 35F

Part Sun to Part Shade

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Blood Lily


Blooming Scadoxus multiflorus – it is the amazing winter growing bulb known as the Blood Lily so it must be good. Fancy!

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Pincushion Cactus


Mammillaria crinita has great color, lots of spines, very cute!

Native to Mexico, it grows on volcanic rock. Ouch. But then there are yellow flowers…

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Extended!


Our PodArt Art Show, by Natalia Szidon, has been extended thru the end of the year!

Here’s the original postcard, but you can ignore the end date – it’s been extended!

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Art Show Opening


Hand turned wood bowls from local artist Mike Newlin, Nov. 16 – Dec. 24, 2018 at our Marin store in San Anselmo.

Opening night party is Friday 11/16 4p-6:30p

Delayed! Due to smoke in the Bay Area the Opening Night Party has been rescheduled to:

Friday Nov 30, 4-6:30p

Fun and snacks and drinks and wood bowls for everyone!

 

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Identifying Cactus


Hello,
I found your blog online and it had been very helpful to me. I am really grateful that you answer questions from people that are not your customers, as well! I recently got a pot with three small cactuses in it and am having trouble identifying them. I have attached a few photos. For reference, the center cactus is about 2″ tall. What do you think? I am particularly curious about the one on the right as I can’t find anything similar searching online. I would like to know about their care requirements and if they are suitable to continue growing in the same container.

Thank you,
Regina

PS – I am aware that the l little red flowers on the center cactus are fake. I’ll remove them eventually…

Regina,

The left is a Mammillaria and the right is a Euphorbia (probably E. meloformis) while the one in the center, after the paper flowers are removed, is maybe a Myrtillocactus although it can be hard to be sure when they are young.

They can grow together in that container for a couple years and then they will outgrow it and need to be separated. Care depends on where you live, but the 2 cacti need a lot of direct sun – at least half day, while the Euphorbia is less. Not a lot of water, but the watering depends on whether the pot has a hole. Either way, make sure the soil is dry between watering, probably every 2-3 weeks.

Peter

 

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European Euphorbia Questions


HiYa, Greetings from Germany.
We are looking for an expert advice and hope you might be able to help. Our Euphorbia has on the bottom of the main stem a blackish discoloration. It is not soft or in anyway different texture from the rest of the cacti 🌵. We just worried it is some kind of rot. Do you know how best to proceed? Leave it for now or cut it and replant?

 
Kind regards

Mel

It looks like the start of rot. The soil looks too rich for the Euphorbia, so it may be taking too long to dry out after watering. You can use a systemic fungicide now and wait to see if it gets worse, or you can take the cuttings now to be sure. I recommend cutting just above the first branch, and taking that branch as a separate cutting. Spray with Hydrogen peroxide to help the ends heal, dust with Sulfur Dust. Wait a week and then plant into new fresh fast draining cactus soil. Be careful with the milky white latex sap as it is caustic and you do not want it near your eyes or lips.

Good luck!
Peter

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Glued Rocks and Rescuing Plants


I have had euphoria lacteafor almost 9months. It has glued rocks to support and has no hole in bottom of pot. Should I transplant it to another withhold and if so, how to do it? No change or growth in 9 months.

Thank you for information you can provide!

Norma
Pensacola, Florida

Norma,

If it is a crested lactea then you won’t see much growth anyway – they’re very slow! But yes, please do repot – no drainage and glued rocks can be a disaster for plants – please rescue your plant ASAP!

If you are not sure how to repot it, maybe there is a local nursery you can visit who has cactus soil, and tips for repotting into a larger pot with drainage?

Peter

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Cacti in the UK


Hello

I’m hoping you could give me some advice, I live in the UK and bought an Echinocactus grusonii a few months ago. The guy told me to water once a fortnight and add Baby Bio plant foot or tomato feed in each alternate. The first few times I watered it it was fine but this time I think I’ve killed it. Within a day of feeding the spines have started to die around the base, it’s got dead looking patches and darker green patches that look like water marks. It doesn’t feel squishy but the bottom looks like it’s shrinking in on itself.

Have I broken it? Can it be saved?

Thanks in advance
Victoria

Hi,

It’s hard to tell for sure from the photo, but it is not looking great. I think there may be 2 different pests, but again it’s hard to tell from the photos. The base looks like it has started to rot, in which case it is too late to save it. But if it is firm, maybe I am misreading it. If it is firm, you can try to use a systemic fungicide, and spray the rest with an organic pesticide. Not sure what’s available in the UK, but we use Bonide Infuse and Monterey Take Down Garden Spray.

In general we would suggest watering every 4 weeks (every 2 fortnights?) for the cooler parts of the year, and every 2-3 weeks when it is hot and sunny. Do not fertilize regularly with any tomato fertilizer – it’s too strong for cacti. Use an organic low strength granular all-purpose (like Down to Earth All Purpose) and use it at lower strength than recommended. Use only twice in a year – spring and mid-summer. Let the plant grow slow and it will be healthier.

Peter

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Cactus Jungle, Marin Grand Opening



We are having our Grand Opening for our new Marin store in San Anselmo, CA all weekend long!

Cactus Jungle, Marin
130 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
San Anselmo, CA 94960
415 870-9930

March 16-18 San Anselmo Grand Opening Schedule of Events:
Open 10a-5p

March 16 – 30 Berkeley and San Anselmo
• 30% OFF Pottery Sale – All outdoor terra cotta, glazed and concrete pots and planters are 30% Off, handmade artist pots not included.

San Anselmo Grand Opening:
March 16 – 18

• Free Coffee in the morning and wine/beer/cider late in the day.
• Snacks all day, including Vegan and GF options.
• Plant Raffles each day, come by and see what we’re raffling off!

March 16, Friday
10a-5p Cactus Jungle Staff available for repot help at our Potting Station.
Do you have a plant that you keep meaning to repot, but keep putting it off because you’re not sure what to do? Bring it in and our staff will help you pick the right soil, the right pot, and show you how to repot it!
3pm Cactus and Succulents 101 with Peter Lipson
Ever wondered why succulents are, well, succulent? Do you know the difference between a cactus and a succulent? Have you been pondering why we love these plants so much? Get answers to these questions and more that you didn’t even know you had with Peter, one of the owners of Cactus Jungle.

March 17, Saturday
11am Houseplants 101 – How to select and care for your houseplants with Kali Lader
Learn all about the latest trends in houseplants, how to pick them for your home and how to keep them alive through quality care.
3pm Propagating Succulents 101- Magic! With Anne Smith
Come talk to our Production Manager, Anne, and learn some of the tricks of the trade of propagating succulents! Learn how to take cuttings, root them out, and go from a single piece of plant to a big healthy succulent.

March 18, Sunday
3pm Dangerous Plants: How to handle plants that fight back with Hap Hollibaugh
Hap, Owner of Cactus Jungle, will show you how we repot and propagate our most spiny and stabby of plants as safely as can be done!

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Jester


Leucadendron “Jester”

Sunshine Conebush

Origin: South Africa

L. salignum “Jester”

Evergreen Shrub
Dense, vigorous growing shrub with strongly, brightly, visibly variegated leaves. Red bracts are great for arrangements. Good for coastal gardens.

Temperature: Hardy to 25°F

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Low

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