Hey all,
I recently fell in love with a Peruvian Apple in my yard and I wanted to find others like it. I bought a T-Grandifloris hybrid today, an it has one gorgeous barrel and 12 small barrels. I want to remove the small barrels and pot them separately, but I don't want to damage the large barell in the process.
They are closely crowded and I'm new to this so I'm not sure what to do?
Additionally, I would like, if possible, to grow this as a single straight barrell, and I'm wondering what I need to do to ensure it doesn't develop branches.
Lastly, does anyone know what causes the cactus to flower?
I'd love to be able to facilitate flowering, but I don't know what prompts it or what conditions factor flowering. Ideally I'll have a number of similar shape and height of this sunspecies with different flower colors, but in one rectangular planter.
Any suggestions, or direction to reading materials would be greatly appreciated.
Lastly, I also bought an unpacked cactus, which I believe is a trich- peruvianus, but don't know. It's only about 4" tall, but someone that's really good with identifying, please let me know.
I want to add the T-peruvianus, pachnou, and bridesil to my collection but the only sellers I can find are online and want are obviously selling them for their alkaloid content and more power to them, but thats not my gig. I don't want to pay 50 bucks to a shady online seller and maybe get a bad plant or not the right plant.
Any suggestions for nurseries in south Florida, west palm area that might be a good place to go?
Thanks!!
40Acrea
Trichocereus Grandiflorus
not sure how to prevent something from branching. But cacti tend to branch(pup) when damaged or cut, especially the tip. So when you take your cutting try to cut as close to the base as you can without damaging too many areoles. I noticed this when grafting seedlings. The seedlings that pup on me are the ones that were I cut too high up. But that may just be a coincidence. Also the cutting may not root this late in the season. You may want to wait till next spring.
Separating (Thanks Tudedude)
Realizing the warm season was coming to an end, I dis have this concern. That said, these pups weren't connected except at the root level.
I went ahead absent feedback, and cut the whole plant out of it's sold in pot and brushed as much of the root dirt away. Upon closer inspection, the far larger barrel and the pups weren't directly attached to the "parent" plant. I gently pulled the pups off the main root section, and I may well loose them because what remained of the root on the pups reminds me of a tap toot similar to the laphora, except the laphora doesnt develop a more complex root system beyond the tap (as far as I know as I've only seen drawings of the root and never a live plant.
The pups are in soil that's being misted every couple of days, and I have some rooting hormone that I'm considering using on the pups, but I get the impression rooting hormone is fairly toxic stuff.
The primary 9" tall and 4" thick parent retained all of it's root structure after pup separation which required no cutting at all. In fact I found a pup tangled in the roots well under the soil, that looked like it was trying to grow, but where it was, I can't see how it would have ever surfaced.
It's almost like they tossed in a fruit, and cared for it as all the individual seeds grew at different rates. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the impression I get from observation. Even though the original plant looked to be all attached, none of the pups were actually attached to the larger cactus though were they ever crowded! I suspect that over time they would, through time and pressure grown together, but this one was young enough that the cramped space hadn't yet caused this to happen. I now have 10 pups in 2 one gallon pots. With the parent in it's own and the one burrows pup in a larger 3 gallon where I dug up a 3 foot Peruvian Apple growing behind the 40 foot Perivian Apple next door.
Thanks again!
MarshallG
I went ahead absent feedback, and cut the whole plant out of it's sold in pot and brushed as much of the root dirt away. Upon closer inspection, the far larger barrel and the pups weren't directly attached to the "parent" plant. I gently pulled the pups off the main root section, and I may well loose them because what remained of the root on the pups reminds me of a tap toot similar to the laphora, except the laphora doesnt develop a more complex root system beyond the tap (as far as I know as I've only seen drawings of the root and never a live plant.
The pups are in soil that's being misted every couple of days, and I have some rooting hormone that I'm considering using on the pups, but I get the impression rooting hormone is fairly toxic stuff.
