Let's grow some Melocactus!

Discuss repotting, soil, lighting, fertilizing, watering, etc. in this category.
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cosmotoad
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by cosmotoad »

Yeah I could probably contact them if it turns out to be a ferocactus, but they're a pretty new business so I'll just let it slide. I made a couple shipping mistakes on my first sale and the customer gave me a chance to fix it which I really appreciated, so I can allow them a little mistake. Or it was labeled properly and there is no issue here, I'll find out at some point. Also they gave me two trichocereus peruvianus in one pot when I only paid for one, so they're OK with me.
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WayneByerly
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by WayneByerly »

oldcat61 wrote: Fri Oct 12, 2018 6:19 pm Melos have very distinct ridges where the spines are.
Do you have any pictures illustrating this? I have two melo's that have yet to even start to develop a cephalium, and looking at them I just don't see what you're talking about.
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
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WayneByerly
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by WayneByerly »

cosmotoad wrote: Fri Oct 12, 2018 8:08 pm ... so they're OK with me.
My apologies... I did not mean to appear to question their integrity or suggest that they were less than competent ... or a less-than-desirable seller. Only that you should keep an eye on what the labels said in the future... So that if you got additional mislabelings, you could say something to them. Nobody is perfect as I am quite personally well aware of, due to my many failings. I really do try to make a point of not dissing people. See? Another failure on my part to make myself plain.
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
cosmotoad
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by cosmotoad »

I didn't take it that way at all, no worries. I just mean it's nice to give people a bit of room for error. If it happened multiple times then I'd do something about it, but a one or two time thing is no big deal. And I'm not even sure if anything went wrong here until I get a positive ID, so it's alright. I'm kind of tempted to order some melocactus seeds now after visiting this thread a few times though (edit: hey that was my 200th post, I don't think I've ever had that many on a forum :lol: )
cosmotoad
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by cosmotoad »

Well I went ahead and ordered a couple packets of melocactus seeds (melocactus bahiensis ssp. amethystinus and melocactus oreas), along with a few other packets (the minimum order was $15 USD, I had no choice!) I hear they're a little difficult but I'm up for a challenge. Will be getting some ancistrocactus, blossfeldia, echinocactus, mammillaria and turbinicarpus along with the melos. I just set up a bunch of seedling bags a few days ago but I guess that wasn't enough. Surely this order will satisfy my need for seeds, right? (no)
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WayneByerly
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by WayneByerly »

How does that quote go?
xxxx"I feel the need ... the need for seeds!"

(Snigger)
Last edited by WayneByerly on Wed Nov 07, 2018 4:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
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ElieEstephane
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by ElieEstephane »

Your plant is indeed a ferocactus cosmotoad but that's a beautiful cactus too!
As far as melocacti being difficult, i'm not entirely sure about that. The myth goes that you shouldn't even look at an adult melocactus the wrong way, let alone repot it. Well my adult matanzanus lost 100% of its roots and was cored. It rerooted just fine in a couple of weeks and it's been happily flowering and fruiting all summer.
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It's also said that they have very weak root system. Would you call this weak?
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Don't let what you hear ruin your experience. They are beautiful easy cacti and you'll love them. Pompom is even growing one in the arctic!
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
cosmotoad
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by cosmotoad »

First I was all happy when I found a cactus labeled as matucana and it turned out to be parodia concinna, now I got this melocactus that's actually a ferocactus. It is still nice, and it's good I know to treat it like a ferocactus. My other feros are in the greenhouse but I might keep this one under lights just to see how that goes. Well even if it was mislabeled at least it got me interested enough to order a couple melocactus seed packets. Nice pictures, especially those fresh roots coming out on the first one. I'll keep in mind they aren't overly difficult, I'll still be cautious since I've never tried them but it sounds like you can mostly treat it like any other cactus.
Maddiesicky
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by Maddiesicky »

jp29 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:03 pm I grew a great many Melocactus a number of years ago and had a collection consisting of mature plants of just about every species available at that time that I grew from seed -- or that Dan Bach gave me. Here is a pic of part of that collection (with a couple of Discocactus thrown in):

Image

Caveat: I dug that pic out of an archived folder on my PC. The quality (resolution) isn't very good because it was taken before the advent of widely available digital cameras. That holds true for many of the Melocactus pics I will be posting to this thread.

