Now Ye're Talkin' To A Cactus & Succulent Enthusiast!

I would say any of the rosette-type succulents like Echeveria, Aloe, Gasteria or Crassula are very easy-going and withstand a lot of neglect. If you google these you find a wide choice. The benefit is also that they don't have spines, so they are also great for smaller children, like 4 and up. They usually tolerate normal potting compost too and don't need special cactus compost mix.

The main thing is that like most plants, they need as much light as possible, so a sunny window sill is best. I would recommend planting a few together into a small bowl, they grow much better, look nicer and offer variety that way!

If the kid likes a "prickly" plant (most boys go for them!), I would recommend Gymnocalycium, Notocactus and Parodia species. They flower when young and are not too fussy. To keep the shape natural and induce flowering though it's usually best to give the plants a rest during winter, where you water little or not at all, and if possible keep them in a cooler environment (i.e. not right above a radiator). The still need lots of light though, so a bright window sill is the least. Conservatories are much better!

BTW don't be tempted to get one of those poor plants with Mexican hats and silly eyes stuck onto them, because pricking a soft-tissue plant with metal needles is a sure-fire way of getting infections into the plant. I've also seen succulents in garden centres spray-painted with red or blue glitter, you can imagine this ain't good for the plant and can lead to disease and death of the plant. People who like those should get plastic flowers!

I may not know the names, but I certainly recognise all the ones you've named and in photos from my mother's window sills! The thrill I get out of them myself though are the flowers, very beautiful and that's something I really like about them in general.

I'd like to invest in some at some point, from either cuttings (is that possible for all cactus and succulent, or just some?) or bought from a garden centre.... but how do I tell a healthy cactus or succulent from an unhealthy one (aside from the type with the hat or glitter) ? Are supermarket ones any good or am I better off sticking with a garden centre?

And some expertise: In the past my mother has given me cuttings of a type of Aloe Vera that I can only describe as with a big stem and clumps of "leaf" (for lack of a better word) raising upwards... and they go fine, grow tall and for whatever reason they seem to sort of fall over and start going brown at the base upwards and it seems to dry out even with and without watering - what would be the cause and what's the best thing to do when that happens?

orthsquel wrote: »

I may not know the names, but I certainly recognise all the ones you've named and in photos from my mother's window sills! The thrill I get out of them myself though are the flowers, very beautiful and that's something I really like about them in general.

Kudos to your mum for getting her plants to flower! Yes apart from the sometimes strange and fascinating spination and colouring of the plants themselves, I do love many cacti for their beautiful flowers, some of which can get larger than the cactus itself! Check out this little beaut, where the two heads are no larger than 1/2 an inch: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10015016_10152382756593694_1222769457_n.jpg?oh=ed48fe4631230c3c66e6fb734d0b9192&oe=559D0B02&__gda__=1440974881_1d174637861c3e21bf017f8ab675fd02 ...or this night-flowering Echinopsis in full bloom: https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11174905_10153343560493694_96930699122777478_n.jpg?oh=ee63ab36c0dd6f786cf55f5079d63572&oe=5598683F ...these flowers open around 8pm and stay open for about 20 hours before wilting away!

orthsquel wrote: »

I'd like to invest in some at some point, from either cuttings (is that possible for all cactus and succulent, or just some?) or bought from a garden centre.... but how do I tell a healthy cactus or succulent from an unhealthy one (aside from the type with the hat or glitter) ? Are supermarket ones any good or am I better off sticking with a garden centre?

Most garden centre and supermarket cacti in Ireland come from large Dutch nurseries. Usually they are well-grown when they arrive, but then suffer neglect when on sale here! Dutch plants are usually grown in sterile peat and fed with specialist fertilisers to get them ready to market.

Once the plants are in our homes their requirements change. I have bought many of my plants from such sources, but the first thing I do is repot them into a cactus soil mix (I mix my own because it's cheaper - 50% John Innis No.1 potting compost, 20% grit, 15% sand, 15% vermiculite or perlite - not measured exactly!). When repotting I get as much of the original soil off, then let the roots dry for a few days or a week, then pot into moist (not wet) compost.

