Hi Everybody, and for those who don't look at the Succulent of the Month A Very Happy New Year to you All. This month's offering is up on the Forum and is my all time favourite genus and species Astrophytum myriostigma, so much so that if it was a choice of getting rid of the Astrophytums or my wife...

Astrophytum myriostigma cv. Hakun (Lem.) http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/527_Astrophytummyriostigmahakunflowerin_1.jpg Growth Habits: Astrophytum myriostigma is in fact a columnar cactus, and can attain anything up to 2 feet high (60 cm) by 8 inches in diameter (20 cm) but a cultivated plan...

Euphorbia horrida Boiss. http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/527_Euphorbiaspecies1Aug_1.jpg Growth Habits: A clumping spiny plant that throws offsets, mainly from the base. Initially when young, the plant resembles a globular cactus, but as it ages it can reach a height of 3ft. (75 cm.) and a g...

Hi, in their habitat they do to an extent imitate the soil or rocks around which they are found, but they have developed this way over an extremely long period of time. They will not 'mimic' their surroundings in cultivation. The head of a Lithops is at its most colourful when it is young, i.e. when...

Hi Corlitho, What you describe should be OK but do not have material that is too large in the main mix. Lithops have a mini tap root and the growth of this should not be obstructed. Lithops also because of their root prefer a deeper pot, but in practice people normally grow them in normal depth pots...

Hi, Those are certainly large plants. It will be interesting to see if you can get them to transplant successfully, but failing that look at the cuttings you have got.

John

Hi, Ian makes an excellent point. If nothing else use clay pots for the plants that are particularly sensitive to overwatering!! Another point i did not mention is that it also easier to tell when a plant needs watering because there is a marked difference in the weight of a pot that has just been w...

Hi, It's a matter of you pays your money and takes your choice. I am with Bill in that I prefer clay, I think they look more natural, they are heavier, which is a plus when you are growing columnar cacti because they are far more stable and you have a little more leeway with your watering. True they...

Hi, yes, I go along with Iann, no set time. Many species, behave in different ways. It should also be remembered that although we think of Lithops as having quite a long dormant period, they do in fact have a very short one. The problem is that we cannot see the growth they are making producing the ...

Pilosocereus magnificus (Buining & Brederoo) F.Ritter http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/527_Pilosocereusmagnificus_1.jpg Growth Habits: This is a variable species, but the photograph is a good representation of what they should look like. Even the number of ribs can vary, but usually ther...

Hi all, this one is in answer to requests for more columnar cacti in the feature. I hope you like it. It is probably my favourite columnar cacti. The problems with trying to get a close up photograph for ID purposes and including all of the plant are pretty obvious (a 3in. wide by 2ft. deep photogra...

Conophytum obcordellum ssp. Obcordellum v. ceresin (L. Bolus) [/size] http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/527_Conophytrumobcordellumssp_1.jpg Growth Habits: Conophytums, unlike Lithops, which in many other ways they resemble can grow into a clump of heads quite quickly, given the correct condit...

Hi guys, I hear you loud and clear. I have been contemplating putting one or two in for some time. The problem is that a good close up photograph showing enough detail to help indentification would be very long and narrow. The other alternative is not to show the whole plant. I will try to come up w...

Nice plants CP, my kind of succulents.

John

Hi all, The Cactus of the Month for December is now up on the Forum. I hope that you like it and think that it is worthy of its place in the 'hall of fame' so to speak. For various reasons I have not been able to contribute to the Forum as much as I would like recently, but I do try to read all your...