my embryonic grow list

smweaver · Post by **smweaver** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:40 pm

I've now got a small group of cacti growing alongside my orchids in the sunroom (actually, considering their armament, the cacti give the impression that they're fairly muscling in on what's been the orchids' exclusive domain for the last decade):

Copiapoa hypogaea*
Echinocereus viridiflorus
Gymnocalycium baldianum
Opuntia bigelovii
Ferocactus latispinus
Ferocactus grusonii
Echinocactus sp. (unidentified mystery plant that was my first acquisition)

At only seven species, it's a humble collection--but it's a start! All of them will go out on the back deck as soon as it warms up a bit more.

*I also bought a Copiapoa barquitensis, and only learned AFTER I got the plant that this species name is actually synonymous with (and no longer valid for) hypogaea.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:35 pm

Nice list! barquitensis might be pretty different from hypogeae, despite being combined with it now. I don't know Copiapoa very well, but I do know that a lot of the current synonyms are still worth growing for different spine characters, flowers, etc.

The toughest part for me about having a small collection, those times in my life when I did (and some would say my current 200 plants is still small) is being patient. One of the things that definitely fuels my acquisition of new plants is boredom. Cacti can be a challenging proposition for someone as ADD as I am!

peterb

smweaver · Post by **smweaver** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:34 pm

Thanks, Peter. The hypogaea and barquitensis did look rather different in the online pictures that I looked at (the hypogaea looked kind of plump, where the barquitensis looked like--for lack of a better way of describing it--someone had inadvertently stepped on it before realizing it was underfoot). As far as being patient goes, I'm usually pretty good about that, at least until the moment when either the FedEx or UPS truck pulls into the driveway.

Post by **daiv** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:43 pm

Steve - you gotta start somewhere!

The C. bigelovii is not one that most people start out with. Arguably the most beautiful Cholla. But I've always said it is by far the worst to get stuck by -so watch out for it!

Post by **daiv** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:45 pm

Take a look here and you'll see why:

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6808

smweaver · Post by **smweaver** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 5:52 pm

Yikes! Those things look like miniature harpoons, Daiv! I'll be very careful, although I take it for granted that I'm bound to get lanced by the plant sooner or later.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:21 pm

hehehe, i've had a few battles with bigelovii...i've yet to win one

The first thing to remember if you ever do get stuck with a stem... DON'T MOVE!! despite your instinct to shake it off, you must resist with every ounce of your being. The second you shake it, it'll jump around and stick ya 10 times worse. Thousands of tiny barbed spines show absolutely no mercy to your skin.

The worst case was when my wife forgot the rule and shook one off. I used my camera strap to lasso it, but it still took me litteraly 3 tries to pull it out of her hand...it was not fun.

I envy you, that you got it to germinate

It's my favorite cholla, but i've yet to be able to germinate it's seeds (or any Opuntia seeds for that matter...i'm like 3 for 100

)

smweaver · Post by **smweaver** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:39 pm

Thanks for the advice, Darryl. But I didn't get it to germinate (and if your comment wasn't addressed to me, please excuse this feedback). I just bought a tiny plant. In fact, it doesn't really resemble the adult plants that I've seen pictures of. To me it looks like a bunch of those miniature gerkin pickles that are springing up from what looks like a thick, elongated rhizome. I did, however, observe that the spines are enclosed by those paper-white sheaths that I found a reference to in the link that Daiv provided in his previous post. Hopefully my plant will one day grow out of its rather unattractive "pickle phase" and look something like one of those beautiful adult plants I've been drooling over.

Steve