BTW some of my best plants are from a Lidl special! But one of our members in the Dublin & District Cactus & Succulent Society (YES there is such a thing!) is bringing in plants grown by specialist nurseries in the UK to sell on. They are high quality and you find many species you would not normally get! I don't know what the policies are on this board so I won't advertise him directly yet, but can give his address (in Saggart) on request. Oh and I'd have tons of spare plants and cuttings to give away! I do that all the time.

When looking at plants in garden centres, take care that lot of times the labels are mixed up or lost as most staff don't want to go near the prickly plants, and don't know enough about them. Many cacti can get infested with woolly aphids (mealy bug) so do look out for these in the apex or around the plant base. Other than that, check for black spots around the plant base. This indicates rot and often enough such a plant is doomed and will die within a week or so!

Cuttings are very possible with almost all cacti and succulents, just make sure to let the juicy surface of the cut dry off and callous over for a week or two. Then place it into a sandy, moist soil mix and wait! It can take several months for roots to develop (sometimes a year or two!), and don't be tempted to check every week as that disturbs the process! I would keep a cutting away from the sunniest, hottest spot, as it puts the plant under stress while it has no way of replenishing lost moisture.

orthsquel wrote: »

And some expertise: In the past my mother has given me cuttings of a type of Aloe Vera that I can only describe as with a big stem and clumps of "leaf" (for lack of a better word) raising upwards... and they go fine, grow tall and for whatever reason they seem to sort of fall over and start going brown at the base upwards and it seems to dry out even with and without watering - what would be the cause and what's the best thing to do when that happens?

Can you describe the plant a little more? What shape are the leaves, are they rounded or pointy? What colour are they (other than "green"!), are they smooth or do they have bumps, pits, grooves, hairs etc.?

From what you describe it sounds like they are rotting from the base. If they are kept relatively dry and they still rot, it might be other factors, like lack of light making the plant grow elongated and stretched, or cold drafts. Some stems can grow very tall and then keel over under their own weight, putting the point where it bends under stress or damage it, which can invite fungus spores to move in and cause rotting. Have you tried staking the stems to keep them upright? Would you have a picture perhaps?

Should Jeremy Clarkson have been sacked?

There is a wonderful cacti garden in Monaco which any cactus but should visit. I have a small collection in my holiday home because they do not need to be watered incessantly to survive but the ones we have at home that get watered regularly do much better,
When I travel I often bring back a tiny cutting from a cactus or succulent as a living souvenir of my trip.
Many succulent plants can be propagated from a single leaf and I often give these to children to encourage them to begin a collection.

Eeden wrote: »

But the word has entered the English language now, so shouldn't we just Englishis(z)e the plural? Like we do for words like Stadium, Forum, Octopus (a Greek word, so Octopi is not correct...)

Sorry! As a non-green thumbed person, I can't comment on the actual plants ... they'd gang up on me and kill me!

Living languages change permanently, so whatever rocks your boat... as for the plants killing you, there are no carnivorous succulents so your life would not be in danger - you'd just suffer horrifically...

sunbeam wrote: »

What is the longest you have left any of your plants without watering?

Great question. I usually give my plants a dryer resting period during the winter months. I'd divide the answer into two:

1. Plants from arid regions (deserts, scrub lands, dry mountain slopes & highlands) - I fade out watering those usually during October. They are left completely dry until March, and in April I start waking them up with small doses of water every weekend or 2nd weekend, depending on outside temperature and levels of sunshine. These type of plants reside in the conservatory almost the entire year.

2. Plants from more humid regions - subtropical and tropical, like grasslands and rain forests. Those succulents and cacti typically come from the likes of Florida/Caribbean/Middle America, down to Brasil, and over in Africa and South-East Asia from rain forests. They don't tolerate very cold temperatures as much (like mild frosts) so they generally go into the house, and they get small doses of water every 2-3 weeks.

