Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
Is mulch good to plant Spineless C? Or plain dirt?
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Garden chat & photos for torts and people ♫ ♫
- Thread starter Prairie Mom
- Start date
Cut the pads off and give them a week or two to dry out and scar over. Leave them somewhere with good ventilation, but not in direct sun. Then stick them in plain dry dirt, or some sandy soil that drains well. The pad should be about 1/3 to 1/2 in the ground and standing vertically. Don't water for about one month. After one month, water as needed. I water mine twice a week in our hot dry summers, and not at all during our winters.
Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
Ok thank alot Tom[emoji4]
Tom, I'm curious as to why you dry the cactus pads out. Out of my ignorance, mine have seemed to flurish after being planted just after cutting. Thanks
A larger percentage of them will rot in the ground if you don't let them dry out and scar over first. I suspect it works well for you due to your extremely dry desert climate out there.
I've tried planting them when freshly cut too and over half did fine, but enough rotted and failed that I decided to go ahead and let them scar over at the cutting point.
Based on these experiences, I suspect that someone in a wetter climate, like SC, might have more problems if they don't let it scar over before planting. How about it @Billna64 ? Are you up for an experiment? Plant five or six right after cutting and another five or six after a week or two of drying out and scarring over. Lets see what happens in your climate with that variety of opuntia.
Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
Hehehe I'm up for it [emoji6] I shell take some pics tomorrow when I do itA larger percentage of them will rot in the ground if you don't let them dry out and scar over first. I suspect it works well for you due to your extremely dry desert climate out there.
I've tried planting them when freshly cut too and over half did fine, but enough rotted and failed that I decided to go ahead and let them scar over at the cutting point.
Based on these experiences, I suspect that someone in a wetter climate, like SC, might have more problems if they don't let it scar over before planting. How about it @Billna64 ? Are you up for an experiment? Plant five or six right after cutting and another five or six after a week or two of drying out and scarring over. Lets see what happens in your climate with that variety of opuntia.
Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
I have not been getting updates from one of my favorite threads. Boo!
Pads look good, @Billna64! Can't wait to see how they turn out.
Found a monarch caterpillar on our milkweed yesterday. I'm so happy they're laying eggs in our yard!!
Pads look good, @Billna64! Can't wait to see how they turn out.
Found a monarch caterpillar on our milkweed yesterday. I'm so happy they're laying eggs in our yard!!
Billna the 2
Well-Known Member
Thanks you alot Oails[emoji4] and I love those kind of caterpillarsI have not been getting updates from one of my favorite threads. Boo!
Pads look good, @Billna64! Can't wait to see how they turn out.
Found a monarch caterpillar on our milkweed yesterday. I'm so happy they're laying eggs in our yard!!
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Quick question on spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum): I repotted a few from my friend and they went through a bit of transplant shock in the process. The ends of most of the leaves are brown, but the newer growth is green. I thought that they could still take in sunlight from the brown parts of the leaves, but they seem to be needing more TLC lately. Should I trim off the ends of the leaves that are brown instead?
We've had some pretty warm temperatures for October. It was nearly 90°F the other day. Whew.
Steve checked out the gourds that grew in our yard this year. They're the "grandkids" of the gourds that decorated our wedding reception.
Steve checked out the gourds that grew in our yard this year. They're the "grandkids" of the gourds that decorated our wedding reception.
I always trim off the brown parts. They're never going to rejuvenate, so why keep them? Love the gourds!
Thanks!
I trim them off or better yet, if the plant is big enough I take those leaves off completely. On my patio they seem to pick up more vigor after I rid them of any weaklings
We've had some pretty warm temperatures for October. It was nearly 90°F the other day. Whew.
Steve checked out the gourds that grew in our yard this year. They're the "grandkids" of the gourds that decorated our wedding reception.
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How lovely!!!! I bet Stevie had great time checking them out
I had a request from a member to see my cactus garden, so I snapped a few current pictures. I haven't done anything out there in a long time, and the weeds are taking over. Also, it's the total wrong time for blooms, and yet a couple of them are blooming.
In this first picture, the curve for the new street access starts in the middle of the cholla cactus on the right side of the picture, and ends at the stake just below the cholla.
In this picture, the saguaro cactus on the right (with the sign on it) is directly in line with the existing power pole (out of the picture on the right) and when they widen my street, I worry the power company will want to set their new pole right where the saguaro is. I started that either from a seed or from a tiny 1" pot, bought at a desert cactus stand many, many years ago. It's been planted in this location for a bit over 25 years. It's very precious to me and so I put a sign on it so hopefully it won't be harmed during the road widening and pole relocation.
This poor cactus garden. It really needs some attention. Too much to do. . . too little time. . . no energy!
In this first picture, the curve for the new street access starts in the middle of the cholla cactus on the right side of the picture, and ends at the stake just below the cholla.
In this picture, the saguaro cactus on the right (with the sign on it) is directly in line with the existing power pole (out of the picture on the right) and when they widen my street, I worry the power company will want to set their new pole right where the saguaro is. I started that either from a seed or from a tiny 1" pot, bought at a desert cactus stand many, many years ago. It's been planted in this location for a bit over 25 years. It's very precious to me and so I put a sign on it so hopefully it won't be harmed during the road widening and pole relocation.
This poor cactus garden. It really needs some attention. Too much to do. . . too little time. . . no energy!
Still super cool!
This is what I had going before MONSTRO! destroyed it! Come Spring...I will kick it back into gear! This is all Opuntia gomeii (Old Mexico)! Next time I get down to Tom's...I'm gonna make EVERYBODY cry! Tom has, without a doubt, the best cactus gardens I've EVER seen!
Expecting our first frost here in Maryland tonight - not all areas, but getting down to freezing for a large swath of the area.
I worked in the garden pruning and edging and cutting grass and all the other “end of year” stuff that has to be done. As i closed the gate to our back garden, I saw the sun poking through the pines and shining right on this single Morning Glory thst was still wide open, soaking in the rays.
Ps - very jealous of those great looking cactus pads! DeanS and Tom and Yvonne!
Setting Sun on Morning Glory
I worked in the garden pruning and edging and cutting grass and all the other “end of year” stuff that has to be done. As i closed the gate to our back garden, I saw the sun poking through the pines and shining right on this single Morning Glory thst was still wide open, soaking in the rays.
Ps - very jealous of those great looking cactus pads! DeanS and Tom and Yvonne!
Setting Sun on Morning Glory
I love it! It's a succulent heaven!
