A small collection: 2015 and beyond

[bartab]

Hi Steve, wondering if I could ask a quick question. Hopefully you still have your Puna clavarioides, and I want to ask if you keep it in your pretty standard 60/40 pumice, granite grit mix? I've picked up a bonnieae and planning on doing the same. Sound right?

Thx much.

[Steve Johnson]

Hi Steve, wondering if I could ask a quick question. Hopefully you still have your Puna clavarioides, and I want to ask if you keep it in your pretty standard 60/40 pumice, granite grit mix? I've picked up a bonnieae and planning on doing the same. Sound right?

Yep, the Puna is still very much with me, and you'll see a recent pic of it when I get deeper into my 2019 review. At the rate I'm going, I think it'll be finished about the time I start on another End-of-summer affair! Time does have a habit of getting away from us...

Anyway, I did have the Puna in the soil-less mineral mix, but I found that it wasn't supporting proper growth of the plant's fibrous roots. This was the same problem I encountered with my Tephros, so I moved the Puna into the 50/50 pumice-soil mix I use for the Tephros. Let's do a comparison -- on the date of arrival from C and D Plants (12/18/15), then nothing in 2016. 2 new stems growing nicely (10/8/17), and that was in pure mineral mix. Not bad, so we'll see what happened when I moved the plant into pumice-soil mix (6/17/18), followed by the end of that summer (10/7):



One stem really took off, and that can come only from better rooting activity in the pumice-soil mix. Although I didn't see any new stems last year, I have a feeling that one or two should start popping out from the base later this year.

Here's something I discovered about Punas and Tephros -- when they're grown from seed, they have taproots, so they should do well in mineral mix. If they're rooted segments (essentially cuttings), they'll grow fibrous roots, but not taproots. Mine are rooted segments, so I had to figure out the requirement for a pumice-soil mix to get them going through trial and error. When you see the presence or absence of a taproot on your P. bonnieae, you'll know what to do.

[bartab]

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

[Steve Johnson]

Now it's time for...

CoronaCactus summer (July 2012)

• Astrophytum asterias and 'capristigma' -- link from 2018 review Part 2

This follows up on the stories I posted in the 2018 review, so I'll try not to repeat myself too much here.

First photos of the asterias on 7/15 and 7/21/12:



Progress photos on 4/6/14, 9/18/16, 9/17/17, and 10/5/19:




My asterias really didn't like being in "dirty" mineral mix, although the plant was slow to complain about it. Not complaining anymore after I cleaned up the mix, and those shots going from 2017 to last summer are pretty sweet. However, the improvement in growth may not be noticeable from the side, so let's try a view from above -- 9/21/13, 9/18/16, 9/17/17, and 10/5/19:




The patches you see on the base are typical corking behavior on Astrophytums, but I don't know if this is supposed to happen with asterias. Not that I mind if it does or not, because -- guess what? The corking is just about gone! I'll share "now you see it, now you don't" photos with y'all in my 2020 review. Before we get there, I have a couple of asterias flowers for you. Here it is surrounded by a few friends on 9/2:



The white flower tops in the background belong to a Gymnocalycium that'll come up in a later post. Now we'll zoom in on that silky, colorful bloom:



My asterias usually puts its last flower of the year up in October, but I was very pleasantly surprised to see this -- a bud on 11/7 and the bloom a day later:



Not all the way open yet, so we'll take the "after", turn it into a "before", and you'll get quite an eyeful on 11/9:




This shot...



... leads us to A. 'capristigma' -- first photos on 7/15, 7/21, and 9/22/12:



I'm normally not a fan of hybrids, but in this case I was more than happy to make an exception because A. I love Astrophytums, and B. Darryl Craig might've instinctively known that he was sending a hybrid I'd enjoy having. As I mentioned in the 2018 review, the poor thing came in for some rough treatment by a scale infestation. (I'm not letting that happen again -- the collection is due for its annual preventative Imidacloprid soil soak in a month or two.) So here's an update on 10/7/18 and 10/5/19:




The plant is growing nicely, and new trichomes are showing up around the growth point. Unfortunately, when I had to (gently) scrape off the dead scale, a whole bunch of trichomes came off too, and they won't come back. Those callused "battle scars" are permanent, but it doesn't bother me at all -- there's a certain beauty in cacti that come out on the good side of these battles and fight to live another day. I'll do everything I can to make sure my 'capristigma' gets plenty more of them. A small reward for the effort on 7/27/19:




By the way, I think the plant will need a bigger pot soon. Up next, here's a Gymnocalycium I can show you right now...

