Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

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Pereskiopsisdotcom
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Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

I'm strongly considering taking a break from the hobby for a little while right now. I have a dedicated room to cacti growing and love it, but with a toddler and a new baby on the way in a few months. The last six months have been quite frustrating as I'm somehow dealing with a lot of issues I'd never had all at once with fungus, scale, mealies impacting my plants even with nearly everything of mine grown from seed. I'm having trouble keeping my Pereskiopsis going well which is rare because it's my specialty and to be fair it should be tough as nails.

I'm a young guy in my 30s but feel like I'll be missing out if I take a break. I'm incredibly excited about my time with my kids and look forward to more. Is it irrational to think the hobby might not be here in the future as I've experienced it? I'm thinking about the pandemic going on and the stronger postal and import/export laws that may come out of that. I'd also like to save up for a greenhouse if I'm going to get back into this but that would be years away because they are so expensive here in Canada.

Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What for? What was it like coming back?
http://pereskiopsis.com

Interests include: Rhipsalis, Turbinicarpus, Gymnocalycium, and Lophophora.
Jangaudi
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Jangaudi »

Well, I used to grow cacti and other plants from seeds when still a teenager and up into my twenties. Though due work related issues I have spent many years in different countries, in rather unstable situations (whilst my cacti all died from winter frost, because someone in my family didn't care much about them) so I couldn't really grow much, or having to give away when moving again. I now seem to be more stable again for the time being, so I came back with a vengeance :D

But yeah, family is important, and small greenhouses can be constructed from thrown away materials if you've got the head for it ;) People throw away gigantic amounts of stuff.
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Steve-0
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Steve-0 »

Balance is a key to keep in mind. Not only do I enjoy a new found passion for all things prickly, I have several other hobbies.

Among them fishing ( life long ) with an annual Alaska trip the last 21 years. Hiking, mountain climbing, birding - (easy with bird feeders), carving wood, stone and bone, rockhounding, wrist watches, longboarding, cycling and RC model gliders. Some interests get more attention than others and they rotate through the seasons. Plus there's work and family.

So balance is important, while the correct priorities are paramount. Family first!

Most of my interests are low budget because I'm frugal by nature and my employer pays for all my "toys" so that helps.

So no golf or TV nor spectator sports or expensive cars or distractions which can become a ball and chain.

You can always scale back quite a bit and still enjoy your cacti on a smaller scale. I like the idea of self building a greenhouse. Easy peasy.

Find a quiet space for pondering and envisioning what your life is like and will be like with the addition of your new baby and what your personal quality of life would be with and without your plants. Then visit with your spouse and share. Then make the plan and follow it with flexibility in mind.

Disclaimer and Caveat : Or do something completely different. Enjoy the Journey no matter what.
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Aloinopsis
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Aloinopsis »

Children are way more important than plants.

Is it possible that you can keep just a few individual plants that are easier to care for and not as dangerous?
Pereskiopsisdotcom
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

Jangaudi wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:12 pm Well, I used to grow cacti and other plants from seeds when still a teenager and up into my twenties. Though due work related issues I have spent many years in different countries, in rather unstable situations (whilst my cacti all died from winter frost, because someone in my family didn't care much about them) so I couldn't really grow much, or having to give away when moving again. I now seem to be more stable again for the time being, so I came back with a vengeance :D

But yeah, family is important, and small greenhouses can be constructed from thrown away materials if you've got the head for it ;) People throw away gigantic amounts of stuff.
I know what you mean about leaving your plants with family. It sounds nice, but even left for a few weeks sometimes can be disastrous. You'll have to share with me how you came back with a vengeance. How did you plant? What did you decide to plant?

I've been fantasizing about building a greenhouse for years. I used to work in one during university and it was some of my greatest memories. My family also wants a greenhouse, mostly for their favourite vegetables and flowers which I have no problem with. The problem here in Canada is that they have to be pretty well made and tight to hold up to our winters.
http://pereskiopsis.com

Interests include: Rhipsalis, Turbinicarpus, Gymnocalycium, and Lophophora.
Pereskiopsisdotcom
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

Steve-0 wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:12 pm Balance is a key to keep in mind. Not only do I enjoy a new found passion for all things prickly, I have several other hobbies.

Among them fishing ( life long ) with an annual Alaska trip the last 21 years. Hiking, mountain climbing, birding - (easy with bird feeders), carving wood, stone and bone, rockhounding, wrist watches, longboarding, cycling and RC model gliders. Some interests get more attention than others and they rotate through the seasons. Plus there's work and family.

