The cheshirecat's succulent problem...

[stefan m.]

Echinocactus grusonii intermedius? Should have bought this one but didnt have money with me at the time. Sold out afterwards.

[ElieEstephane]

Echinocactus grusonii intermedius? Should have bought this one but didnt have money with me at the time. Sold out afterwards.

Same here! I had to reserve this one and drive 150km for it. They aren't rare but in Lebanon they are. They are just gorgeous. I wish i could donate a cutting to a fellow cactus grower like you.

[stefan m.]

"They aren't rare but in Lebanon they are"- actually i did a lot of digging on this subject, a bit of detective and investigative work if you will. Turns out that there's a import commission in my country, that orders plants from the "plant stock market" in the netherlands, and linked to agents whole selling those plants to nurseries, who wholsale and retail said plants to stores. Plant availability is actually determined by wholesale manufacturers in europe, their output and trade in the market, trends and of course, the commissions choices. Of course, there is that small locally produced part ,and what other growers sell as cuttings. Which is why i resorted to only seeds. Im guessing they have a similar system in lebanon as well.

[ElieEstephane]

We have no restrictions on plant imports but i can't seem to find any lophophora williamsii. 95% of cactus imports are from Holland (namely ubink and others) and the rarer rest is from belgium but is at a much higher price. I've learned that importers simply ask for cactus and growers export several varieties and sizes. So available cacti are only controlled by what the growers send over. We almost exclusively receive assorments like succulents assortment which will have pots of aloes haworthias echeverias...
Sorry cheshirecat to hijack your thread.

[stefan m.]

ubink is one of those manufacturers. Same here with the assortments.Trust me, ive talked to people. Theyve all said a similar story. They are (the import commission)businessmen, not growers, not lawyers. If they think its not worth it(trendy or sell good) they dont order it.For example, ive seen them order this type of Haworthia limifolia var. striata 3 times in a row because it sold good.

[the_cheshirecat]

That's the cutest of them all!
Look at them all snug and safe!

And no worries, this is all actually very interesting!
Hijack all you want I'm curious to see where the little cacti are going to drive us tomorrow

[ElieEstephane]

Be careful who you call cute! He's mean, he's green and he's the guardian of the entrance cacti and succulents!

[the_cheshirecat]

You're a hoarder too!!!
(are those kalanchoes?)

[stefan m.]

yes they are. kalanchoe blosfeldiana.

[ElieEstephane]

kalanchoe blosfeldiana cv calandiva to be exact

[stefan m.]

yeah the calandiva is the one with mutant flowers(like roses).

[the_cheshirecat]

Do you have pictures of the flowers?

[ElieEstephane]

I probably do somewhere. I'll look in old photos. Thery're big, very abundant ans deep violet. It's one of those you buy at the supermarket.
Exactky like this one from google but with much more flowers.

[the_cheshirecat]

my kalanchoe is going to have flowers!

[stefan m.]

my bryophylum is gonna bloom. Whadya think about that?