A beginner's English windowsill collection
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
A couple of my outdoor plants, first the native Sedum reflexum found growing down at the local docks, I'm hoping to get flowers this year or maybe next:
And the monstrous Sempervivum tectorum I rescued from an abandoned greenhouse. It has a few burns, I'm guessing from rain or frost, so will have to keep an eye on it.
I have also given a splash of water to the cacti that were bought or re-potted in Autumn, to help them through the winter - they are on windowsills above radiators so don't get to go completely dormant, even though I try to keep the heat in the room, at least some will get to the plants.
And the monstrous Sempervivum tectorum I rescued from an abandoned greenhouse. It has a few burns, I'm guessing from rain or frost, so will have to keep an eye on it.
I have also given a splash of water to the cacti that were bought or re-potted in Autumn, to help them through the winter - they are on windowsills above radiators so don't get to go completely dormant, even though I try to keep the heat in the room, at least some will get to the plants.
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
I've added quite a few cacti to the collection over Autumn and Winter, including these Ariocarpus kotschoubeya from the Glenhirst nursery. They arrived with great roots, and one even had a flower bud (sadly didn't open). I only paid for one, so to recieve two was a wonderful surprise!
Also added,
Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Gymnocalycium bruchii (from Glenhirst nursery)
Gymnocalycium bruchii var. glauciae
Gymnocalycium bruchii var. niveum
Mammillaria "Arizona Snowcap" (from Glenhirst nursery)
Neoporteria/Eriosyce esmeraldana x3 (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Notocactus scopa
Opuntia microdasys "albata"
Rebutia albiflora (from Glenhirst nursery)
Rebutia Heliosa (bought yesterday at B&Q - not a cactus I expected to find grown by a mass production nursery)
Thelocactus conothele v. aurantiacus
Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus forma cristata (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Turbinicarpus valdezianus x3 (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Also added,
Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Gymnocalycium bruchii (from Glenhirst nursery)
Gymnocalycium bruchii var. glauciae
Gymnocalycium bruchii var. niveum
Mammillaria "Arizona Snowcap" (from Glenhirst nursery)
Neoporteria/Eriosyce esmeraldana x3 (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Notocactus scopa
Opuntia microdasys "albata"
Rebutia albiflora (from Glenhirst nursery)
Rebutia Heliosa (bought yesterday at B&Q - not a cactus I expected to find grown by a mass production nursery)
Thelocactus conothele v. aurantiacus
Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus forma cristata (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Turbinicarpus valdezianus x3 (still in a box, arrived today from Croston nursery)
Last edited by Grimm on Sun Jul 02, 2017 10:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- adetheproducer
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:15 pm
- Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
Are croston still going, I thought John and Norma where retiring last year. If I new they where still open I would have got a few more plants from them. Very nice plants supplied by them.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
I had a short email chat and they are technically retired, doing it as a hobby now with John focussing on his grafting, but they have remaining stock. John was dissapointed by his T.valdezianus, but I think they're fine, same quality as get sold for a lot more on eBay! Here's the delivery, cleaned up, sprayed (I spray all incoming cacti, even those from nurseries) and ready to plant.adetheproducer wrote:Are croston still going, I thought John and Norma where retiring last year. If I new they where still open I would have got a few more plants from them. Very nice plants supplied by them.
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
Here's the Croston Cacti potted up, they'll be ready for their first water at the start of the growing season (early March)
Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum (overpotted, so I'll have to be extra careful with water)
Eriosyce esmeraldana
Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus (grafted)
Turbinicarpus valdezianus
And here's the R.heliosa I picked up from B&Q. It was sold unlabelled, so I can't be 100% sure it's what I think it is, but it looks nice!
Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum (overpotted, so I'll have to be extra careful with water)
Eriosyce esmeraldana
Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus (grafted)
Turbinicarpus valdezianus
And here's the R.heliosa I picked up from B&Q. It was sold unlabelled, so I can't be 100% sure it's what I think it is, but it looks nice!
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
A few minor updates. Firstly, the cacti are coming out of their winter dromancy, with my two regular flowerers - Rebutia Hoffmannii and Mammillaria zeilmanniana - both budding. It's good to see the Mam budding after last year's debacle! Also, a bud is growing on Gymnocalycium bruchii var. glauciae, which is a pleasant surpirse as I only bought it last year!
My experiment with Mammillaria mammillaris in a plastic pot has been a failure, as I didn't realise the pot wasn't draining (the pot and saucer were creating a seal and keeping excess water in) causing the root to rot even though it's only had one watering a couple of weeks ago. I may have caught it before the rot spread to the body of the cactus, right now it's out of it's pot, cleaned up, and drying off.
I also found mealy bugs in the roots of my Crassula ovata and my Epihyllum hybrid, and I couldn't wash all of the soil and bugs off, so both had their roots chopped off.
