CactiGuide.com

I grow Escobaria sneedii on the top shelf near the door, maximum light but not maximum heat. I have always expected that it should accept summer water like a man dying of thirst. I have always been disappointed! Even now, after a couple of weeks of cool wet weather and a good drenching, it remains as a dense mass of spines, no hint of the plumpness it shows in spring. Thoughts?

just to be sure I get what you're describing (I'm slow due to the heat!)- it plumps up in spring and flowers, but then shrinks again in the summer?

peterb

Certainly, it does a very good Pediocactus impression, plumping up all its heads and showing quite a lot of skin in spring. It doesn't seem especially bothered by water in summer, but certainly doesn't suck it up. Right now it is just a solid mass of spines, you wouldn't know there was anything alive in there.

I went and checked on my sneedii and it's definitely more compact and hidden under the spines than it was back in February/March. The odd thing is leei is still super fat and happy.

Never noticed this before Ian, interesting detail. My (admittedly faulty) memory is that in Santa Fe, sneedii stayed fat all summer. Perhaps the cool nights are a factor. For example, it's been in the 50s there overnight for the past week or so. But maybe it's that cool where you are as well?

peterb

Yes, nights have been below 60F, sometimes below 50F, all summer this year.