So balance is important, while the correct priorities are paramount. Family first!

Most of my interests are low budget because I'm frugal by nature and my employer pays for all my "toys" so that helps.

So no golf or TV nor spectator sports or expensive cars or distractions which can become a ball and chain.

You can always scale back quite a bit and still enjoy your cacti on a smaller scale. I like the idea of self building a greenhouse. Easy peasy.

Find a quiet space for pondering and envisioning what your life is like and will be like with the addition of your new baby and what your personal quality of life would be with and without your plants. Then visit with your spouse and share. Then make the plan and follow it with flexibility in mind.

Disclaimer and Caveat : Or do something completely different. Enjoy the Journey no matter what.
Steve-O you and I have a lot of similar hobbies. I particularly enjoy rock hounding and have many times dreamed of going to Alaska and Yukon and bring my sluice box and pan. For now, I irregularly bring a pick and metal detector on trips in Canada. Fishing, RC building, and wristwatches are also of interest when I have the time.

I'm of the belief that I will be taking a break from cacti and I have no problem with that. The great thing is that I'm getting no pressure from my spouse and my son loves the "cullactuseses" as he calls them. I was just hoping to read some great reminiscences of members and see if any of you remember leaving the hobby in the past and returning to a totally different hobby because of what you could or couldn't grow
http://pereskiopsis.com

Interests include: Rhipsalis, Turbinicarpus, Gymnocalycium, and Lophophora.
Pereskiopsisdotcom
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

Aloinopsis wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2020 5:40 pm Children are way more important than plants.

Is it possible that you can keep just a few individual plants that are easier to care for and not as dangerous?
Absolutely! There's no issue with the danger at all. They are grown in a separate room and only have access to my son when I'm with him. He thoroughly enjoys watering them and seeing the blooms. I may hang onto a few of my more stable and special plants that I can grow without the need of a dedicated lighting setup. I was even thinking of putting my seed collection in the freezer too and see if they make it by the time I'm ready to start back up again.
http://pereskiopsis.com

Interests include: Rhipsalis, Turbinicarpus, Gymnocalycium, and Lophophora.
Jangaudi
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Jangaudi »

Pereskiopsisdotcom wrote: Sat Apr 18, 2020 11:44 pm You'll have to share with me how you came back with a vengeance. How did you plant? What did you decide to plant?
Well I'd been compiling a list with plants I wanted to grow for a few years, so everything I grow now is carefully selected. I mainly grow from seeds, cause I love it, and it's easier and cheaper to get your hands on. I grow cacti like aztekium, ariocarpus, turbinicarpus, frailea, copiapoa, eriosyce, astrophytum, pediocactus, gymnocalycium, ortegocactus and others, and succulents like, aloes, haworthia, euphorbia, pseudolithos, whiteslonea, bowiea, larryleachia, pachypodium, anacampseros, senecio, astroloba, othonna, aloinopsis, crassula, lomatophyllum, orthophytum, dyckia, adansonia, tylecodon, conophytum and such. And mostly african bulbs, like massonia, ledebouria, lachenalia, haemanthus, eriospermum, bulbine, resnova, boophane, rauhia. I also love to grow trees, but then mostly with a wink to bonsai, especially some conifers, like araucaria, dacrydium, glyptostrobus, taxodium, taiwania, casuarina...
Long list ! :D
The problem here in Canada is that they have to be pretty well made and tight to hold up to our winters.
A Walipini, or underground greenhouse can be of great help when growing in a cold climate.
https://gardenandhappy.com/walipini/
And you need less "greenhouse construction" materials, just a roof basically ;)
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7george
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by 7george »

When I moved to Canada in 2005 I gave away my old collection of cactuses and took a brake of about 2 years before to start gathering plants here again.

If you move often or think to do this having a big collection is very unpractical and undesirable. Imagine you have to move out with ~ couple of weeks notice and having several truckloads of furniture & other belongings: digging out cacti from your snowy backyard will be the last think you want to do. Just boxes and cases of potted plans could overwhelm you...
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
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Aloinopsis
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Aloinopsis »

Jangaudi wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:06 am
Pereskiopsisdotcom wrote: Sat Apr 18, 2020 11:44 pm You'll have to share with me how you came back with a vengeance. How did you plant? What did you decide to plant?
Well I'd been compiling a list with plants I wanted to grow for a few years, so everything I grow now is carefully selected. I mainly grow from seeds, cause I love it, and it's easier and cheaper to get your hands on. I grow cacti like aztekium, ariocarpus, turbinicarpus, frailea, copiapoa, eriosyce, astrophytum, pediocactus, gymnocalycium, ortegocactus and others, and succulents like, aloes, haworthia, euphorbia, pseudolithos, whiteslonea, bowiea, larryleachia, pachypodium, anacampseros, senecio, astroloba, othonna, aloinopsis, crassula, lomatophyllum, orthophytum, dyckia, adansonia, tylecodon, conophytum and such. And mostly african bulbs, like massonia, ledebouria, lachenalia, haemanthus, eriospermum, bulbine, resnova, boophane, rauhia. I also love to grow trees, but then mostly with a wink to bonsai, especially some conifers, like araucaria, dacrydium, glyptostrobus, taxodium, taiwania, casuarina...
Long list ! :D
The problem here in Canada is that they have to be pretty well made and tight to hold up to our winters.
A Walipini, or underground greenhouse can be of great help when growing in a cold climate.
https://gardenandhappy.com/walipini/
And you need less "greenhouse construction" materials, just a roof basically ;)
Underground greenhouses will not work in most of the world because of the latitude, a high water table, or other factors. They are more limited than people realize.
Aloha916
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Aloha916 »

Just saw this topic today. I am definitely in the same boat!
Last edited by Aloha916 on Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Pereskiopsisdotcom
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

Aloha916 wrote: Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:57 pm Just saw this topic today. I am definitely in the same boat! This summer will be my last chance (for a while) to really spend a lot of time on the hobby. Starting in the fall, family care needs are going to require a lot more of my free time and I will probably be limited to no more than 15-20 minutes a day, at most, to take care of everything.

Like others are suggesting, I'm thinking I am going to have to severely cut down on my collection by giving away 1/3 to 1/2 of my plants. What I'll probably do is to reach out to members on the forum here who are nearby in Northern California, and then perhaps reach out to the broader community in my area, or see if friends who run a local specialty retail store might be interested in any of them to grow or sell.

That said my spouse has told me (without me asking) that she wants me to keep my plants and spend time outside gardening every day as a stress reliever, which I really appreciate. I just know I'm going to have to find ways to get things done more quickly... and drastically cut back on the collection!
My spouse suggested the same thing to me. Before I could bring it up, she said I need to keep my collection going for the joy and stress relief it provides. I still felt the need to scale back due to the factors laid out above and we agree to a small metal shelving unit with some basic grow lights to grow from seed (my favourite part) and my microgreens.
http://pereskiopsis.com

Interests include: Rhipsalis, Turbinicarpus, Gymnocalycium, and Lophophora.
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BennieAnTheJets
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by BennieAnTheJets »

I admire everyone's wisdom. I usually just overload myself with chores and then try to manage. That is probably because, if I planned it out, I would have zero time for the things I love for my entire life. Hm.

You seem much (!) more serious about "the hobby" than I am - I have never grown from seed and just collected what I like from family, friends, and stores. Having said that, I did have to 'take a break' so to speak when I got Lyme Disease and my husband got cancer and our world changed dramatically. Most of my plants died as I was fighting to hold on to my mind, body, and job while taking care of someone I loved going through chemo. Finding one of my old favorites dead on the shelf one day turned things around for me, after years of feeling guilty and unmotivated to get back to the plants. Since then (last fall) I have been having so much fun, buying plants I used to have and others. It has been wonderful. Some of the old ones have been saved and repotted and I built new shelves.

You seem much more serious, like I said, but on a high level I can say that I think that if you have an affinity for plants/cacti/others you can pretty much stoke that fire again any day and have really good, new experiences with your love for the plants, no matter what is available at the time, unless you really have your heart set on one particular species and don't like any other.

Saving some seeds and having a shelf of the most important ones to you seems like a good plan, also.
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Re: Did you ever take a break from the hobby? What did you do?

Post by keith »

If you move often or think to do this having a big collection is very unpractical and undesirable. Imagine you have to move out with ~ couple of weeks notice and having several truckloads of furniture & other belongings: digging out cacti from your snowy backyard will be the last think you want to do. Just boxes and cases of potted plans could overwhelm you...'

When I moved I bare rooted my cactus, wrapped them in paper put them in Boxes. Otherwise they can tip over and cause a big mess in the moving truck.
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