The Cactus Thread

[Zigs]

Ooh that’s a very spiky beauty

Captain Neem Oil uses it as a weapon on his hunt for the great white meally bug

Some more seedlings (been having a look at them over past few days)

 

[CrazyCactusLady]

Captain Neem Oil uses it as a weapon on his hunt for the great white meally bug

Some more seedlings (been having a look at them over past few days)

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Some beauties there Ziggy how long did they take to germinate

 

[PlantFun]

I've been buying some astrophytum recently and sometimes they have a hard time rooting and start to shrivel. Well I had enough and tried the so-called "water therapy" method to great success. I've found visible new roots within 2 days is pretty normal. I took a couple pictures of this variegated asterias to show the effect of basically a week. 1st pic is Feb 5th and 2nd pic is Feb 13th. It has plumped up considerably. All I do is hang it from rubber bands with the roots just in water and change the water every few days.


Edit: Ohh I didn't even see Ziggy's seedling posts because it made a new page RIP #52 and 53 it's too bad but the others seem happy

 

[Anniekay]

I've been buying some astrophytum recently and sometimes they have a hard time rooting and start to shrivel. Well I had enough and tried the so-called "water therapy" method to great success. I've found visible new roots within 2 days is pretty normal. I took a couple pictures of this variegated asterias to show the effect of basically a week. 1st pic is Feb 5th and 2nd pic is Feb 13th. It has plumped up considerably. All I do is hang it from rubber bands with the roots just in water and change the water every few days.
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Edit: Ohh I didn't even see Ziggy's seedling posts because it made a new page RIP #52 and 53 it's too bad but the others seem happy

At first glance I thought that was a gourd !!

Who knew you could root cacti in water !! I'm filing that away incase it comes in handy some day. Thanks @PlantFun.

 

[Zigs]

Some beauties there Ziggy how long did they take to germinate

Took a few months to germinate Sarah, but they were sown in 2023

I've been buying some astrophytum recently and sometimes they have a hard time rooting and start to shrivel. Well I had enough and tried the so-called "water therapy" method to great success. I've found visible new roots within 2 days is pretty normal. I took a couple pictures of this variegated asterias to show the effect of basically a week. 1st pic is Feb 5th and 2nd pic is Feb 13th. It has plumped up considerably. All I do is hang it from rubber bands with the roots just in water and change the water every few days.


Edit: Ohh I didn't even see Ziggy's seedling posts because it made a new page RIP #52 and 53 it's too bad but the others seem happy

Very interesting PF

 

[Zigs]

I transplanted these seedlings into sieved volcanic ash and leafmold after they were attacked by Scarid flies in the autumn. They seem to be ok now.

 

[Zigs]

This is the Cactus they came from

 

[PlantFun]

I transplanted these seedlings into sieved volcanic ash and leafmold after they were attacked by Scarid flies in the autumn. They seem to be ok now.

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Did you collect volcanic ash somewhere or is it something available to buy? Seems like an interresting medium. I imagine sciarid flies don't like it too much.

 

[Zigs]

Did you collect volcanic ash somewhere or is it something available to buy? Seems like an interresting medium. I imagine sciarid flies don't like it too much.

I bought a tub from Amazon to try growing Tephrocacti in but haven't got around to making the video yet

I was interested after watching the Cumbre Vieja eruption in 2021. It seems that La Palma wasn't very populated until after an earlier eruption, the crops that weren't destroyed by the volcanic ash grew really well and farmers realised how fertile the ash was.

There are bulk bags available for about £400 but I thought I'd settle for a small tub to experiment with first

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Zigs]

I dug out a pic I took of some volcanic ash that fell on my car when I lived in Somerset. It's from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull that went up in 2010 and closed down half of Europe's air traffic



It looked pretty jagged under the microscope, wouldn't want to be breathing it in for too long

 

[Zigs]

The cat has developed a sudden interest in the cactus house

 

[CrazyCactusLady]

The cat has developed a sudden interest in the cactus house

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Ha ha love it

 

[Tetters]

Ha ha love it

It's full of catnip !

 

[Zigs]

I found it in the bedroom today

 

[Zigs]

Went to our Cactus Club meeting yesterday. Picked up a few rescues from a member who's gone into a care home.



There were some meally bugs which I've sprayed but apart from that I haven't had a chance to look through them.

 

[Anniekay]

Went to our Cactus Club meeting yesterday. Picked up a few rescues from a member who's gone into a care home.

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There were some meally bugs which I've sprayed but apart from that I haven't had a chance to look through them.

That Jade plant is just perfect for Bonsai~ing !! I need to get my Jade plant properly Bonsai~ed. I had one done years ago and someone offered me quite a good sum of money for it, so I sold it and just haven't gotten into it again.

 

[Zigs]

That Jade plant is just perfect for Bonsai~ing !! I need to get my Jade plant properly Bonsai~ed. I had one done years ago and someone offered me quite a good sum of money for it, so I sold it and just haven't gotten into it again.

I need to either make or buy some more Bonsai pots, the gypsum based ones didn't work once the frost got to them

Hope you got a decent price for yours Annie Some of them go for silly money.

Outdoor Trees

www.devonbonsai.co.uk

I've got one that would probably fetch £500 but Tetter won't believe me

 

[Anniekay]

I need to either make or buy some more Bonsai pots, the gypsum based ones didn't work once the frost got to them

Hope you got a decent price for yours Annie Some of them go for silly money.

Outdoor Trees

www.devonbonsai.co.uk

I've got one that would probably fetch £500 but Tetter won't believe me

This was back in the 80's. I think it was around $150.00

 

[Zigs]

This was back in the 80's. I think it was around $150.00

Cool I'll try and take a pic of my bigger one tomorrow. The smaller one is just a twig at the moment with no leaves on

 

[Tetters]

I need to either make or buy some more Bonsai pots, the gypsum based ones didn't work once the frost got to them

Hope you got a decent price for yours Annie Some of them go for silly money.

Outdoor Trees

www.devonbonsai.co.uk

I've got one that would probably fetch £500 but Tetter won't believe me

Yes I would. Now you'd better pay me back that fiver you owe me!