To determine what plants fall into what category, my friend Lyn has a great video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/4Dlbd9e6iIk

Even during the summer months, I generally only water every 2nd week (or when I'm lazy, it goes into week 3!). It's entirely possible to go on a 2 or 3 week holiday and come back to healthy, thriving plants, with new flowers! A few years ago we went on a 7-week around-the-world trip during November & December and the plants were just fine.

That's really the cool thing about succulents - they are well-equipped to handle draughts and will happily suffer a little neglect - one of the main reasons I do so well with them! :pac:

One more link about propagating succulents - again a nice video by our cactus group member Lyn: https://youtu.be/g9q0uQ61zoM

Excellent answers and information! Those flowers are incredibly beautiful.

That particular cactus was from a few years ago, and no photos of it and tried quick googling for the right image but a bit short of time at the moment. But it was triangular green leaves with bumps akin to a standard pic of an aloe vera but in a long stem from what I can remember. I suspect that what you said in your answer that any of that was possible I won't be investing right away (short of space) but all that information is fantastic and certainly will be taking better care in the future.

Over the years in offices I've seen people often have real cacti on their desks or on top of or beside computer hard drives - is that sort of environment at all healthy for them?

orthsquel wrote: »

Over the years in offices I've seen people often have real cacti on their desks or on top of or beside computer hard drives - is that sort of environment at all healthy for them?

Short answer: NO!

Most office desks are far to dark for any plants, let alone desert plants that are adapted to high light levels. I've met people keeping a cactus on their desk and telling me "yeah it's doing ok here, had it for years and it's fine" and when I take a closer look I can show them they have a long-dead, hollow, spiny husk sitting in a pot! They then tell me they have never watered it because "cacti don't need water"

Many cacti are very resilient and will actually stay alive for many months even when kept in darkness, only to get back to growing when the situation improves again - think landslides in arid mountains, or mud washing over them in semi-dry river valleys. This fact doesn't mean they will survive forever such environments. I keep telling people if they want something growing on their dark desks to try mushrooms! :P Some plants from dark, dank rain forest floors can do well in offices, but they too need at least some light for photosynthesis.

Bottom line: ALL plants need light and water to live. Desert plants need more of the one and less of the other...

katemarch wrote: »

For potting on cactus and succulents in pots...
I've got quite a few and they do ok: but I've begun to lose faith in boughten compost. It seems to stay damp and soggy for too long, and then shrinks. Lately I have begun to use a batch of soil from my garden that contains a good part of clayey subsoil, plus a bit of my garden compost (home-made in bins)
This seems to work beautifully - mineral-rich, fibrous and strong: but all the books seem to warn against using common garden soil. [Its full of pests and diseases! they claim]
What is your opinion //what potting mixture would you recommend?

I've done that once myself, I used the very same clay subsoil you're talking about - and I had quite good results too! What I liked about it is that the clay holds water pretty well and sort of cakes together when drying, giving the plants a very good hold in pots and bowls. You can even compact it a little, simulating the heavy caked soil of arid, dry regions.

The warnings are correct, there are pests and fungi present in garden soil - imagine what a few snails can do to the soft tissue of your succulents! They can wreak havoc in a very short time. Commercial compost from garden centres is usually treated and free of pests, germs and spores, but some mixes also contain added fertilizer and too much Nitrogen (N) can boost growth too much. What you can do is put the garden soil in the oven at low setting (I dunno, 100°C?) for half an hour or longer, which should kill off any unwanted stowaways and also kill weed seeds. The soil will lose most of its moisture too so you need to moisten it again before planting.

I always mix my own cactus compost, and would recommend some sand, perlite or vermiculite (the latter looks better) and grit. I don't really measure the proportions, but test it by pressing the compost together in my fist - if it falls apart easily after pressing, it's right for me!

If you have a pH tester (I don't!) you can even check the acidity of the soil. Most cacti and succulents like a slightly acidic soil, pH 5 or 6 is great.

I also use some grit or stones as top dressing in pots and bowls. It looks neater, helps keeping the compost moist for longer and drains excess moisture from the more delicate root crown (i.e. where the root comes out of the plant body).