The primary 9" tall and 4" thick parent retained all of it's root structure after pup separation which required no cutting at all. In fact I found a pup tangled in the roots well under the soil, that looked like it was trying to grow, but where it was, I can't see how it would have ever surfaced.
It's almost like they tossed in a fruit, and cared for it as all the individual seeds grew at different rates. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the impression I get from observation. Even though the original plant looked to be all attached, none of the pups were actually attached to the larger cactus though were they ever crowded! I suspect that over time they would, through time and pressure grown together, but this one was young enough that the cramped space hadn't yet caused this to happen. I now have 10 pups in 2 one gallon pots. With the parent in it's own and the one burrows pup in a larger 3 gallon where I dug up a 3 foot Peruvian Apple growing behind the 40 foot Perivian Apple next door.
Thanks again!
MarshallG
Remaining unanswered questions
1. Can the collector effect whether a plant grows tall and thin or short and fat through some technique?
2. With the Peruvian Apple or Grandiflorus, what precipitates flowering, and can a grower facilitate those conditions?
3. Last but not least, I'll shortly post the picture of what I bought that was not "unpacked" (darn autocorrect
but rather unlabeled cactus that I think is the Trichocereus Peruvianus with the hopes that someone good at identification might be able to identify this cactus. (If it's not T-Peruvianus) I need to figure out if it's a fit for my planter or if it even offers beauty in it's flowers at all).
I'm super excited about the Grandiflorus hybrid and was quite dissappointed that when I found out it might be red flowers and might not, but either way, I'll eventually get flowers from her.
I could use a bit of advice on one other thing. I live in a row home and it's irrigated by the HOA. As such, I can't put my cacti in my flower beds because I'll surely rot them by soaking them nightly. Both of my beds have palms in them, one that's at least 10 years old and massive, and in the other 3 smaller of a different type that I don't want to lose.
Right now my cacti are on a bench in my lanai getting partial sunlight thats indirect, with controlled watering to prevent killing them, but I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions on how I might build or buy a planter that I can put outside my window in one of the flower beds that is above ground and above the irrigation that's not a cosmetic joke. (I can build an ugly above ground planter that will keep them dry, but the purpose of this is beauty, not hillbilly and besides a two by four table with a plywood surface with drain holes would have the HOA on me like white on rice. I just don't have a job at present so it needs to be an affordable solution if only short term.
Thanks again!!
2. With the Peruvian Apple or Grandiflorus, what precipitates flowering, and can a grower facilitate those conditions?
3. Last but not least, I'll shortly post the picture of what I bought that was not "unpacked" (darn autocorrect
but rather unlabeled cactus that I think is the Trichocereus Peruvianus with the hopes that someone good at identification might be able to identify this cactus. (If it's not T-Peruvianus) I need to figure out if it's a fit for my planter or if it even offers beauty in it's flowers at all). I'm super excited about the Grandiflorus hybrid and was quite dissappointed that when I found out it might be red flowers and might not, but either way, I'll eventually get flowers from her.
I could use a bit of advice on one other thing. I live in a row home and it's irrigated by the HOA. As such, I can't put my cacti in my flower beds because I'll surely rot them by soaking them nightly. Both of my beds have palms in them, one that's at least 10 years old and massive, and in the other 3 smaller of a different type that I don't want to lose.
Right now my cacti are on a bench in my lanai getting partial sunlight thats indirect, with controlled watering to prevent killing them, but I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions on how I might build or buy a planter that I can put outside my window in one of the flower beds that is above ground and above the irrigation that's not a cosmetic joke. (I can build an ugly above ground planter that will keep them dry, but the purpose of this is beauty, not hillbilly and besides a two by four table with a plywood surface with drain holes would have the HOA on me like white on rice. I just don't have a job at present so it needs to be an affordable solution if only short term.
Thanks again!!
Here's the cactus I need help identifying....
I think it's the T-Peruvianus because of the bluish tint, the deep ribs, and even as a 4" cactus imposing spines, but who knows?