I think Melocactus have a tarnished reputation (a "bad rap") with most cactus enthusiasts (especially beginners) as being very touchy and difficult to grow. Well they certainly have different needs and require a somewhat different growing environment than most other cacti, but they are very rewarding plants if those needs are met. These are warmth loving cacti - they only grow naturally in tropical regions, in many cases in close proximity to the ocean. In cultivation they mostly do not tolerate well cold greenhouses or cold drafty windowsills - they mostly prefer a bottom winter temperature no lower than about 40 degrees F.

Seedling and small Melocactus grow very well as indoor windowsill plants where they flourish in the winter warmth. They do not need any winter rest. Small growing species such as Melocactus matanzanus can be grown to maturity on windowsills (and staged outside during warm weather) where they make striking specimens with their bizarre and colorful cephaliums that produce rossettes of pretty flowers followed by crops of pink, red or white fruit.

I think Melocactus have kind of been cloaked in mystery and shrouded in myths for many cactus enthusiasts for a long time. I would like to give you all my take on some of those myths:

1. "Cultivating Melocactus is very difficult and should only be undertaken by skilled and experienced growers" Not true. If their needs are met they can be easily grown and maintained by beginning growers.

2. "Melocactus have very widespread and shallow root systems and should only be cultivated in wide and shallow containers". Not true. Healthy, robust and perfecty formed plants can be grown and maintained in regular containers as can be seen in the pics accompanying this thread.

3. "They must be grown in porous clay pots to insure proper root aeration". Not true. They grow very well in plastic or glazed pots. In fact, porous clay pots are a detriment -- the watering solution evaporates through the porous sides robbing the plant of nutrients and eventually leads to unsightly containers.

4. "They are very difficult to re-pot and their root systems should not be disturbed". Not true. How do you think all of the large, mature, specimens I depict in this thread ended up in those big containers? Do you think I planted them there when they were little seedlings? Obviously not. They were all "up-potted" as they grew -- many of them several times even after developing cephaliums, All that is required is that the re-potting be carried out in warm weather (I prefer early summer) and that they be placed in a warm location after re-potting.

Root system of Melocactus zehntneri:

Image

BTW, I personally break up the root ball gently and slightly on my own plants, trimming off any straggly or broken roots. I then let the roots dry off well and then pot the plants in my barely moist (and fresh) growing medium in order to better and quicker re-establish them . I do not wash off or treat the root system prior to potting. I have never lost a Melocactus using this methodology. Having said that, you should wash and treat the root system of plants you buy or receive from others or if you suspect any root mealy bug infestation etc. before re-potting.

EDIT: Revised Cultivational Information:
Much of my cultivational methodology is based on that espoused by Dr. Franz Buxbaum in his book CACTUS CULTURE BASED ON BIOLOGY (translated by Vera Higgins), Blandford Press, 1958. He was the father of using coarse inorganic growing media for superior root aeration; acidifying water & soil by testing and modifying the pH; and using non-porous pots.

I use a General Hydroponics GH1514 Ph Control Kit to test and modify pH.

CONTAINERS: I mostly use plastic pots with generous drainage holes.

SOILLESS GROWING MEDIA: I have always used very open and porous media in order to insure superior drainage and root aeration.

I presently use an inorganic medium that consists of just one component -- what I call "freshly mined and raw" pumice - unscreened with all the fines present - it tests at neutral pH 7.4.

Image
Raw, unscreened and unsifted/unwashed, pumice as described above

I don't screen out the very small granular pumice fines - but I do wash out the dust using a fine sieve in conjunction with a "power spray head" garden hose as dust tends to migrate to the bottom of containers where it can form a drainage impeding "sludge".

Image
Washing out dust using a "power spray head" garden hose and fine sieve
Washing continues until the water from the sieve is reasonably clear

Image
The pumice described above after washing it to remove dust
I perform a final rinse wash using my acidified city tap water.

Image
Discocactus grown in pumice prpared as described above

I do not use any gravel or crushed rock top dressings for my containers as I have found that they impede the natural surface evaporation I desire.

...............................................
A mix that I have frequently used with excellent results consists of 80% pumice prepared as described above and 20% aged and weathered pine bark screened to remove large particles.

Unlike the Inorganic growing medium described above, these two mixes contain organic components that will require different fertilizing regimens from that described below.

You could just as well use an open and porous "gritty organic mix" (maybe with fired calcined clay such as Turface or a similar product) that provides good aeration and drains well.
..............................................

WATERING: I insure my plants receive copious amounts of water during the hot Arizona summer months. When I water during this time I do it from above and soak the plants until water runs freely from the drainage holes. I use a watering can with Tucson City tap water which is somewhat alkaline (variable pH 8.0 to 8.2 according to the City Water Department). Habitat information suggests that these cacti grow in a somewhat acidic environment and so I adjust the city tap water so that my growing media/water/nutrient solution mix tests at pH 5.5 to 6.0. During our Arizona summer "Monsoon" thunderstorm season normal rainfall (quite acidic in the pH 5.0 to 5.5 range) satisfies the needs of my container grown plants. I use my "adjusted city water mix" for any augmentation watering.

During very hot weather here in Tucson -- 100°F+ days with 75°F+ nights, which equates to roughly late May until mid September -- I sometimes have to water my small container grown cacti just about every other day (except, of course. for "monsoon" thunderstorm days). Actually, because these cacti are CAM plants (stomata opening at night during very hot weather) I water at early evening during this time.

FERTILIZING: In general I feed my plants with each watering during the growing season (spring through autumn) using liquid NPK 5-7-5 fertilizer (containing Magnesium and Micro-Nutrients) in conjunction with my pH adjusted city water.

SUMMARY: I am actually growing these cacti "semi-hydroponically" in that I don't re-cycle or re-use my watering solution

While the approaches, techniques and methodologies I outline above have worked well for me, they may not work well for others who I am sure will find ways of cultivating these plants better suited to their own growing environment and methodologies.

Edit -See my signature block for my updated cultivation methodology

There will be many captioned Melocactus photos to follow.

thank you for this great advice! i have been scared but i have wanted some melocactus for awhile! i will definitly be trying
Melocactus matanzanus as soon as i can find one!
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WayneByerly
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by WayneByerly »

I have a quick question about Melocactus and their development.

I have two melocactus ... a Melocactus azureus and a Melocactus ernesti. the M. ernesti is about 3 years old (well, that's how long I've had it, and have NO idea how long the grower had it before he sold it to me), and it is now about 70mm wide. When I bought it, it was only about 45mm wide ... so that's 25mm or so of growth in 3 years. My M. azureus is about 5 years old. The M. azureus is out in the greenhouse, and it's 10:25pm, so I'm NOT going out in the dark to measure how wide it is. Hey ... don't laugh ... there might be something out there ... like a rabbit, or maybe a skunk ... or maybe even a ... (gulp!) ... a squirrel out there that might get me ... Hey! You ever see the TEETH of a squirrel? :shock: :lol:

My question is this (glancing over my shoulder to make SURE there's nothing back there!) ... How old (and maybe how wide) might my melocactus be before they start to develop a cephalium?
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
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ElieEstephane
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by ElieEstephane »

WayneByerly wrote: Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:33 am I have a quick question about Melocactus and their development.

I have two melocactus ... a Melocactus azureus and a Melocactus ernesti. the M. ernesti is about 3 years old (well, that's how long I've had it, and have NO idea how long the grower had it before he sold it to me), and it is now about 70mm wide. When I bought it, it was only about 45mm wide ... so that's 25mm or so of growth in 3 years. My M. azureus is about 5 years old. The M. azureus is out in the greenhouse, and it's 10:25pm, so I'm NOT going out in the dark to measure how wide it is. Hey ... don't laugh ... there might be something out there ... like a rabbit, or maybe a skunk ... or maybe even a ... (gulp!) ... a squirrel out there that might get me ... Hey! You ever see the TEETH of a squirrel? :shock: :lol:

My question is this (glancing over my shoulder to make SURE there's nothing back there!) ... How old (and maybe how wide) might my melocactus be before they start to develop a cephalium?
Someone probably more knowledgeable than me in melocacti will answer but i know these two species can get pretty big. Melocactus matanzanus is the smallest (?) of all melocacti and it can take 6-10 years from seed to reach sexual maturity so i wouldn't expect a cephalium any time soon on your plants. I believe melocactus azureus will take even longer. Living in a hotter weather would help
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
DaveW
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by DaveW »

The body on Melocactus stops growing as soon as the cephalium is formed, therefore you can get an idea of the size needed before cephalia are formed from pictures.

