These are a year older--and, as you can see, some of them bloomed.
Holiday Cacti General Discussion Forum
Patti--
No. The cold does not bother them. They are rather cold-tolerant...
Now--maybe they would root easier and faster if it was a bit warmer--
but I have usually had luck just doing what I do...
Why fix what ain't broke?
G.
Thanks Gita, about the scabbing over of the cuttings I always like to hear from folks that have hands on experience.
I am not a water rooter of any plant, I beleive that the roots are better developed in a growing medium. I know lots of folks have good results with water but it's just not for me.
Lady--
You are welcome-----
I also believe that rooting directly in fresh soil mix is the best way. Almost everything...
I would never root any succulents in water--it seems so contrary....somehow...
Besides--water roots are different from soil formed roots.
If you have rooted something in water--and then transplant it in soil--
there may be a longer time of adjustment and adapting before you see new growth..
Gita
Great information Gita, thanks. I am still fussing with the moving plants around but can not keep away......I hate making such a mess but I have now I must clean it up.
Mary, those links are great. I need to take time to re-read them all. Later.
I got out to the greenhouse today. It was gorgeous outside. Everything needed water desperately, but 2 of my holiday cacti are still blooming.
I have one that looks as though the leaves closest to the soil have evaporated and all that is left is the spine ( midrib) and a few roots. the rest of the plant looks very healthy. Should I take cuttings now and root the healthier part, or leave well enough alone?
I have always let epis scab over for about 10 days before I root them. I never thought about it with zygo cacti. I also never dreamed of rooting 1 in water. I may have to experiment a little.
Mary, those are awesome links.
Gita, I like your system. I just don't have enough window space.
New Year Begins and the weather is getting crazy again. Yesterday it was nearly 60 deg. here. The snow is melting and we now have puddles of mud/sand/slop. Trying to keep the house looking clean is impossible with dog running in and out the doggie door, plus going in and out just normally.
Could we talk about taking cuttings on the Holiday Cacti? Here are some questions I would like to ask because I think if we all share our methods, someone may learn something new and it will give us an opportunity to try new methods.
When do you take your cuttings?
Do you take one stem or the Y shape stem?
How long do you let them scab?
What medium do you use to plant them?
What kind of pots do you prefer? Size and materiel?
When you all have time, you can chime in and then we will see what happens.
JBs answers:
I will probably be the worst one to start this off because I have no particular time that I taking my cuttings. Except, I never take any when they are blooming.
I take both single and Y cuttings depending on my stock plants size and age.
I have never scabbed. (want to try it)
I use coca coir or professional potting soil
I use plastic square or round, 3 inch.
I told you it was a hobby and I honestly just more or less do things when the mood hits me. I must admit, when I see my number of babies getting down to one or two, I cut no matter what time of year it is. I put them up for sale as soon as I am sure they are rooting.
I get $5 for each one. Even the single stems. It is amazing how people love these little guys and I also send some information along with each one I ship, telling what kind it is and how to care for it. When you try and figure a price to sell them for, if you add up your costs of materiel and your elec., water and heat, plus your time. $5 is nothing. Yet, the bigger places get $3 and $4 for same size as mine. Also, the cost of shipping I have added $1 because of the paper, bubble wrap, tape all that adds up when you are trying to make a buck.
Must move on for awhile. It is Sunday and I watched Mass on TV this morning because I had a small stomach problem yesterday and I did not want to have to get up and go to church today. Lazy me. Later Ladies and Gent JB
It may be fun is we all start some at the same time to see how we are doing.
I only had one Thanksgiving C. but this thread has sparked the desire to try them again. I'll tell you what I usually do, and I do this with all my plants.
When do you take your cuttings? Early spring into early summer. I believe fall and winter is resting time for plants, and Spring is their time to actively grow.
Do you take one stem or the Y shape stem? I'm going to pass on this one.
How long do you let them scab? Pass here too.
What medium do you use to plant them? I use Miracle Grow moisture control, I like it since it hold moisture with out being soggy, had some time release plant food in the mix, and I usually have a bag of it on hand.
What kind of pots do you prefer? Size and Material? The small maybe 3 to 4 inch pots, I like to have the plant grow into the pot and then pot up when the roots start to fill the pot. I prefer plastic pot over clay since they do not dry out fast.
it's nice that you have this hobby JB. You will have to tell us more about your greenhouse. I always dreamed of having one but have settled for an area in the basement, which I have to get my rear in gear and clean and organise it too. Hope you are feeling better, the stomach flu is going around so stay healthy.
I agree with Chris - the Spring is the best time to take cuttings. I have always used water and had about a 50% success rate, but I am thinking that I should be rooting in a soil type medium. Perhaps potting soil, perlite with some of the cactus mix - which I believe has some sharp sand?
I have not allowed mine to scab over in the past either, but I am thinking perhaps that is the way to go. I know mine are horribly potbound and I am wondering if perhaps putting them into bigger pots maybe the way to go. Last time, I just did some top dressing and that was some time ago.
Stay healthy everyone.
Carolyn ............. just repeating what I heard here, that they need to be rootbound to bloom. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
Crit -
I had heard that too, however at some point I would think they would need to be repotted. I didn't repot last time and that was a couple of years ago.......
Anybody have any info on this? should I top dress again or repot?
I think I'd just top dress, I have heard of ones that have been in families for years and never repotted. I think Sallyg has one.
One thing I would do is take a fork and gently break up the soil on the top a bit, I have had soil in pots where the soil gets really hard and crusty.
Top dressing would be easier.....
You have both convinced me! Top Dressing it is!
How old do you let your young plants get before you repot? Certainly you do not leave the in the same pots you bought them in as starters, do you? I think once the plant is mature, in a year or so, then you can let it get root bound. I have had them bloom as starters before they were pot bound, so I am not sure when the time is right to permit the roots to bind.
part of my problem is that I have a couple that I can see the root network at the top of the soil. I think the pot is so packed with roots that I am seeing them at the top.
The only time I repotted mine was to move it from the small plastic pot into a old decorated pot that was my husband's grandmother's. Wonder if root prunning would work? I'm thinking of taking a knife going around the top of the root ball, not close to the plant, removing the roots and soil and adding new soil.
How do I repot a holiday cactus?
Allow them to get fairly crowded and root bound before repotting. They dislike being disturbed. As they get older, they look best if they are divided into smaller pots. All repotting should be done just after they bloom.
The above info taken from the following site
http://www.bachmans.com/Care-Handling/Plants/divHomePage.html?cnb=Plants&categoryCode=01&pageIndex=_pageIndexToken_holidayCactus
Above site has other info on holiday cactus.
MARY
Mary, that is an interesting link. It also says do not transplant until after they bloom, which thank God I am doing something right. LOL
Does anyone belong to the Cactus and Succulent Society of America?
http://www.cssainc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=542&Itemid=270
Looks interesting but there is so much to read online, I am afraid I would not read half of it and it would be a waste of money. I really am not into all the lovely cacti that are out there and available. Maybe I will research it a bit more. JB
Another one I have been looking at is:
http://www.hobbygreenhouse.org/html/aboutus.html
There are so many great places on the internet I could spend days just looking and enjoying. This one sounds good, they have places that give discounts to members, etc. I do not know what the dues are. Maybe I will look into this too. Then on the other hand, I am getting older and I do not have all that much time to just do nothing. It seems the older I get the longer it takes me to do my work in the Greenhouse.
I wonder if they have a section that tells you how to cut expenses in the greenhouse so you can eventually turn a profit. When you are small, it is so difficult to buy in bulk to save money.
I think I need to trim down the different tropicals that I am working with now. Maybe I will stop the anthurium and bougainvillea and concentrate on cacti...........sounds like a plan.and one I could really enjoy. JB
These links sound very interesting. I think after I get my chores finished, I will spend the day reading. LOL ( I knew I really didn't want to work today)
Morning everyone!
Today is a day of work.............honest! Plants need attention,animals need attention and paperwork needs to be done, etc. etc. plus I have a cacti I want to photograph and see if you can tell me if it is an Easter Cacti. I can not tell. I have tried to compare the leaves with others but with my one eye, I just can not see if there is a drastic difference. I see almost no difference at all. All pictures I compare it with only leave me with more doubts.
I want to do that for sure very soon.
