Free Cactus & Succulent Review

[DaveW]

For those not already registered and get the download email, the latest issue of the Free Cactus & Succulent Review is available here:-

https://www.cactusandsucculentreview.org.uk/

Back issues are available on the green strap.

[MrXeric]

Thanks for the link Dave. I particularly enjoyed the Gethyllis article. I recently found out about this genus while perusing through Jean-André Audissou's seed list. Interesting plants to say the least! But now I know why seeds are so difficult (and expensive!) to find; the plants are slow growing and take several years to flower. Interesting how the author buries the pots in sand to keep them cool and help with drainage. It's not too clear whether the benefit of cooling is meant for summer greenhouse conditions or for winter conditions, which the author says he keeps the greenhouse frost-free, so presumably heated. If it's for summer heat protection, I wonder how these plants would fare in my 40C+ summers!

[DaveW]

The old gardeners often used to bury clay pots in sand beds to keep them moist for longer to save watering and keep them cooler. Double potting with one pot in a larger pot with sand or soil around it was a similar method in miniature. In nature the roots of plants do not get great variations of temperature or drying out from the side since the soil insulates them. However in pots unless the pot itself is shaded by other pots it is heated by the sun and also dries out quicker if a clay pot.

https://www.alpinegardensociety.net/pla ... -gardener/

[Tom in Tucson]

Not only old gardeners, but "old school" books. The classic 'A Handbook of Succulent Plants' by Hermann Jacobsen (German and English) has photos of most of the succulents grown this way. It seemed to work well, and although not an exact imitation of nature, the black and white photos did help you to ID many succulents. Id'd go so far as to say the only books published since that are even close are the vast set by primarily Urs Eggli. Although they are comprehensive, the color phptos are small, and lack the vegetative details you usually need.

Sorry for the OT verbiage, but I thought younger hobbyists might find it interesting.

[FredBW]

Thanks for the link.