Another from SoCal

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nopahl
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2021 2:01 am
Location: Southern Cali Zone 9a

Another from SoCal

Post by nopahl »

Hello, hello
just another new member from socal. I have been growing and collecting for the past 13 years or so. well not so much collecting the past 4 or so years. I quickly ate up all of my available space living in an apartment. But just last year I was able to free up some by giving a few extra plants I had away. Looking into adding some plants that I had lost from my collection in the past I was astounded to see how high some of them are going for nowadays. Things in general have been going up i guess but man some of the plants i see for sale are roughly 4x as much now. Luckily these days Im mainly interested in opuntioids haha. But even something like ortegocactus, which was plentifully available when i started in the hobby seems hard to find and sellers are marketing them as "rare" and asking for much more than i paid for mine before i lost it years ago. well little rant aside, Ive always enjoyed lurking here and figured it was time to make an account.
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hegar
Posts: 4596
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:04 am
Location: El Paso, Texas

Re: Another from SoCal

Post by hegar »

Hello nopahl,
welcome to the CactiGuide forum. With your limited space, it would not be a wise decision to grow opuntioids. I do have more space than most likely a majority of forum members, but already had to get rid of my tall prickly pear cacti. Now I am forced to either cull most of my medium-size Opuntia spp. or reduce their size substantially, because they are crowding out the cacti that are planted nearby.
If you only have limited space, I would suggest, that you check out members of the cactus genus Turbinicarpus. Most of those do stay relatively small.
However, they do sell for around $6.00 a piece when ordered from MIles2Go.

Harald
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MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: Another from SoCal

Post by MrXeric »

Hello and welcome! I haven't been in the hobby for very long, but I definitely noticed the increasing prices this last year. Copiapoa cinerea, for instance, has been steadily increasing in price while at the same time the size of the plants have markedly decreased! It's great that nurseries and other growers are earning their well-earned cash, but I can't help but hope that the demand goes down after this pandemic is truly over! 8-[
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jerrytheplater
Posts: 1153
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:38 pm
Location: Bloomingdale, NJ (USDA Zone 6b)
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Re: Another from SoCal

Post by jerrytheplater »

Welcome. I'm relatively new too. Just getting back into the hobby after neglecting my plants for years.
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.
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gemhunter178
Posts: 2762
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:10 pm
Location: Massachusetts,USA. Zone 6A

Re: Another from SoCal

Post by gemhunter178 »

Welcome! I've been growing a lot of rarer cacti and succulents from seed but that needs time. Most Opuntias do grow pretty large, but there are exceptions... I tend to avoid them as indoor plants because of glochids though.
A cactus and succulent collector who especially likes Ariocarpus. …Though I have a bit of everything! Want some pictures? See my flickr! I also do art and such.
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nopahl
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2021 2:01 am
Location: Southern Cali Zone 9a

Re: Another from SoCal

Post by nopahl »

hegar wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 4:17 am Hello nopahl,
welcome to the CactiGuide forum. With your limited space, it would not be a wise decision to grow opuntioids. I do have more space than most likely a majority of forum members, but already had to get rid of my tall prickly pear cacti. Now I am forced to either cull most of my medium-size Opuntia spp. or reduce their size substantially, because they are crowding out the cacti that are planted nearby.
If you only have limited space, I would suggest, that you check out members of the cactus genus Turbinicarpus. Most of those do stay relatively small.
However, they do sell for around $6.00 a piece when ordered from MIles2Go.

Harald
Im lucky enough where my building lets me keep my plants outside near my steps. I probably overdid it with my columnars though, a few echinopsis species I grow for graft stock and some Im growing out to flower. think my larget echinopsis lageniformis is around 5' or so now. Hoping it will flower for me soon but Ive heard theyre rather reluctant to when grown in containers. And other than my chollas my other opuntioids are small south american species. I did lose a good amount of them a few years back. I had some really nice maihueniopsis, puna, and a tunilla id like to replace soon. Micropuntia is another one Ive been on the lookout for but it seems very few people grow it.
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mikethecactusguy
Posts: 2173
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 12:51 am
Location: Indio Ca
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Re: Another from SoCal

Post by mikethecactusguy »

Howdy.
Share a few pics of the collection.
Mike The Cactus Guy
Enjoying the Spines
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C And D
Posts: 2128
Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 1:51 am
Location: Costa Mesa, CA
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Re: Another from SoCal

Post by C And D »

What part of So Cal are you in?

We may have of the small opuntiods you are looking for
Check out our plant and seed lists
http://www.CandDplants.com

Craig and Denise Fry
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madkactus
Posts: 169
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:22 pm
Location: Hessen, Germany

Re: Another from SoCal

Post by madkactus »

Welcome from Germany.
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nopahl
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2021 2:01 am
Location: Southern Cali Zone 9a

Re: Another from SoCal

Post by nopahl »

C And D wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 3:00 pm What part of So Cal are you in?

We may have of the small opuntiods you are looking for
I am in the los angeles area. Currently I'm looking for opuntia fragilis but I'd prefer one from a california population. I'm on a bit of a cali native plant kick right now for the most part. micropuntia, which i havent been seen available at all for as long as I've been looking for one. and for south americans, maihueniopsis clavarioides, maihueniopsis nigrispina, and tunilla erectoclada, I believe thats the one with the deep red flower.
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