Summer cactus blooms

In my garden, today...

Echinopsis "Foxy Lady"

Echinopsis "Daydream"

and E. "Barcarole"


This message was edited Jul 19, 2010 10:45 AM

Mary and Gary, Beautiful photos--It is amazing the beautiful cactus blooming in the Midwest! I never thought of growing cacti when I lived in the East. I didn't think they would do well but I sure was wrong.

It's funny to me how much earlier you get blooms. And I sure have made my share of mistakes trying to grow cactus and succulents like you all do in the west! But, many adapt pretty readily as long as they don't get too much water.

That said, some of my plants are oddly etoliated or scarred and battered looking and I suppose will always look different from how they should look. I should give up on the winter growers, though. I just can not give most enough light when they're growing.

Boy, you guys have the prettiest cactus flowers. I think the color of MaryEv's E. "Barcarole" is just so nice. That shade is one I have not seen. It looks tinged with some pink.

Nancy, I went nuts on those Livingston daises when I first saw them. I have a lot of different colors. I am hoping to gather seed for some next year. I read they are easy to grow from seed.

Boy, Kell, I can see why you would go nuts on them! I see them here in the spring but it's too hot now.

Beautiful! MaryEv. I have a dozen different Echinopsis and the only one that I can get to bloom is the E. Los Angeles. What is your secret?
Gary

LOL, I don't know - dumb luck??? Your E. Los Angeles is beautiful!

I completely ignore them all winter. Then in late spring, a little earlier than they go outside (a lot later than our warmer climate friends) I feed them a weak dose of an organic bloom booster like Alaska Morebloom. I give them a couple of infrequent/weak feedings during the summer and then when I move them back inside, I put them back under lights and ignore them again till next spring.

Maybe mine are just easy bloomers? I got almost all of them from The Huntington a few years ago. I have around a dozen, too, though several have never bloomed for me, either.

Now, if someone could give me the magic formula for Epiphylums, I would be greatful!!! :)

I have one blooming cactus right now ... my tried and true Gymnocalcium baldianum

I have a similar one blooming now too!! If I could find my camera I would take a picture.

Well, today I have one more G. baldianum, orangey pink this time

Oh Marie, you sound like me. I am forever searching for things I misplaced. I drive my husband nuts. You all have such nice blooms. I was wondering too if there was a supplement you could give cactus to encourage lots of buds.

Kell, I guess you are in good shape now that you are back on DG from this morning's test. I hope your results are really good. I feed my cacti something called Cactus Juice 2 times a season. I don't know if it helps the cacti any, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something!

Thanks Nancy for the info. I will have to look for this Cactus Juice. I only have a dozen or so cactus but I want some blooms! I do not think I will get too many more cactus for I am forever getting attacked by them!

Thanks again Nancy! I slept for a few hours. And I ate! I hadn't eaten in almost 2 days! They put you in twilight sleep while they do unspeakable things to you. LOL. Though during it all I thought I was awake for I was watching it all on the screen and I remember commenting on my insides. But in retrospect, I think maybe I was in and out for it seemed to be over so fast. Made me so tired. Plus I had to get up at 5am and drink 2 more liters of really vile stuff. That was worse than all they did to me. I must say I usually knock Kaiser but I was impressed with the entire set up this morning. They made me drive over an hour to get to the Kaiser who had room for me fast for the colonoscopy but that turned out to be a plus. It was a 3 year old huge facility and very, very nice. The staff was so nice too! Much much better than the Kaiser Hospitals around me.

Anyway, I feel guilty I have none of my own cactus blooms to show off but maybe this one will be fun for you all to see. Not mine sadly! Astrophytum myriostigma

Yes, I know a colonoscopy is not fun especially the prep, but important to have. I love the delicate color of the flower on the A. myriostigma not to mention the blue of the plant.

Yeah! I finally got a Stapelia bloom. It doesn't stink, but the flies love it.

Wow, that's the first time I've actually seen a picture of one with the flies! I always read that they are attracted to stapelias and seeing is believing. Beautiful flower though!

Very cook flower! I have tried to grow a couple of these but I rot them.

Here's a close-up of the center. I don't know what the white stuff is.
Gary

I have the same plant. It's on a totally different monthly clock here (should flower come October). Some flowers don't stink, but others are remarkably putrid. Maybe that varies. Those same green flies seem to show up every time. I don't know what the white stuff is, but I've seen it too. Probably no big deal.

G'Day
Have a real close look at the white stuff it is probably Fly eggs or maggots. If you enlarge this photo you can see the same white stuff in the flower. We have more than one "Blowie" here and it seems some lay eggs and others produce live maggots.
I think the flower is Stapelia hirsuita any comments on that ID.
Brian

The flower lasted one day. It is already dried up. Here is a close-up showing the hair.

Great pictures!! My rattail cactus is blooming! Too bad my camera is mia!!

I forgot the name of this one but I love the odd little blooms

smashed, the close up of the center is so beautiful...it looks a lot like a delicate Venician glas bowl I have, sam lines and colors in thin glass. All your pix are intriguing as is that plant...hope the flys don't hatch inside! :)

Marie, is that one with flowers in a pot or ground?

Gary, The Echinopsis 'Los Angeles' of our trade is ready to bloom. I'm so excited. I took a picture of the buds this morning and, as of now, they haven't opened yet. I hope soon. I am worried though because it is supposed to be 110° here tomorrow. I hope they don't collapse like the E. subdenudata did in the really high heat. E. subdenudata also had 2 more buds that fell off before they got large. Ugh! I wish it wasn't so hot here in the summer!

Lookin' good, Nancy! They start to bloom in late evening. It looks like you might have one more day before they open. Mine do not last a whole day when it's hot. Sometimes they will last two days and they will put out a nice fragrance at times, too.
Enjoy, Gary

I actually had a cactus bloom of my very own the other day but did not make it back out with a camera in time to capture it forever more. It was so cute, a real mini on a mini cactus!

I just flashed thru all the photos again on this thread. Such pretty flowers! I esp likes the so yellow of this one http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=7955862

And I just love that green bee. Adds so much to the flowers! LOL

Nancy, you have to show us when your 2 blooms open wide!

I have never seen that plant before Gary. It is so pretty!

I have been playing with the photos I took yesterday and came across this cactus flower with a bee's bum sticking out. Sadly not a green bee!

Xeno, if you are out there can you ID this one for me?

Nancy I have the one in question in a pot. Blooming yesterday.

Blooming this morning

Waiting on my rat tail to bloom!!

Marie, It looks like your red gymno has several more flowers coming. I just love them. My pink one has several now too.... even in this high heat they just keep going.

Kell, I will try to get out tonight and take a picture. Gary is right in that they are going to open tonight. The temp is 112° today. I hope they make it to open their delicate blooms. It looks like Marie has a white Echinopsis that has opened so mine better!

These thread is continued at:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1121246/