Derkshaman

Exactly what I was looking for Kykeion, thank you. Harmless for cacti seedlings? Edit: Hey, looks like it's another formulation of BT! Mr. ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ So you collect ants and leave them to unleash hell upon the fungus gnats? Do they dig down and eat the larvae? Anyways, applying the BT and putting thicker layers of sand... fingers crossed this is enough to solve the problem...and that the seedlings don't die from their injuries.

Evil Genius, great on the ID's as always. You're definitely somebody I'd ask when trying to ID a mystery tricho! The cacti does indeed have some traits reminiscent of the Psycho0 clone, I can see why you might guess it to be so. But personally, I am not convinced that the plant is the Psycho0 clone, and would tend to believe it's not. Similar, but not very... especially when compared to the various appearances of other T. Bridgesii plants.

I've also had an isolated case of springtails, only on one container. The seedlings have since been failing to thrive, and they frequently fall over with no sign of ever having a root! I have actually watched the incredibly tiny suckers gather around and munch on the seedlings. Luckily they have only occurred in one container in my time of growing seedlings- I assume this is just because of an unbalanced medium... but is any effective way to combat them?

Hey, I saw this on facebook Awesome job, man. I'm currently 'learning' to graft, got some plain bridgesii & PC seeds for practice.

Yes I hear that all sorts of opuntia can be used as a grafting stock Especially for seedling grafts. The vascular core is closer to the edges with the pad shaded opuntia.

Sure, I'll post some pictures next time I that I stop by my dad's place. Should be soon.. Also, I was not trying to say that your clone is different from the elite. Just admiring how different it is from the other common clone of monstrosus myrtillo, the 'elite'/dense clone is much cooler than the type that I have.

I'd agree that there are at least 2 (widespread) monstrosa clones, besides cv. FUKUROKURYUZINBOKU. I have the reverting column->crested clone, and it is very different. The crests never get anywhere close to as dense as the clone in your pictures! The 'Elite' is a very cool plant indeed Do they always? My father has some pretty big myrtillos, I don't recall much in the way of calluses, but maybe I just didn't notice it. What about when grown in the some shade? I also am fond of myrtillocactus. My dad has a big monstrosus that he kinda just neglected... The thing broke through a big plastic nursery pot, into the super hard and sticky clay... and has been thriving ever since. Gets a ton of hard sun, and it just keeps putting out big blue crests. It was one of my first plants to collect. He's also with a couple mature non-monstrosus, regular form Myrtillo Geomitrizans... They are so big, and it crowds a pathway if not frequently trimmed away. I've tried posting big healthy columns on Craigslist, Free pickup but nobody around seems to be interested and they are often thrown away . In the past, my dad was also throwing away pruned San Pedro columns! I've started planting a lot of it myself. How do they compare to trichocereus as grafting stocks?

Howdy everybody. I just wanted to discuss a couple simple things that I've been wondering about for a very long time- would appreciate input. This thread isn't very specific but assume the discussion still holds some value? I'm fairly new to these forums and hoping that it's appropriate, and not beating around the bush.... So: Firstly. Does anybody use gypsum for their trichocereus? It's cheap, and provides extra calcium and sulfur. I understand that it's especially beneficial for plants in heavy clay, which is abundant where I live- it supposedly helps water & roots penetrate. What I'm unsure of is if whether it holds any benefit to trichocereus, and if it actually sticks around in soil (it appears to wash right through). Can any experienced growers tell of their general opinion with Gypsum? And more specifically, is anyone aware how the mineral effects soil PH? I used to, and still do use some dolomite lime: from what I understand it buffers soil to the neutral PH of 7, which is ideal many plants including trichocereus. But shortly after my last application I noticed that the growth tips turned oddly pale, and began to lack vibrancy. After a little more research, I discovered that dolomite lime has an excessive magnesium:calcium ratio for most soils: would this likely be responsible for the shift to pale yellowing on growth tips? Also, shortly after applying gypsum (which in theory would shift the ratio back to a higher calcium:mag) the vibrancy appeared to come back. Secondly- a problem that I often experience when rooting cutting is etoliation, or rather thinning of the growth tip. Is there anything that can be done to avoid this issue, or has anyone noticed any correlations? Sometimes cuttings keep growing without ever getting thinner, and sometimes they get incredibly thin with a long time before beginning to grow more widely. I assume more light would help, but in my experience this hasn't seemed to do much in preventing the issue... not to mention shade is necessary as to not fry the unrooted cuts.

Well... having a good relationship with the neighbors is a given if you ask me. But not everyone has neighbors close enough to them to be of much help. Also, neighbors likely asleep the same times as you would be. Neighbors usually have jobs, and aren't at home all day. Basically you can't depend on just your neighbors... Not that a weapon is anymore dependable, though.

I agree that a surveillance system would likely be sufficient if your only concern is to protect your plants. And a lot more affordable than building a greenhouse. If you go with a greenhouse, what kind of material would you be thinking? Hopefully you can make it bulletproof

If you don't come upon others with malicious intent you have little to be afraid of

Lol. I have a feeling language barrier plays a part in this, or perhaps you're simply trying to instigate. Either way, I could care less about your criticism. Hopefully we can agree to disagree! Like I said, somebody who climbs a 2 meter wall onto locked up, private property is not at all welcome, nor are their ill intentions whatever they may be, and said person needs to be careful in doing so. If this seems unreasonable, then we are nothing alike. Judging another based on South Park, that on the other hand is very sophisticated. It's a funny show, but keep in mind that it's satire.

Great apologies for whom I may have offended. Yes, it seems to be a cultural issue. The argument isn't whether or not we should have such loose regulations for having guns in America. Our laws allow guns and therefore there will be guns... yes it's unfortunate that these guns frequently get into the wrong hands (thugs and children) but this is an inevitable consequence of liberal gun laws. It is indeed part of the American culture to allow gun 'rights', and regardless of how you or I feel, this won't be changing anytime soon. I'm not discussing whether these liberal regulations are correct or not. Also, my main point was to contrast the differences in culture, from in Oz where you can't even have a guard dog, to the US where in some places you can shoot a trespasser dead. But anyways- the fact of the matter is that guns are allowed and therefore guns are around. With that in mind, why not possess one yourself? If you consider yourself a responsible adult (and do what is necessary to keep it out of the hands of children), I don't see how it would be a bad thing. How these guns are to be used, that is the question. Where I live, people don't have very large portions of land for property. The way my property is set up... it's a relatively small area, probably less than 1,000 sq meters, enclosed by a 2m tall brick wall. The only entrances are through locked gates or by climbing the wall. With that being said, nobody has any business venturing onto this property. Anyone trespassing here would have to be well aware, and would definitely be coming with malicious intent. Nobody could possibly just end up there on accident or without ill intentions. If somebody found themselves inside this area, they would without a doubt be intending to damage, steal, hurt, or kill; in this case, I believe it would be acceptable to return the favor . Yes, killing another is drastic and very disgusting, but I do have some difficulty sympathizing with someone whom intends to do me such wrong. Obviously if I was on a larger piece of land like what you're imagining... without such restricted access (say a wire or wooden fence), I would not feel so strongly about trespassing. I wouldn't know what the tresspasser's intentions are- they could be, like you said just looking for mushrooms, or even just doing a little harmless exploring. I'm not so ignorant and disregarding for humanity that I would shoot somebody just for the hell of it! But in my current situation, any trespasser would be very aware of what they are doing, and with obvious ill intentions. Hopefully I have clarified my perspective. I don't want to change the topic of this thread to whether or not gun possession is immoral. About the freebie, that is obviously up to you; my feelings will not be hurt. But I do apologize if my perspective has offended you... this is just what I have grown up around and what I know

Good lord- in all seriousness? In my state, you'd probably make it off fine for shooting a trespasser dead, assuming you have a decent lawyer and 'feared for your life' . Not to derail this thread too much! But like others, I am hit hard by the thought of somebody hacking down and stealing one's garden. Sure fires up the emotions, alright. I really hope that you can get to the bottom of this, wishful thinking, but the culprits deserve... something... the grimmer the better.

It's sad to know how vulnerable even plant collections are to robbery. Although unfortunate, it's an unavoidable tendency shared by anything that holds value. Seems like a hassle, but it's quite necessary to have a guard dog, cameras, and depending on the laws in your country, a gun (although be mindful of the law). I can't help but to wonder the thieve's relation to you; was it a friend, an eBay customer, a fellow forum member whom you've traded with? Unfortunately, you'll probably never know. It's a very good idea to use an address apart from your garden when shipping or having cacti shipped to you. That or a PO box.

I actually just use some straight up multi purpose compressed coco coir. It's marketed for reptile & amphibian enclosures so it comes pretty clean. I washed it well anyways, and... well, I tasted a little bit to make sure it wasn't in the least bit salty. Is coco coir really worth the trouble for growing cacti? Is gypsum or dolomite lime useful at all in this substrate? If I understand correctly, coir only functions well below a pH of 6.5- since the local dirt, my current compost, and the bagged soil that I use is all at a pH of around 7, it probably is detrimental to mix any coir in, correct? I'd like to learn how to make my own mixes using peat. It just seems a little complicated. I've only ever made mixes with compost, dirt, sand and pumice.