A Lophophora williamsii I bought last year has given me a surprise, when one of the dead flowers started to be pushed out of the fluff, revealing a growing seed pod - any advice on when to harvest so I can try growing the seeds would be great.
My experiment with Mammillaria mammillaris in a plastic pot has been a failure, as I didn't realise the pot wasn't draining (the pot and saucer were creating a seal and keeping excess water in) causing the root to rot even though it's only had one watering a couple of weeks ago. I may have caught it before the rot spread to the body of the cactus, right now it's out of it's pot, cleaned up, and drying off.
I also found mealy bugs in the roots of my Crassula ovata and my Epihyllum hybrid, and I couldn't wash all of the soil and bugs off, so both had their roots chopped off.
A Lophophora williamsii I bought last year has given me a surprise, when one of the dead flowers started to be pushed out of the fluff, revealing a growing seed pod - any advice on when to harvest so I can try growing the seeds would be great.
- adetheproducer
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:15 pm
- Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
Let the pod dry out it, should go a greyish colour and be hard then just pull it out it should free it's self easily. Break the dry seed pod open with your fingers, I sort of roll it between my finger and thumb gently and it should crumble apart. Pick out the seeds and clean off any bits sticking to them and they ate ready to sow.
- Attachments
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- These are about half way dry
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And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
Cheers I'll no doubt post once the pod is ready.adetheproducer wrote:Let the pod dry out it, should go a greyish colour and be hard then just pull it out it should free it's self easily. Break the dry seed pod open with your fingers, I sort of roll it between my finger and thumb gently and it should crumble apart. Pick out the seeds and clean off any bits sticking to them and they ate ready to sow.
Last night I decided it was time to do a repot I really wasn't looking forward to - M. bombycina with it's hooked spines - its offsets were very close to the edge of the pot and some of the spines had started to snap. Turned out it was much easier than I expected, the hooked spines made it easier than normal spines as I was actually handling the outside of the hooks!
Nice roots My old compost came off easily as well!
Photo'd slightly above, making it look whiter and fluffier!
And because imitation is apparently the sincerest form of flattery, bonus track:
They were out in time for St David's day
- adetheproducer
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:15 pm
- Location: Porth, the Rhondda, Wales
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
Very nice daffs mine where late and opened the day after.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
First flower opened yesterday, Rebutia hoffmannii which is a reliable flowerer:
Also a new purchase, Neoporteria curvispina robusta from Croston
Also a new purchase, Neoporteria curvispina robusta from Croston
Last edited by Grimm on Sun Jul 02, 2017 10:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
The first flowers on M.Mammillaria bombycina, since I bought it in 2012, opened yesterday. There's 11 flowers/buds altogether, 4 open so far.
I also found root mealy bugs on three more cacti I tried emersing the roots in isopropyl alcohol, which has killed the adults, but I don't know about the eggs.
I also found root mealy bugs on three more cacti I tried emersing the roots in isopropyl alcohol, which has killed the adults, but I don't know about the eggs.
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
Mammillaria bombycina managed to get 9 of it's 11 flowers open at once before the weather changed:
And my monstrous Sempervivium has changed quite a bit with the weather warming up:
And my monstrous Sempervivium has changed quite a bit with the weather warming up:
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
The unlabelled Rebutia from B&Q has flowered!There's more buds forming as well!
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
Most of my cacti have "woken up" from winter now, just a couple of stubborn ones - M.herrerae and A.capricorne var. crassispinum - still refusing to swell back up and therefore worrying me.
The most dramatic are probably the Thelocephala/Neoporteria/Eriosyce esmeraldana from Croston.
The most dramatic are probably the Thelocephala/Neoporteria/Eriosyce esmeraldana from Croston.
Re: A beginner's English windowsill collection
A proper post now:
So far this year has been about root mealy bugs, established cacti maturing, and struggling to settle in new cacti.
My Crassula ovata and Epi cactus had root mealy infestations so bad that their growth was being distorted. I couldn't get poison to all of the roots, so I chopped off the entire root ball in the end. I'm not sure if I'll bother re-rooting the Crassula, but I repotted the Epi cuttings last week. My unlabelled Gymnocalycium also had a severe infestation, bad enough that I couldn't deal with it, so I disposed of the whole plant. My Rebutia albiflora has been all but killed by them, leaving me with just four sickly offsets to try to nurse back to health. My Thelocactus conothele v. aurantiacus and Parodia magnifica also had less extreme numbers of the damned things. I have tried 0.05g/l acetamiprid and Isopropyl Alcohol - I have learnt that the latter badly damages the waxy coating on the Parodias As far as I can tell the mealys come in from infested plants in the garden - I know at least two bushes have them - and I'm reluctant to fill my garden with poison.
--------< I will add a photo of a root mealy infestation next time I find one, as I keep forgetting to take one! >--------
I also lost my unlabelled Mammillaria, the one I reckoned was a laui f. dasyacantha, apparently because I was too rough cleaning the peat off the roots. It died oddly, with the core going dry but the outer tubercles staying green despite the entire root stock and vascular bundle being dead - I only noticed because it was leaning a little to one side and I thought it best to check it.
As for settling in new cacti, some have done well and others have struggled. My Thelocactus tricolour produced a flower bud, but terminated it before opening. My M.herrerae is being a right pain, refusing to take up much water, and water is also travelling up the spines to discolour it.
One of my Turbinicarpus valdezianus from Croston has put on some new growth which looks really good:
Unfortunately the older growth is clogged up with what I assume is either limescale or dried fertilizer - does anyone know if it is possible, and worthwhile, to remove these deposits without harming the cactus?
I also bought two cacti from an eBay seller called cactuscroatia and was really impressed with the quality. The plants are blemish free and have very good and clean roots (always good when I don't have to clean off horrible compost!) First a Thelocephala esmeraldana to compliment the ones I got from Croston:
Then a Sulcorebutia canigueralii
And they sent this beautiful Sulcorebutia rauschii violacidermis for free!
All three have settled in really well, with both the Sulcos producing new offsets (one on the canigueralii developed from a terminated flower bud).
The cacti I got from Glenhirst last year are also doing well, except the R.albiflora. The M. snowcap has even produced a flower! It's not showy, but still appreciated
The Loph shown in a previous post eventually produced three seed pods, and along with seeds stuck in the fluff from old pods I collected about 40 seeds. Of these four have germinated, two of which are here:
My Rebutia hoffmannii also produced three seed pods, despite being the only plant flowering at the time, and being inside with no insect activity!! I've planted them and will see how it goes.
Out in the garden, the two Deliosperma (cooperi and dyeri) I bought from garden centers last year have flowered:
and my only Echeveria, which I think is E.secunda, has a couple of spikes coming up:
So far this year has been about root mealy bugs, established cacti maturing, and struggling to settle in new cacti.
My Crassula ovata and Epi cactus had root mealy infestations so bad that their growth was being distorted. I couldn't get poison to all of the roots, so I chopped off the entire root ball in the end. I'm not sure if I'll bother re-rooting the Crassula, but I repotted the Epi cuttings last week. My unlabelled Gymnocalycium also had a severe infestation, bad enough that I couldn't deal with it, so I disposed of the whole plant. My Rebutia albiflora has been all but killed by them, leaving me with just four sickly offsets to try to nurse back to health. My Thelocactus conothele v. aurantiacus and Parodia magnifica also had less extreme numbers of the damned things. I have tried 0.05g/l acetamiprid and Isopropyl Alcohol - I have learnt that the latter badly damages the waxy coating on the Parodias As far as I can tell the mealys come in from infested plants in the garden - I know at least two bushes have them - and I'm reluctant to fill my garden with poison.
--------< I will add a photo of a root mealy infestation next time I find one, as I keep forgetting to take one! >--------
I also lost my unlabelled Mammillaria, the one I reckoned was a laui f. dasyacantha, apparently because I was too rough cleaning the peat off the roots. It died oddly, with the core going dry but the outer tubercles staying green despite the entire root stock and vascular bundle being dead - I only noticed because it was leaning a little to one side and I thought it best to check it.
As for settling in new cacti, some have done well and others have struggled. My Thelocactus tricolour produced a flower bud, but terminated it before opening. My M.herrerae is being a right pain, refusing to take up much water, and water is also travelling up the spines to discolour it.
One of my Turbinicarpus valdezianus from Croston has put on some new growth which looks really good:
Unfortunately the older growth is clogged up with what I assume is either limescale or dried fertilizer - does anyone know if it is possible, and worthwhile, to remove these deposits without harming the cactus?
I also bought two cacti from an eBay seller called cactuscroatia and was really impressed with the quality. The plants are blemish free and have very good and clean roots (always good when I don't have to clean off horrible compost!) First a Thelocephala esmeraldana to compliment the ones I got from Croston:
Then a Sulcorebutia canigueralii
And they sent this beautiful Sulcorebutia rauschii violacidermis for free!
All three have settled in really well, with both the Sulcos producing new offsets (one on the canigueralii developed from a terminated flower bud).
The cacti I got from Glenhirst last year are also doing well, except the R.albiflora. The M. snowcap has even produced a flower! It's not showy, but still appreciated
The Loph shown in a previous post eventually produced three seed pods, and along with seeds stuck in the fluff from old pods I collected about 40 seeds. Of these four have germinated, two of which are here:
My Rebutia hoffmannii also produced three seed pods, despite being the only plant flowering at the time, and being inside with no insect activity!! I've planted them and will see how it goes.
Out in the garden, the two Deliosperma (cooperi and dyeri) I bought from garden centers last year have flowered:
and my only Echeveria, which I think is E.secunda, has a couple of spikes coming up: