People we get to know through cacti

[Philocacti]

I've known this guy through his generosity.

A year ago I asked this guy if he has a huanucoensis cutting. He said yes and before he sent it, he asked me if there's something else on my wish list, as he knows that where I live there are no Trichocereus available. I've always wanted a PC cutting (I find it very attractive). He sent me a cutting of each. However, both of them weighted 3.something kg. And what was really a bummer is that at that time, the government here started applying the laws that were "dormant" for as long as I know.

The cuttings got confiscated and I tried my best to get them out. I even payed bribes every other day to get into a restricted area in the airport to try to convince the official that was responsible for not letting the package pass. Long story short, after a month trying to get it out. I even got a copy of the law that says I can have the package since it contains less than 10 cuttings the official told me that whatever I do, it will get destroyed, he won't even let me extend it back. I got really mad Before I left his office I told him that I'll have these cacti, maybe not these but the same genetics either way.

So last month a friend went to the states and I contacted this generous guy. He sent my friend a big fat PC with a flower bud and 3 1 year old open pollinated huanucoensis seedlings.

I picked them up a few days ago. I found the flower bud fell off cuz of the trip but another one is forming and it seems like 3 more areols are showing some fuzz.

I usually don't write long posts but I'm really amazed with such generosity.

Thank you Zelly.

I really appreciate all what you done so I can get these.

[BigHeart13]

Loved reading this story I also find PC pachanoi to be quite attractive and feel they get too much negative attention considering how hardy and fast growing they are they more than make up for their shortcomings in some areas.

[Philocacti]

Thanks man,

Yeah to each his own but most of who give it a negative review are probably following some hype or they're searching for something specific.

Just like you, I find it a very attractive Trichocereus but I still haven't tried growing it yet and I don't know if it'll do well in my environment ;)

[Philocacti]

Once it put this stump in the sun it started growing and it still haven't rooted yet.

[M S Smith]

Loved reading this story I also find PC pachanoi to be quite attractive and feel they get too much negative attention considering how hardy and fast growing they are they more than make up for their shortcomings in some areas.

Yeah, the PC is hardy as hell, which is the reason it has been spread so widely in the American southwest. Far more hardy in extremely hot temps than proper T. pachanoi.

I don't dislike the PC, and my own personal feelings towards it are not due to any presumed shortcomings, but rather that it was the first in my collection and has become overly familiar and is a bit on the plain side of things relatively speaking.

~Michael~

[Philocacti]

I covered the 3 seedlings with thick paper towels to introduce them to the intense sun here, but after 2 weeks I noticed they're very squishy.

I uprooted them to find one was rotting from the roots and the other 2 were fine. I made 2 grafts from the one that had its roots gone to rot and the other 2 I placed them in this container and added tap water and in a place that gets 2 hours of morning sun. I still don't know if both grafts took or not but they're looking good until now.

These 2 seedlings are still squishy but they're showing new growth so it's a good sign.

What's really amazing is that zelly's 1 year old seedlings are the same size as my 2 year old seedlings :0

[Philocacti]

The 2 grafts took

Here's one that looks all shrunken, should pump up in the coming days

[mutant]

cacti people: a special kind of people, somewhat eccentric, but certainly people that are not afraid of a couple spikings. Fine people.

PC is awesome for grafting but not especially handsoce compared to other pachanoids

[incognito]

Beauty is in the eye of the grafter

[CactEye]

Thanks for the post Philocacti!

I am fairly new here, but I've met some really awesome and generous people here so far. In all honesty, I had lost a good amount of faith in humanity b/c most people I meet in life seem very self centered. The people that I speak of would never think to give away or even pay money to gift something to a stranger. Kindness and generosity seem to be quite common with cacti folks and it has changed my perception of people as a whole.

I suppose I just wanted to say that it's really awesome to know there are good people out there in the world, and even better that I'm getting to know some of them. Zelly has been super nice to me, as well as just about everyone else that I've met that grows cacti. Here's a big ol cheers to everyone on here and I hope to get to know some of you better.

[mutant]

welcome to the forums mate, this is a cactalicious forum to be!

[CactEye]

Thanks mutant! You have some lovely cacti indeed!

