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this one is in a wall planter, got 3 flowers on it today!

Not my cup of tea Tony... but well done..  :)

How much of the year does it spend outdoors? There are plenty that will flourish in summer, but only a few Opuntias which have any chance of making it through the winter. I've seen them growing outside in Cornwall, but they always looked pretty miserable.

Not a very good piccy, but my cactus is similar to yours Tony, how old before they start to flower?  I've just brought mine back indoors from the greenhouse.



Linda

outdoors all year, in a sheltered east facing spot, under the overhanging guttering, in a free-draining soil/grit/compost mix. after all, most deserts are very cold at night, and cactus can survive cold, but not frozen roots.  ;)
the M.I.L. grows a few in a raised bed outside her front door, they been there for years, and flower twice per year (I have posted piccy's B4)

Quote from: Ninnyscrops (downtoearth) on August 27, 2009, 21:48:07
Not a very good piccy, but my cactus is similar to yours Tony, how old before they start to flower?  I've just brought mine back indoors from the greenhouse.
Linda

had that cactus for 4 yrs,

Hi there

What a beautie - I am not much of a cactus / succulent plant person but last week at Mount St Michael in cornwall I saw a succulent plant that looked like a green rosette.  I can tell you that my fingers itched just to pinch a couple of pieces and pop them into my pocket but I can proudly say I resisted the urge and cannot find anything like it in the nurseries I am haunting.  :'( :'(

Jitterbug

sounds like you saw a variety of 'house leek'  sempervivum tectorum. (there are several types of sempervivum) ;)

I do like cactus when they flower. Like tonybloke, mine are kept outdoors all year, they sit in pots on a ledge facing west, but are also sheltered from rain in winter because they are under the overhang of my house too. They're fine in the cold, I measured minus 6 last winter and no problems. I don't water them at all after October. This is an old picture, it was covered in flowers this year.

That one can take a lot of cold, as long as it's dry. A lot of cacti can't take frost, so you have to be careful about it.