Cacti we've lost
Re: Cacti we've lost
All mineral soil. Only watered it on sunny days. Humidity was very high this summer (70-80%). Temperature was around 24 degrees celcius. Went on vacation for 2 weeks and probably didn’t leave the window open wide enough. During the week I have a fan running on a timer with the windows open or a dehumidifier with the windows closed. I don’t trust the fan enough to have running for 2 weeks without supervision. Also had an echinocereus russanthus which developed some type of mould. Never had issues like this before. Summer was expectionally wet this year. A lot of my tropicals also had mould on the top soil.
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
temperate, maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers
hardiness zone 8a
Antwerp, Belgium
temperate, maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers
hardiness zone 8a
Cacti we've lost in 2023
These five of my plants are among those perished at some point this year.
Not counting numerous seedlings or segments that did not make it through the year. Pests or diseases, natural factors or just bad care. From some of those I have seedlings or offsets left.
BTW, some of the obituaries can be posted too early, before the body in question has turned to dust. ꜜ↓
Like two of these Frailea declared lost, that survived and even bloomed in year or two afterwards.
Nature needs stuff to recycle and provide nutrients and sunny spots to be freed for the next generations.
So we continue with the rest of the collections ahead.
Not counting numerous seedlings or segments that did not make it through the year. Pests or diseases, natural factors or just bad care. From some of those I have seedlings or offsets left.
BTW, some of the obituaries can be posted too early, before the body in question has turned to dust. ꜜ↓
Like two of these Frailea declared lost, that survived and even bloomed in year or two afterwards.
Nature needs stuff to recycle and provide nutrients and sunny spots to be freed for the next generations.
So we continue with the rest of the collections ahead.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
Re: Cacti we've lost
Some of my losses this year.
Mammillaria sanchez-mejoradae seedling
Coryphantha echinoidea 'schwarziana'
Conophytum pellucidum 'neohallii'. A bird pulled it out of its pot 2 years ago, repotted last year to find no root growth, this year it finally dried out.
Lost all three from watering too soon after repotting late in winter, Astrophytum asterias and a hybrid.
Kept the "skeletons"
Mammillaria sanchez-mejoradae seedling
Coryphantha echinoidea 'schwarziana'
Conophytum pellucidum 'neohallii'. A bird pulled it out of its pot 2 years ago, repotted last year to find no root growth, this year it finally dried out.
Lost all three from watering too soon after repotting late in winter, Astrophytum asterias and a hybrid.
Kept the "skeletons"
Re: Cacti we've lost
Raise a toast for our honored dead...
https://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47989
...And a near-miss. Fortunately survived!
https://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47720
https://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47989
...And a near-miss. Fortunately survived!
https://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47720
--------------------
Zac
Butte County, CA, USA
USDA Zone 9b
Mediterranean climate; hot, dry, sunny summers with rainy, moist, mild winters.
Zac
Butte County, CA, USA
USDA Zone 9b
Mediterranean climate; hot, dry, sunny summers with rainy, moist, mild winters.
Re: Cacti we've lost in 2023
Hi, Nino, That was Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus, possibly ssp. rubriflorus. Adult plants of Turbinicarpus are very sensitive to overwatering, need just a few sips in a year, maybe their resistance also drops with age.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
Re: Cacti we've lost
Thank you for the quick answer 7george. It's certainly schmiedickeanus but what confuses me is the combination of the relatively long tubercles (characteristic of T. s. gracilis) and pink flowers that might be present in number of the forms in "T. schmiedickeanus" group (but not in gracilis). I asked because I currently sowed some seeds of Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus "pintares" VM 805, Santa Rita, SLP which suppose to have long-ish tubercles and pink flowers, but lacks black spines of your specimen.
Re: Cacti we've lost
Tubercles change with age, spines differ in color when wet or sun-bleached, also from variety or field number. Don't have seeds from those even I have had 2 plants for many years.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
Re: Cacti we've lost
I'm aware of that, I have several Turbinicarpi in my care for over 30 years (some of them grown from seed by myself 35 years ago).
Recently I managed to acquire seeds from a Czech grower of T. s. schwarzii from Charco Blanco region in SLP, apparently a form with distinctive black spines. They germinated well, we shall see the results in couple of years.
Best regards,
Nino
Re: Cacti we've lost
I was away for a month late in the year. When I returned the cactus was affected with mealies . I picked off as many as possible. The mealies in hard to get areas I lightly zapped off the cactus with water from water bottle. A couple weeks later the cactus started rotting at the bottom. I know Melocacti can be sensitive to water during winter and it's usually prudent to keep them dry during the winter.
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- jerrytheplater
- Posts: 1179
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:38 pm
- Location: Bloomingdale, NJ (USDA Zone 6b)
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Re: Cacti we've lost
That hurts. Sorry for that.madkactus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:27 pm I was away for a month late in the year. When I returned the cactus was affected with mealies . I picked off as many as possible. The mealies in hard to get areas I lightly zapped off the cactus with water from water bottle. A couple weeks later the cactus started rotting at the bottom. I know Melocacti can be sensitive to water during winter and it's usually prudent to keep them dry during the winter.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
Re: Cacti we've lost
Thanks Jerry. Actually I'm not too bummed out about it. I've had an unlucky stretch with Melo's for the past several years. Irronically my first Melo was problem free, very sturdy and I had it over 8 years until I repotted it. Since then I've lost every single one. I have a very nice matazanus and hopefully it will be with me a long time.jerrytheplater wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 10:23 pmThat hurts. Sorry for that.madkactus wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:27 pm I was away for a month late in the year. When I returned the cactus was affected with mealies . I picked off as many as possible. The mealies in hard to get areas I lightly zapped off the cactus with water from water bottle. A couple weeks later the cactus started rotting at the bottom. I know Melocacti can be sensitive to water during winter and it's usually prudent to keep them dry during the winter.
Re: Cacti we've lost
I think melos aren't sensitive to water but to mealies undoubtedly. Have you treated them by water only?
- Steve Johnson
- Posts: 4557
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Cacti we've lost
We had a Melocactus expert on the forum who gave us the benefit of his long experience. Unfortunately the photos in his presentation disappeared some years ago, but the detailed thread he started in 2014 is still instructive:
https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33959
If nothing else, his first post will bust a few myths many growers have regarding the genus.
https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33959
If nothing else, his first post will bust a few myths many growers have regarding the genus.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
Re: Cacti we've lost
Yes. only water. I didn't use that much. When I disgarded the plant I broke it open to inspect and it was pretty rotten on the inside. I think now that it was perhaps already not in good health. The little streams of water I used should not have rotted it so easy . This melo had mealy problems ever since I got it a couple of years ago that I had to combat from time to time. The mealies would be in the cephalium and then spread out from there. When I was gone for a month the mealies had a good opportunity to spread out over most of the cactus.
Last edited by madkactus on Thu Feb 01, 2024 4:57 pm, edited 4 times in total.