I don't think that even the growers know for sure. In fact, I saw what they were calling a "Peruvian Apple" with fully rounded ribs, with widely spaced tiny spines, which looks nothing like my "Cereus Peruvianus". Maybe they do know and maybe all cactus species can be the same, yet look different.
If so, identifying anything in the succulent world outside of a few very distinct cacti, I image taxonomy is quite difficult for most collectors and even succulent taxonomists.
Anyway, here's the picture.....I appreciate the help!!
I don't think that even the growers know for sure. In fact, I saw what they were calling a "Peruvian Apple" with fully rounded ribs, with widely spaced tiny spines, which looks nothing like my "Cereus Peruvianus". Maybe they do know and maybe all cactus species can be the same, yet look different.
If so, identifying anything in the succulent world outside of a few very distinct cacti, I image taxonomy is quite difficult for most collectors and even succulent taxonomists.
Anyway, here's the picture.....I appreciate the help!!
Makes sense..
Thanks again Tude,
When I discovered the 18-20" cereus peruvianus, it was fully shaded all day. My neighbors house less than 6" away from it to the east, and the original 30 foot tall CP which is also 6 foot across at the base due to years of growth with at least 60 barrels crowded together plus a 5 foot tall dense shrub surrounding the large CP covered most of the direct light from the west. The only direct light would have been a very small windo when the sun was directly above the tall skinny plant. Presumably it's survival said grow towards that maximum light source.
On my lanai, "Skinny" gets more light than she ever got in her original growth spot, but agreed, I need to get a planter of some kind that will stay above the irrigation and get all but my recently planted seedlings into full sun.
Ordinarily my area of Florida will not have more than 2 days of mid 30's weather with extreme cold being considered 45 if it lasts longer than 2-3 days and most of the "winter" being above 70 during the day and above 50 at night.
I appreciate the information again, and I'll get something built planter this weekend that is above the nightly irrigation and offers them full sun for the first half of the day on the east side of my house. As I don't have a "yard" in the traditional sense, I've only got the two flower beds I'm the back, one shaded by a neighbors 60 plus year old oak and my 15-20 year old palm, and the other set back that gets very little light due to three 6 year old palms.
Hopefully the full and really strong first half day sun will halt the upward growth and encourage outward growth. I know I need to get my 12 grandiflorus in the sun if I'm ever going to see flowers.
Thanks for the likely ID. I'll look that species up, but if anyone else has thoughts that differ, let me know.
Thanks Tude,
40Acres
I'll also
I need
When I discovered the 18-20" cereus peruvianus, it was fully shaded all day. My neighbors house less than 6" away from it to the east, and the original 30 foot tall CP which is also 6 foot across at the base due to years of growth with at least 60 barrels crowded together plus a 5 foot tall dense shrub surrounding the large CP covered most of the direct light from the west. The only direct light would have been a very small windo when the sun was directly above the tall skinny plant. Presumably it's survival said grow towards that maximum light source.
On my lanai, "Skinny" gets more light than she ever got in her original growth spot, but agreed, I need to get a planter of some kind that will stay above the irrigation and get all but my recently planted seedlings into full sun.
Ordinarily my area of Florida will not have more than 2 days of mid 30's weather with extreme cold being considered 45 if it lasts longer than 2-3 days and most of the "winter" being above 70 during the day and above 50 at night.
I appreciate the information again, and I'll get something built planter this weekend that is above the nightly irrigation and offers them full sun for the first half of the day on the east side of my house. As I don't have a "yard" in the traditional sense, I've only got the two flower beds I'm the back, one shaded by a neighbors 60 plus year old oak and my 15-20 year old palm, and the other set back that gets very little light due to three 6 year old palms.
Hopefully the full and really strong first half day sun will halt the upward growth and encourage outward growth. I know I need to get my 12 grandiflorus in the sun if I'm ever going to see flowers.
Thanks for the likely ID. I'll look that species up, but if anyone else has thoughts that differ, let me know.
Thanks Tude,
40Acres
I'll also
I need