A tutorial for new members

Anything relating to Cacti or CactiGuide.com that doesn't fit in another category should be posted under General.
Post Reply
User avatar
Steve Johnson
Posts: 4766
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

A tutorial for new members

Post by Steve Johnson »

If you're new to the CactiGuide forum, the following will help you make the most of your experience.

Add location info to your member profile/signature

Why this is important -- if other members know your general area as you ask for advice, respondents are more likely to produce useful answers. Adding basic location info to your member profile is easy, so here's how to do it. First, click on the Member icon, then click on Profile:

Image

In the Viewing profile window, click on Edit profile next to your username. Next, type your city (or town as the case may be) and state (or country if you live outside the US) in the location box. If you live in the US, add the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone number to your location. If you live in another country, briefly describe your local climate. Then click on Submit, and you're done! By the way, if you need to determine your Hardiness Zone number and/or you'd like to know what those numbers mean, go to this link:

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

Your basic location info will appear on the left side of your posts. If you also put it into your signature, it'll be visible to people on a mobile device.

Make sure that you're posting in the right forum

Many new members start posting in the General forum because it's the first thing they see when they log on and go to the mainpage. Not the worst thing in the world if you do that, but you'll get the most out of your experience when you make sure that you're posting in the right forum:
  • Sick Cacti - Pests, Diseases, etc. -- specific to troubleshooting pest and disease problems with cacti, not succulents. If you're having those problems with your succulents, post your questions in...
  • Succulent Growing Help -- use this forum to get advice on growing succulents and keeping them healthy. If you encounter succulent problems, go here.
  • Cultivation -- discuss repotting, soil, lighting, fertilizing, watering, etc. in this category. While it does apply to cacti and succulents, most of the activity on the Cultivation forum is cactus-related.
  • General -- specific to cacti, anything that doesn't apply to cultivation or pest and disease problems should be posted here.
  • General-Succulents -- specific to succulents, anything that doesn't apply to cultivation or requests for growing help should be posted here.
  • Cacti Identification and Succulent Identification -- a "one size fits all" approach for growing cacti and succulents doesn't work well, and that's why the proper IDs on your plants are important when you may need advice with species you're trying to grow for the first time. Before you ask for identification at these forums, please be sure to read this first.
The point is to get as many page views and responses as possible -- especially important if you're asking for advice. That's what you'll get when you start topic threads by posting in the right forum.

A hint for new members who are also new to the hobby: All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti! If you're not sure about whether your plants are cacti or succulents, this will point you in the right direction. Once you know the basic types of plants you have, you'll be able to post in the right forum(s).

One final note: If you don't know how to include images in your posts, this guide will help you:

https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=48409

It's pretty much impossible to diagnose problems without digital photos. If you're having trouble with any of your cacti and/or succulents, be sure to include photos whenever you post requests for advice.

Happy growing!
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Post Reply