• G. stenopleurum -- link from 2018 review Part 12

First photo on 7/15/12:



Compared to my other 3 Gymnos, this one is a relatively fast grower -- 9/20/15 and 10/13/19:



The stenopleurum produces a steady supply of buds and blooms throughout the year, although its summer flowers are always the best. Last year, the summertime heat lasted well into October -- looking very pretty on 10/24:




Shriveling and the colors of winter stress come with a bud or two. This happens every winter, so here's one on 2/15/14 and the winter just ended on 2/28/20:



That bud was about to pop. Wish I could've gotten the bloom on camera, but March made up for all the rain that failed to appear in January and February, so it was stuck behind the front of my portable greenhouse. No problemo, and we can hold out for more of those big summertime flowers. In the meantime, it'll be interesting to see what the stenopleurum looks like when it goes from winter shriveling to spring plumping. I'll use the 2/28 pic as a "before", then add an "after" once the plant gets a good, deep drink.

• Stenocactus zacatecasensis -- link from 2018 review Part 15

First photos on 7/15 and 7/21/12:



These photos kinda blew me away -- a bird's-eye view on 3/16/13 and 10/13/19...



...then views from the side on 9/21/13 with the same "after" date:



Just to give you a sense of perspective, I started the zacatecasensis out with a 3.5" diameter terracotta pot, and I "potted it up" to a 4" diameter glazed ceramic pot at the end of February 2016. The species is supposed to be one of the slower-growing Stenos, but these photos say otherwise. Of course one's choice of potting medium could have something to do with it, so it's possible that pure soil-less mineral mix is the reason why the growth rate on mine is better than what we might expect.

By the way, S. zacatecasensis isn't commonly found at US nurseries. If you'd like to buy one while you have the chance, you can find them at Planet Desert's eBay store here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Echinofossuloc ... 0018!US!-1

I haven't done business with Planet Desert, but when I checked them out yesterday, I was rather impressed with the selection, price, and quality of their cacti and succulents. I still have spots open on the plant bench and table, so Planet Desert is now on my radar screen.

We'll end today's presentation with...

• Turbinicarpus valdezianus -- link from 2018 review Part 14

First photos on 7/15 and 7/21/12:



Progress photos on 6/22/13, 9/20/15, 10/1/17, and 10/5/19:




I'll credit most of the growth to the change from "dirty" mineral mix to clean mix.

In this aerial view we'll jump straight from 5/16/13 to 10/5/19:



Generally speaking, Turb valdezianus does most of its growing in spring, stops growing in summer, then puts on a touch of new growth in fall (if the weather is warm enough). I was pleasantly surprised to see mine growing last summer, as evidenced by that snowy white top. With its spent late-winter flowers cleared away, the plant is ready for action, so I hope to see it growing again this spring and summer.

[keith]

Hi Steve I like your "this shot' and your M guelzowiana clump in the background. When it flowers it will be awesome . I grew a few Astrophytum asterias from seed if you ever need another let me know. They are tricky IMO.

[Steve Johnson]

Hi Steve I like your "this shot' and your M guelzowiana clump in the background. When it flowers it will be awesome . I grew a few Astrophytum asterias from seed if you ever need another let me know. They are tricky IMO.

Hi Keith,

Thanks for the kind offer. The asterias isn't showing any signs of trouble, but who knows what might happen. If it ever goes to the great compost heap in the sky, I'll definitely contact you.

I have this review arranged in chronological order by when each cactus arrived -- I got the guelzowiana from Miles' To Go in the summer of 2013, so it'll come up in Part 7 or 8. When we get there, I'll include some glorious pics of the plant in flower from last summer.

[Aloha916]

Steve, thanks for sharing the progress photos- it's a real treat to see how these plants have grown over the years

[Steve Johnson]

I need to assemble the next installment of my 2019 review, but before I do, I'd like to share a few more recent events with y'all.