Haha, you really gotta love Zelly's bluntness. My advice is that you move them somewhere that they are getting some sun. Obviously use your judgment and don't overdue it, but if they are 1 year old they can handle relatively intense sun. I don't quite know your environment and conditions, so I can only guess. But if it doesn't freeze where you are, the cacti will likely grow year round. Outside is always the best, but if your house currently blocks all the sun, the plants are gonna do better somewhere with more light.

I finished filling my best window sill with seedlings. I need a better system of stacking these, so I can fit even more. The youngest seedlings need about 5 layers thick of paper in order not to burn! The seedling thing has been going really well for me this year- it's a ton of fun. The bigger seedlings started getting fertilizer a couple weeks ago. They got hit again today. [ I also mulched some of my cacti. Here's a Peruvianus x Bridgesii cross... I think it's gorgeous. This is the only mature cross that I have in the garden as of now. This particular plant, in less than a year has grown from a 2 foot cut to an established 5 foot specimen- never had something grow as fast as this one. I just took several more cuttings from the motherplant a couple weeks back, who was hit by some grubs. Went around and re-labeled all my specimens. I used to use popsickle sticks- although they have a better look, they get washed out by the rain. Oh- I also got my hands on a bunch of nursery pots. 50x1 gallons, and 20 x 5 gallons. Should be enough to cycle the ones that I'm not ready to put in the ground.

Well, these roles are no longer so relevant, or at least they manifest in different forms. In my family, the women tend to do the shopping... isn't that gathering? Also- most gardening done now a days isn't motivated by the need to eat, it's more so inspired by a fascination for the different plants, as BedofSpines mentions. Just a couple ideas to throw in there

Ahh, thanks for the advice guys, it's quite valuable. I grow outdoors in a lot of heat and sun. The reason that I bother using Lime actually isn't just for the hell of it- I often use different types of organic fertilizers which I know tend to make the soils go acidic, especially alfalfa meal. Although I haven't bothered doing soil analysis, I assumed lime to be more harmless (with a buffering, neutral PH) than it now appears to be, so I would add it periodically in an effort to stabilize the pH. I now understand that it actually has very limited use? I definitely ought to be using another form of calcium for my pH needs. Dolomite lime was just so appealing to me due to the perceived forgiving-ness of it's neutral pH buffering characteristics. I hadn't understood until recently the concept of calcium:magnesium balance. Additionally, I didn't understand that Coco Coir had a neutral pH, and is most effective when maintained at a pH of around 6. I misinterpreted this as coir being at a pH of around 6, therefore benefiting some buffering towards a pH of 7. In reality this seems to be terrible for plants- luckily I didn't start using coir until recently and have only managed to hurt a few seedlings. The gypsum, on the other hand seems more to be 'for the hell of it'. All of the fertilizers that I use appear to lack sulfur, and with my understanding of gypsum's effect on soil pH (or lack of), it seems like a safe way to obtain sulfur. I'm beginning to think that I'm making things too complicated- just always striving for maximum growth and health. I'll probably go back to using just good soil, with occasional soluble ferts like I did in the past years. The leaves are soon to fall- almost time to compost again.

Why is Ozzie so strict with the imports? Apologies if this is a dumb question- I'm aware that Au is in general more strict than say the US or Canada, with a very different mindset. I remember the scare when a ban of thousands of plants was proposed in AU- everything and anything with any sort of 'drug' potential. This didn't go through though, right? I've noticed that nobody in OZ seems to really import plants due to obstacles like expense and vast paperwork. I'm thankful for the import policies here in the US- it's simple, fast and very affordable to get imports from my friends overseas. I wish you guys luck! Restrictions for silly things like this... quite annoying.

By the way, it probably shout out that root when it noticed that its root system was dying. In my experience, every time I get a grub infestation and the root system starts dying, the cuts I make from it either already have those roots popping out, or send them out before the cuts even have a chance to scab! Should be a fast recovery.

You'll definitely have to cut it. Get a clean scab either with some sun exposure(careful!) or sulfur dusting.

Ah, so there is hope! Thanks for the reply Zelly. Was already planning to order seeds from you again very soon, actually. You're the man.

Woah, that new list of seeds. Will they be available to the public?