mutant Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) That morning I went there to do some job, to receive some slates. It was fucking cold. It had snowed. It had snowed till quite low elevation, I'm no more than 300 m high. I noticed all the cacti had a few centimeters of snow on them. To make this even worse, it had been raining quite a lot, so the cacti were plumped and fatty. The curious me decided to let the snow be, and not clear it, I figured what the hell, I would like to see what kind of scars snow causes! And also see their overall hardiness. Well I did see that! The next day I went to work with the slates a bit and I understood Myrtillocacti were seriously fucked. Did not do any thing. There have been some rains to, but I decided to leave uncovered - not that covering them would be so hard. So here they are now. some 40 days after the snow, some tips were not caloused and rot was eating them. I cut some of them to find some were already fucked. Some nice imagery bedore the massacre..... kk339. freshly planted there. in the begining it only showed some orange rot and to be able to escape, but eventually the rains killed its tip A seriously fucked myrti I saved a small mid cut of this. PC pach , a winner. been planted there a long time though Edited January 20, 2011 by mutant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted January 20, 2011 these bridgesii plants come from a heavily propagated series of clones deriving from my first bridgesii cut I got from us. It has been planted there more than the kk339 but less than others. All 3 individuals in the particular spot have histories of stress additional to the already heavy propagative cloning. Rotting tips were cut [bittter!] and protected with nylons. It seems the stress history and rains didn't help them , even though some tips looks like surviving in the first. and some other myrtis . They myrtis should have been treated much earlier. Most of them will die. ****** Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted January 20, 2011 (edited) ehm maybe this should be in cactus forum? I noticed this in the photo: this mammi seems to have thrown a head from the base! priceless some fatty scop . will be putting more photos of this as it's quite special in some way stretsonia is also fine. a wider view This Pilosocereus has become and awesome colour. Too bad it does this only when it's dead! Alive! This is the same clone is the bridgesiis. Planted on the spot more, the spot is mroe sunny and the particular clone had less stress history. Edited January 20, 2011 by mutant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted January 20, 2011 Some cereus that collapsed. Another cereus A poor pachycereus pringley. I was sad about that. RIP Will this pup??? Some columnars Stenocereus thurberi. Sad about this too... some euphorbia. totally fucked another myrtis I cut this tip of before I noticed it was the only myrti tip that was not dead. This was the biggest myrti I had. Dumb me. Although We had rainfall coming today again. Polaskia another bridgesii clone Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C_T Posted January 20, 2011 oh my, sorry for your losses mutant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alice Posted January 20, 2011 Interestingly, frostbite looks exactly like what happened to some fresh cuts that got accidentally moved into full sun/heat for a week while callousing. I suppose they are both forms of burning really. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted January 21, 2011 (edited) I had it coming and let the snow on the tips and never did a thing for 40 days, so I should not complain. I see it as learning, that's why I decided to let the snow on , and boy did I learn!!! Alice, actually these pics are 40 days after the frost bite. Myrtis were coloured like this the next day, sure, but most of the others needed addtional rain to be completely fucked up with rot through the burnt skin. Your comment still makes sense, like frost = burn. We say "the frost burnt the plants" don't we? edited to say rot is also easy to take in sun burnt skin too! Edited January 22, 2011 by mutant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted January 21, 2011 thanks for the carnage Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted January 21, 2011 I had it coming and let the snow on the tips and never did a thing for 40 days, so I should not complain. I see it as learning, that's why I decided to let the snow on , and boy did I learn!!! Alice, actually these pics are 40 days after the frost bite. Myrtis were coloured like this the next day, sure, but most of the others needed addtional rain to be completely fucked up with rot through the burnt skin. Your comment still makes sense, like frost = burn. We say "the frost burnt the plants" don't we? That would break your heart....I would be just devastated...Now we know what snow does but…I have a large cacti which is a feature of my house yard and the tips were going black as we were having too much rain..I thought she was in for it and I was ready to cut off the tips and stop the rot but thought best to wait a bit...glad I did she seems alright and is now flowering. Phhheeew! I dont even know what species as a mate just dropped in a cutting one day saying it was from Emerald in Central Qld and that its mum is huge. For some reason I can't seem to upload photos here so I will link you to my photo bucket account if you wish a look…Hope it works...I had a heap of other cacti in the ground with no trouble at all. My septic even crashed and one was sitting in raw sewerage for weeks and it didn't blink...probably held its nose but… http://i930.photobuc...Toomuchrain.jpg http://i930.photobuc...llflowering.jpg Cheers Hutch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Micromegas Posted January 22, 2011 Ouch. That sucks mutant. I think mature stock from the "fat" group of trichs will be the hardiest against cold but again, snow just maybe is too much for most cacti except those from alpine areas of s.america of which there are a few species. Hutch that is a cereus peruianus monstrose i think and that is an awesome frog visitor you have on that plant! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) it was even worse because the frost came after a period of rain. and after the frost burn, lots of rain again. I think better established plants would not have so much damage too. the best established bridgesii which also happened to be at a pretty sunny spot has not damage at all, as well as the fatty scop. - contrary to some bridgesii that were eventually fucked by the continuous wetness trout once told me the terscheckii would be the best suiting plant for my climate. so yeah they're supposed to be hardy. none of the ferocacti were damaged. echinocactus too. the kk339 is fine too, only a smallish pup below was fucked. cool shots hutch! like the froggy Edited January 22, 2011 by mutant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CβL Posted January 23, 2011 It's a graveyard alright. I hope you can regrow these all back and stronger than ever. What do you think you might use for covers next time? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarenna Posted January 23, 2011 that is an awesome frog visitor you have on that plant! Litoria fallax?? Eastern Dwarf Green Tree Frog??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted January 23, 2011 I hope you can regrow these all back and stronger than ever. there's no doubt I will grow these back and strong, no doubt about this, this was only the begining. Also planning my greenhouse finally this year. What do you think you might use for covers next time? Nook user Mitosis mentioned of styrofoam cups which sounds like an awesome and easy to apply idea. Besides that, I intend to check on them the frosty mornings, remove the snow and place a naylon cover in damaged parts for protection from rain. I could have minimized the loss, I just didn't go for it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mutant Posted January 26, 2011 alright... some pruning had to be done again. you can;t imagine the stressfulhistory this cut has. watch the base. This was a rot that I managed to keep under control by cutting. he survived and bocame fatter in this specific point, as a bit of the vascular ring had been damaged. you're on you own with the styrofoams now!! the lot. see, disasters have the positive sides. will the Stenocereus survive the wetness?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites