Where's my wide-eyed smiley

tumamoc · Post by **tumamoc** » Wed May 04, 2011 10:22 pm

Holy mackerel. That thing's got its own parasol

.

Dmyerswny · Post by **Dmyerswny** » Thu May 05, 2011 12:00 am

Post by **daiv** » Thu May 05, 2011 1:52 am

Here's two of them:

Great capture Ian!

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:08 am

I'm givin her all shes got, capt'n!

a pseudo tower?

TimN · Post by **TimN** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:56 am

Very nice! Some sort of Turbi? Too big to go in the seedling class? That looks like a winner!

iann · Post by **iann** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:19 pm

TimN wrote:Very nice! Some sort of Turbi?

Turbinicarpus pseudomacrochele. You can just see the curly mop of red spines starting to grow.

TimN wrote:Too big to go in the seedling class?

Too small! That is a 2" square pot. The plant is maybe 3 years old, I guess.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:24 pm

Thats a beaut!

iann · Post by **iann** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:08 pm

That thing's got its own parasol

So that's what cactus flowers are for? To stop them scorching! Explains why most of them flower in the summer

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:16 pm

iann wrote:
That thing's got its own parasol
So that's what cactus flowers are for? To stop them scorching! Explains why most of them flower in the summer

Never thought about that, but it makes perfect sense! Isn't Nature wonderful in providing survival & adaptive techniques for Her own? I would not have believed this had I not seen it. You have many incredibly choice cacti, Ian. Of all that you own, which would you say are the easiest and most reliable ones, and which are the fussiest and most difficult? Are most of yours from seed?

iann · Post by **iann** » Thu May 05, 2011 3:47 pm

Most of my plants are grown from seed but some of the nicest large ones weren't. I've pretty much stopped acquiring any live plants now other than an occasional impossible to find rarity from other growers.

I find Escobarias easy to grow and unfussy, but many growers would disagree with me. For me they are completely hardy to any temperature I will ever experience, almost impossible to scorch even if I forget to open up the greenhouse, and they flower reliably. Epithelanthas are similarly trouble free if a little slower.

The fussiest and most difficult are dead! By definition

Pediocactus are generally considered very difficult but I think I've got them under control now. Tephrocactus are tough enough but quite difficult to grow well here. You can see they're always plotting some new form of ugly blotching or black oozing. Really fussy plants would be some of the winter growing mesembs, things like Muiria hortenseae and Diplosoma retroversum.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Thu May 05, 2011 5:14 pm

iann wrote:
The fussiest and most difficult are dead!

This will go down as one of the best, truest and funniest answers I've ever received!

Thanks for the opinions. I'm so timid about trying seeds--and it's also a matter of patience. I know there's an extra special feeling of pride and accomplishment when one can raise a blooming specimen from seed. Still...

ThePackrat · Post by **ThePackrat** » Thu May 05, 2011 7:01 pm

Spectacular!

Not one of my cacti are even showing the slightest inkling to flower yet.. Too early? I dunno.. Keeping my fingers crossed tho!

dvg · Post by **dvg** » Fri May 06, 2011 5:27 am

Very impressive display!

And just a gorgeous little specimen as well.

dvg