Marlon Machado included pictures of many Melocactus on the BCSS Forum. You now need to click on the links to open them in Photobucket.

http://forum.bcss.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=73509

Melocactus azureus is said to loose it's blue colour as it ages and evidently some do, but this is probably the blue wax on the body being worn off more in habitat than in cultivation.

https://www.arkive.org/melocactus/melocactus-azureus/

As Elie says climate matters since these are tropical species. They grow fairly slow in cooler UK with a winter rest but a friend of mine emigrated to Australia for a time and was asked to judge a local show. He gave a prize to a beautiful Melocactus with a cephalium that would represent many years of careful cultivation in the UK only to get quite a bit of agro from the other exhibitors who said it was only a juvenile about 5 years old from seed! In that area the cacti did not get a real winters rest but virtually grew the whole year around, which just suited Melocacti.
PrickPrickBloom
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by PrickPrickBloom »

Great read thought I’d share my Melo collection here in photos, just picked up my 1st one back and in May and added 5 more since, with more to come. I also have a boatload of azureus and matanzaneus seedlngs I managed to sprout up from my own seeds. The one big question I have that I read this entire forum post is winter watering of Melo’s. I have read that they don’t like to be completely dry? If anyone can shed some light on this as far as how often they should be given drink, as I want to keep these guys happy their first winter with me.

My biggest boy Azureus with Cephaleum
http://i65.tinypic.com/288z11x.jpg
http://i66.tinypic.com/e87r7t.jpg

2 more smaller Azureus
http://i63.tinypic.com/2ldbouw.jpg
http://i67.tinypic.com/25frf9z.jpg

Only other with a cephaleum Metanzanus
http://i64.tinypic.com/2yo3amv.jpg
http://i65.tinypic.com/2evsy1y.jpg

Zehntneri
http://i68.tinypic.com/iqc55w.jpg

Conoideus
http://i68.tinypic.com/rshgtj.jpg

Azureus Seedlings-9/10/18-sowed
http://i66.tinypic.com/25i3ouf.jpg

Metanzanus Seedlings-8/26/18-sowed
http://i64.tinypic.com/288ttvp.jpg

P.S. Sorry for the linked pics I accidentally copied the wrong link upon posting, anyone have a good site for multiple forum pics to save the 1 by 1 uploads?
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ElieEstephane
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by ElieEstephane »

PrickPrickBloom wrote: Tue Nov 27, 2018 4:40 am Great read thought I’d share my Melo collection here in photos, just picked up my 1st one back and in May and added 5 more since, with more to come. I also have a boatload of azureus and matanzaneus seedlngs I managed to sprout up from my own seeds. The one big question I have that I read this entire forum post is winter watering of Melo’s. I have read that they don’t like to be completely dry? If anyone can shed some light on this as far as how often they should be given drink, as I want to keep these guys happy their first winter with me.

My biggest boy Azureus with Cephaleum
http://i65.tinypic.com/288z11x.jpg
http://i66.tinypic.com/e87r7t.jpg

2 more smaller Azureus
http://i63.tinypic.com/2ldbouw.jpg
http://i67.tinypic.com/25frf9z.jpg

Only other with a cephaleum Metanzanus
http://i64.tinypic.com/2yo3amv.jpg
http://i65.tinypic.com/2evsy1y.jpg

Zehntneri
http://i68.tinypic.com/iqc55w.jpg

Conoideus
http://i68.tinypic.com/rshgtj.jpg

Azureus Seedlings-9/10/18-sowed
http://i66.tinypic.com/25i3ouf.jpg

Metanzanus Seedlings-8/26/18-sowed
http://i64.tinypic.com/288ttvp.jpg

P.S. Sorry for the linked pics I accidentally copied the wrong link upon posting, anyone have a good site for multiple forum pics to save the 1 by 1 uploads?
You can resize the photos like here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40232 and upload up to 25 photos per post. Or you can use flickr. Looks like you have a beautiful collection, please show us pics more often!
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
PrickPrickBloom
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Re: Let's grow some Melocactus!

Post by PrickPrickBloom »

Another question I have on Melo’s is night temps here for the time being go into the 40’s F is this too cold for them should I keep them inside overwinter? Anyone have a link to any good sites for temp’s for different species as I was wondering this for a few other in my collection as well.
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