Topic: My Birthday Pressy

[wahaj]

Hey,

went to my sister's today and she gave me my birthday present. These cacti! bless her, i mentioned to her that i'm converting an old fish tank into a terrarium so she got me these. I've also got about 17 cacti seeds that have germinated at home but they're like tiny right now. so i should have loads of cacti to play with.

[tim]

Watch where you sit??

[OllieC]

Yes, don't sit in the fish tank.

[wahaj]

lol. one of them has hooked spikes. you if you touch it, then you cant get it off without ripping off a bit of plant with it.

[Trixiebelle]

I had a massive, spikey, round cactus once. Got one of the spines stuck in my finger and it went black  :( Nasty piece of work it was.

Do you know anything about the 'normal' Christmas/Easter flowering cactii Wahaj? I inherited my grandad's (so it must be at least 20yrs old) and it has never, ever flowered. Maybe it isn't a flowering cactus ... and maybe I've just answered my own question  ::) I'll shut up now!

[Robert_Brenchley]

How often do you water it? These are epiphytes which should have a well-drained compost with plenty of humus, and regular watering.

[wahaj]

was that a question to me robert or trixie?

trixie keep them well watered like robert said and give them rich compost. i would give them tomato feed from the end of summer onwards....abuot once a fortnight.

[Georgie]

Do you know anything about the 'normal' Christmas/Easter flowering cactii Wahaj? I inherited my grandad's (so it must be at least 20yrs old) and it has never, ever flowered. Maybe it isn't a flowering cactus ... and maybe I've just answered my own question  ::) I'll shut up now!

I think I read somewhere that these plants need 12 hours of darkness for 8 weeks before you want them to flower.  Think I've got that right.

G x

[Robert_Brenchley]

I never gave mine any period of darkness, and they always flowered reliably.

[Georgie]

Do you leave your lights on 24/7 then Robert?   ;)

G x

[Robert_Brenchley]

No, I just had them in an almost unheated greenhouse. I had a small heater I used when frost threatened, and that was all.

[Georgie]

In which case I would assume they were getting at least 12 hours of darkness over the winter months weren't they?

G x

[Carol]

Christmas/Easter flowering Cactus dont need any darkness.  Mine sit on a window sill all the time facing south.  I water occasionally in the summer and start feeding it from Sept onwards and hey presto beautiful flowers.  See pic in the Gallery started by EmmaJ.   ;) ;) ;)

[wahaj]

i made the terrarium today. it looks a bit weird....but i'm sure it'll all settle over time.

[jennym]

...Do you know anything about the 'normal' Christmas/Easter flowering cactii Wahaj? I inherited my grandad's (so it must be at least 20yrs old) and it has never, ever flowered. ...

Can only advise based on experience of mine and my Mum's christmas cactus. I leave mine outside all summer and as far into the autumn/winter as possible. I rarely water it - and I mean rarely, if it gets watered once a month that's dead lucky! It usually gets one feed in spring, and watered May/June/July and then I forget. Mine flowers profusely. Mum however, tends hers lovingly, waters it about once a fortnight, feeds it with Baby bio or something, and never gets flowers either. So I think you have to be mean to them  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine used to get the odd bit of water in the winter (desert cacti got none), then they all got masses over the summer.