First, this follows up on a little item I posted in Part 3. From 10/21/18 and 10/13/19, here's the little item I mentioned:



Now, meet the parents -- Stenocactus lloydii and Eriosyce senilis:



Both of them flowering in March 2018:



At that point, the senilis had been with me for about 7 years. Eriosyce isn't self-fertile, and I kinda assumed that it would take another senilis to do the deed. E. senilis Jr. wasn't mature enough to bloom yet, so imagine my surprise when one of Sr.'s spent flowers turned into a fruit -- seen here on 6/2/18:



Ready to dispense its seeds on 7/6:



And here are the seeds:



Being an apartment-dweller, I don't have the space for a proper seed-growing operation, and whatever seeds come out of the collection go to my friends at Desert Creations in Northidge CA. Didn't know if these seeds would even be viable, but I found out when a seed got away from me and deposited itself, then sprouted on Sr.'s base. By the end of last year, the seedling was due for a pot of its own, so here's my first repotting of 2020 on 2/23:




Let's have a closer look:



Relatively straight spines and a hint of waviness to the ribs -- that's Steno lloydii, and the lovely dark green skin comes from E. senilis. As I said in Part 3, I'm not normally a fan of hybrid cacti, but this wonderfully odd hybrid grown from seed on my watch is something I'll definitely hold onto. To be technically accurate, we should name it Stenocactus lloydii x Eriosyce senilis. However, I have another (and less cumbersome) name in mind -- Stenosyce lloydenilis.

Next, another follow-up from Part 3 as this answers a question I've had about how long it would take for E. senilis Jr. to produce its first flower. From germination in the summer of 2012 to this on 3/6/20:



The bud growing on 3/6 and 3/29:



Jr.'s first bloom on 4/13:




From the next day, a nice late-afternoon shot as the flower opens up more.




We're not quite done with Sr. -- back at it again with 3 fruits on 3/29:



Okay, what's donating the pollen this time? I still have both portable greenhouses up, and the Steno is in the greenhouse next door, so that can't be it. Here's a likely candidate:



The spent flower on that Gymnocalycium stenopleurum was wide open for business when Sr. was blooming, and since we now know that E. senilis can hybridize with another genus, it'll be interesting to see if a senilis-stenopleurum union is blessed with issue. Note to Sr. -- you shameless hussy!

We'll end today's presentation with another Eriosyce, this time it's E. duripulpa. A hot, dry February encouraged the plant to set a bud earlier than usual. In these photos on 2/24, 3/6, and 3/29, we'll see the duripulpa shrink a little as its bud grows:



The bloom on 4/2 and 4/4:




Under cultivation, Thelocephalas like my E. duripulpa, napina, and odieri don't like being watered when springtime weather is on the cool side. In fact, there have been years when they won't get their first watering until the end of May/beginning of June. Luckily, my area is getting a nice stretch of heat next week, so I'll take advantage of that when they receive their first deep drink of 2020. Once the duripulpa gets a snootful, I'll give you a "before and after" so you can see how much it plumps up.

[bartab]

Well, you just cost me a few bucks! I love the look of the zacatecanensis so just ordered one from Planetdesert. When we are freed up here in California I'm going to head south for a day to hit Desert Creations and take my son to dinner in Santa Monica in the same day, then head back up to home in the SF area. Can't wait.

[Steve Johnson]

CoronaCactus winter (December 2012)

• Echinocereus rigidissimus var. rubispinus -- link from 2018 review Part 6

First photo on 12/21/12:



Spanning 4 years of growth on 9/20/15, 9/17/17, and 10/13/19:



While it was putting on its first "twofer" display of flowers last June, the plant had a 3rd bud left in reserve. Here it is on 6/29, then the bud starting to bloom on 7/6:



On 7/8, this is as big as the flower got:



A bit disappointing, and I don't know why it failed to open up all the way. Oh, well -- the rubispinus is working on a couple of wonderful new buds, and you'll see what they're up to a bit later on in this post.

• Gymnocactus ysabelae -- link from 2018 review Part 14

First photo on 12/21/12:



Spanning 3 years of growth on 9/24/16, 10/1/17, 10/20/18, and 10/6/19:




The view from above on 9/24/16 and 10/6/19:



You may have already seen these pics, but worth repeating -- the ysabelae going from buds to blooms on 2/2 and 2/11/20:



2/11 and 2/15:



A side view of the flowers on 2/15:



Such a beautiful cactus, it's a shame that we rarely see them in US collections. If you'd like to find one, look up Turbinicarpus ysabelae on eBay and you might get lucky:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TURBINICARPUS- ... Swv9peOvGq

Okay, this wraps up the 2012 arrivals, so we'll forge ahead with a piece of rare good fortune coming...

From TimN (April 2013)

• Pelecyphora strobiliformis -- link from 2018 review Part 16

First photo on 4/10/13:



I moved the Pelecyphora from "dirty" mineral mix to clean mix in February 2015, and as it was with my Eriosyce odieri and Turb krainzianus, it took 3 years for the plant to show significant improvement. On 9/24/16, 9/30/17, 10/21/18, and 10/13/19 -- marvelous seeing 1 adult head turning into 2:




Same dates, and the same thing happening on the other adult head:




The juvenile heads finally perked up too -- 9/30/17, 10/21/18, and 10/13/19:



The entire plant -- here's how much of an improvement it made going from 9/19/15 to 10/13/19:




I was impressed by what the strobiliformis did last year, and I'm really looking forward to what we'll get at the end of another summer.

Since we're mixing things up with a few photos from 2020, let's continue with a few more...

E. rubispinus setting its first bud of the year in February (2/28), another new bud detected in March (3/29), and a nice evening shot of both buds in progress on 4/22:



The arrows in the middle pic point toward a phenomenon called "sulk rings". As the name suggests, the rubispinus was sulking over a thirsty winter that never seemed to end while it waited for its first deep drink of the year. Wait no more, my spiny little friend! After a late winter storm came in and blew out in the first part of April, the collection got a good soak on 4/13, and the plant is almost done with its sulking. As the growing season is well underway, we'll see more of the rubispinus and its drop-dead gorgeous flowers coming up soon.

A touch of winter in early April, and now SoCal is ending a brief heatwave. Let's see what the heat brought out...

Mammillaria deherdtiana on 4/23:





Also on 4/23, Eriosyce senilis Jr.'s first flower ending 10 days of wide-open loveliness:



On 4/24 (daytime high of 98!) -- Gymnocalycium stenopleurum, and Mamm deherdtiana showing off again:





By the way, my stenopleurum takes awhile to come out of its winter stress. We'll use that side shot again, put it together with another one this summer, and the difference will be fairly dramatic.

Here at Casa de Jefferson Park, yesterday's high was 95 -- and this Epithelantha micromeris approved:



From the ridiculously small to the sublimely big (well, sorta big), the deherdtiana yet again:



If your powers of observation are good, you'll notice that my paper-spine Tephro has started growing a new segment.

We'll sign off for now with this:

[Steve Johnson]

Of flowers, that is...

Setup shot from yesterday:



What I saw at 10:30 this morning:







Holy cats!

[bartab]

That deherdtiana is beautiful. Who knows, maybe someday one will be able to find one here in the U.S. I tend to see them offered in Europe more so.

[DeeCarpus]

Beautiful plants! Love the strobiliformis.

What is a “dirty” mineral mix?

[Steve Johnson]

Thanks, bartab and Dee!

M. deherdtiana is such a striking plant, and for the life of me I can't understand why they're almost impossible to find. I'm running into the same problem trying to find a P. aselliformis to go with my strobiliformis. In 2013 I did get a tiny rooted degraft from Craig Fry of C and D Plants, but sadly it didn't turn out well. Looking on eBay, there are plenty of aselliformis being sold in Europe, but only 2 here in the US. One is grafted, although I won't keep grafted cacti in the collection, so that's out. The other is being offered by a former member selling an aselliformis grown from seed on its own roots. That would be wonderful except for the price: $100. YIKES! Patience is a virtue, so I'll be virtuous and keep looking.

What is a “dirty” mineral mix?

Good question, and you'll find the answer in Part 1 of my 2017 review:

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... 92#p339492

[keith]

M. deherdtiana is such a striking plant, and for the life of me I can't understand why they're almost impossible to find."

They used to be sold at many cactus nurseries I think they went out of style ? Plus hard to get seeds they are inside the plant body.

I have exactly one plant left I grew from seed ( not the pictured one it went to cactus heaven) the others rotted through the years they didn't like Phoenix AZ or maybe the crappy water there IDK ?

Somewhat hard to keep going Steve has an exceptional one .