CactiGuide.com

Lots of fun things in the greenhouses and boxes.
Seedlings of various sowings over the past 8 years or so are making their mark, being potted out, and coming into their own. Older plants are doing well.
Retirement still a long way off, but it looks as though I' won't have idle hands with the likes of these to tend to.
I'm more of a spines and wool fan, than a flower follower, but I don't resist the urge to document the virility of the herd members.

Pediocactus winkleri


Pediocactus peeblesianus


Sclerocactus mesae-verdae


Sclerocactus spinosior


Copiapoa rupestris

Sclerocactus don't see too many of these in cultivation. very cool

Keith, right you are. Sclerocactus are just one of those worth the bench space even factoring in major difficulties. And not the cultivation of them so much as the hooked spines that extend beyond their pots and like to lock onto everything, especially each other.
I have almost thrown all of mine in the bin on occasion.

S. havasupiana

I have always liked Parodia. I think I'm up to about 40 named species. 20 of which are lumped under microsperma.
These are not.

A young caput-medusae in bloom surrounded by an armada of Copiapoas
And more Copiapoas.
I really like growing these.
I bought this one as a youngster from Ann Shein in 1992. It carries it's original tag with the Knize name Copiapoa tigrillensis. It's better looking by far than the C. uhligiana examples that I got from her at the same time, though they both are obviously populations of C. longistaminea. This one exhibits the short reddish spines that contrast nicely against the blue body. They've never flowered at the same time so I've yet to turn this one into a mom.

2 of the Parodia microsperma complex.
It's still all about wool and spines for me, and these may or may not make the types I will foster along well into adulthood. But for now they show their merit in flowers, so they are worth the space.
More from the Copiapoa collection, a trio of 30 year old C. atacamensis.
I never top water, so a good portion of my Copiapoas are optimally dirty and un-groomed.

And more Copiapoas.
I really like growing these. '

C. cinerea ? How old are they ? They look really nice with no corking at the bottom of the stem.

keith wrote:And more Copiapoas.
I really like growing these. '

C. cinerea ? How old are they ? They look really nice with no corking at the bottom of the stem.

The group in the center are all column-alba melanohystrix purportedly from habitat seed. But I see about 4 different features I could separate them by if I were to be so inclined, so there might have been mixing by the supplier.
They're 7 years of age. I like to under-grow them so they stay natural looking.

Corking doesn't bother me if it's an older plant like this one that came directly from Knize a few years ago.

You're on track to produce rare seed from your plants. That's what I like to do so I can grow my own extras. You ever want to sell or trade seed of the column-alba melanohystrix I'd be interested in growing that variety.

They would look cool with my North American collection. I think they grow in the same soil type, very well drained without peat under 50% shade cloth.

I had Echinomastus and Scelrocactus going well in Phoenix but back in CA they slowly died on me. I don't know how you do it in San Jose even cooler than Moorpark.

If you can grow Sclerocactus polyancistrus and get it to flower then you are a cactus growing wizard.

Busy work month, but I've managed to find time to mess with the cacti and keep things organized.
I don't go to the overflow greenhouse shed on the south side of the garage but every two weeks to water, but there's always something going on back there in spite of my hands off approach.

Lobivia aurea quinesensis top and Arequipa below.

Found an old thread of yours about columner cactus while searching on google. Since you seem to like the tall guys, would you please take a look at my thread under cacti identification? "old guy needed a home". Looking at your photos, could one of my orphans be a Weberbauerocereus? TIA, Sue

So this gets moved tomorrow.
Going to a 2 acre ranch of my wife's niece and nephew south of Riverside.
Got it at Target garden center exactly 10 years ago.
Too big. I cut the crown last summer to coax branching from lower on the stem in hopes of slowing down the foot per year growth.
Got 2 branches at the top to spite me!! Oh brother.

Had a friend move a 10 footer and he build a solid crate and then needed a crane to move it on a truck. You may want to add more support. His plant has a frame like yours since he move it and staked down for the first year at least. Good luck, hope it makes the move.

Had a mind of its own, but landed safe. Hard part is up. Getting it to the trailer.

That got done. Quite a heavy thing, probably 700lbs. Off to a happy new home where it can meet its true potential.
I think my 3 foot Saguaro goes in its place where it should stay under 11 feet for quite the foreseeable future.