[bogfrog]

Yeah those cacti-people are the best. It has been a similar perception changing process for me too. Just the fact of coming across shared enthusiasm and realising the way in which so many of us have dreams, goals and ideas in common has really reshaped my overall view of people. You can only work with what you know, and before all my trading i thought there was limited cause for hope for us as a culture. Now i see the same issues but have greater faith knowing all the plantheads of the world are quietly working away towards self-liberation.

[Philocacti]

Thanks for the post Philocacti!I am fairly new here, but I've met some really awesome and generous people here so far. In all honesty, I had lost a good amount of faith in humanity b/c most people I meet in life seem very self centered. The people that I speak of would never think to give away or even pay money to gift something to a stranger. Kindness and generosity seem to be quite common with cacti folks and it has changed my perception of people as a whole. I suppose I just wanted to say that it's really awesome to know there are good people out there in the world, and even better that I'm getting to know some of them. Zelly has been super nice to me, as well as just about everyone else that I've met that grows cacti. Here's a big ol cheers to everyone on here and I hope to get to know some of you better.

I totally feel you.....actually I'm in the same spot as you are. In these passed 3 years, I've lost a number of people I considered good friends. I lost my social skills with people's meet. In all honesty I don't know if it's me or did people change to "showing off" and egotism. I live in a culture where "different" = "weird" and I'm labelled as such. 2 years ago I closed my Facebook account asi noticed that people do stuff in real life, just to post about it on fb for the likes and fame. I had more than a 1000 friend. After I deactivated it, on 5 people call me to check on me.

Well, this forum and a few others is where I know and meet people who collect and grow cacti, just cuz they want to, not to impress others. I have to thank the annonymosity of our identity for this and the maturity of the members too.

Yeah, cacti people ever cease to amaze me.

I have to shout out to pimento.....he msged me out of the blue offering me a shit load of Trichocereus seeds and he sent them to me but they either got lost in the mail or confiscated by my fu**ed up mail office. Thanks mate for your efforts:).

Huanucoensis graft update...already pumped up and showing new growth

Edited July 5, 2015 by Philocacti

[Philocacti]

So the grafted stump has 3 pups emerging

Grafted tip update, since we're at it

[Philocacti]

Wild spines on the tip

Trichocereus caespitosa????

[trucha]

Agreed on the PC; it is one of my favorite cacti. It is really strange that an issue like phytochemistry could so negatively impact some people's love of growing such a gorgeous plant with beautiful flowers.

This was my first love among the trichs.

[ghosty]

People we get to know through Cacti.. Cool title.

I, having sold the odd cacti over the years along with giving away the odd one has shown me that the demographic of those interested in these plants seems far narrower than I'd first thought it would be.

I did expect a wide range of people to show interest. From older gardeners, through business types, right through to younger folks, trying to better understand themselves. This, however was not the case. The types of people I have seen show interest in these plants were rather professional people. One in particular had a strong feeling of holding a higher rank in our community =) I've not met a bad type yet. Neither have i met a person who has a "druggie" feel to them.

I have however seen many a "show-off" with them. Mostly younger folks through friend circles than would be purchasers. the I'm so cool because i grow them types... all ego, nothing else. I rid myself of such juvenile folks these days.

[Philocacti]

So the huanucoensis seedling that I grafted is pretty interesting. The tip I grafted looks totally different than the mid section that is grafted on the same rootstock species.

The tip

Mid section

[Philocacti]

The same 2 grafts of the open-pollinated huanucoensis seedling.

It really amazes me how these 2 grafts from the same seedling are growing to looks so different. The primary difference between 2 grafts is, the length of the rootstock and the position in the sun.

The tip graft is on a bigger rootstock and gets more sun.

The midsection graft, is on a smaller rootstock. And gets Less sun relatively speaking.

[Maxuel Powers III]

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Edited March 5, 2016 by Maxuel Powers III

[Philocacti]

I'm new to PC, but in only half a season it grew 38 cm (but lost more than half of its girth), which exceeds the growth of my 2 lumberjackus' growth (one of which is grafted)

[sagiXsagi]

comparing a pachanoi with a bridgesii in terms of speed of growth seems funny to me

I think bridgesii is faster but not as wide as pachanoi...

you should compare weight of new growth to be just..

cactiphile are nuts indeed. quite normal thing for ppl who love spiny shit.

Edited February 2, 2016 by sagiXsagi

[Maxuel Powers III]

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Edited March 5, 2016 by Maxuel Powers III