Has anyone ever had mealy bug on their Cacti.....I have not, thank God, but it is in the GH now on the hibiscus and gardenias and I am having a rip fit hoping I can soon get it under control. I need to buy more ladybugs. How do you control your mealy bug? Or are you one of the lucky ones. I got it on plants that were outside this year, and I know I brought it in when I moved them in for the winter. I am due for an inspection soon for my certification as a nursery and I must get it under control before I have that. JB
JB--
If you only have a few MB dab them with a Q-Tip dipped in alcohol, or a small brush.
They dissolve immediately. Repeat at least 2 more times a week apart.
If you have a more generalized infestation, spray them with alcohol and water--I think about
a mix of half and half.
Concentrate on areas where leaves join stems or where there are nooks and crannies.
The young MB's hide in small crevices...
Systemic Granules will work, eventually, as well. But it may take at least 2 weeks.
When I was still working in the Greenhouse --first 5 years at my HD--There were so many
Mealy Bugs it was a lost battle. I would bring my own alcohol and spend hours dealing with them.
The plants they were mostly on were Bird of Paradise, Araleas, Orchids, Cacti, and many others.
Back then--management was very different. They were too lazy or too cheap to do anything about it.
I was busting my buns to keep the best G-House in this area--and was known to be one.
No one helped me.....
OK! I have to go make war at the Comcast office. EVERY month--they royally screw up my bill.
Luckily, the office is just 10 minutes away.
See you later----gita
I always used the alcohol and water myself and then put it into a spray bottle and sprayed until my plants were soaked. I would think right now the ladybugs would be your best bet. Not sure how soon something like ladybugs can be shipped yet......
JB - looking forward to your photos.
Carolyn, they ship ladybugs almost frozen. You keep them in the refrig until you want to leave them go. I have been there and done that one time. LOL
I have used alcohol and water and the one I like best is the Neems oil which I purchase by the bottle and then all dish washing detergent and water. It works great but I get really upset when they keep returning.
I first got them when I bought a bunch of orchids from HD (sorry Gita) and brought them home. Not long after that I had a mess. I was furious but they did nothing about it. I never have purchased any plants there again. Ever. Same with Lowes and those places. I just will not take the chance of them being in the soil. You can treat the leaves all you want, but if they are on the pot or in the soil, you will have them repeatedly. I do not have them on my cacti YET.....THAT is what concerns me.
Back to the books. I do volunteer work for the Horse Park of New Jersey and this is my busy time. I keep a record of their membership and correspondence with members.
Later. JB
JB---
Don't be sorry about M.B. on Orchids from HD. That was, probably, before all the plants
were "owned" by individual nurseries that supply them and and take care of them.
This has greatly improved the plants we carry. THEY are responsible!!!! NOT us!
Back in my days in the Greenhouse--(1998-2003) they all came from Florida.
Now they are supplied by individual,local Nurseries on a consignment basis. These Nurseries hire
people that grow, supply--bring in--care for--merchandise all the annuals, Perennials,
Tropicals and houseplants and everything else you will find in the Garden dept.
Also all the Poinsettias and any other Holiday plants.
THEY do all the reducing and clearancing--which seldom happens----as it is up to them
to mark things down. NOT HD! So do not ask an associate at HD if anything can be marked down.
Maybe this will help you understand the differences between HD and Lowes.
I have NO idea how their plant suppliers deal with their garden merchandise.
I DO know that HD does not do a lot of clearancing....as compared with Lowes.
End of last summer--I saw beautiful, healthy, just out-of-bloom Phaelonopsis Orchids on their
clearance rack for .50 cents each--in a 6" clay pot....GEEZ! If I was into Orchids--I would have bought some.
The return policy at HD has changed a lot....We are now supposed to take ANYTHING
back--no matter what.. Even if you did not purchase it at a HD. I, personally, find this not fair!
BUT--The quest for satisfied customers rules everything!
Other than annuals--please know that any houseplants and shrubs and trees and perennials
and X-mas shrubbery will be taken back--WITH A RECEIPT!--with no questions asked.
The receipt is needed b/c HD's warranty is for ONE YEAR!
No receipt? No one can tell when you bought it. Please do not give up on HD!
They are doing all they can to satisfy the customer....
Carolyn---I was nor aware that ladybugs ate Mealy Bugs???? Are you sure on this?
I thought their main food preference was Aphids.....
I also think that once pests get established in a G-House or anyone's crowded sun-rooms--it is hard to
eradicate them--as new generations tend to hide and then pop up again.
I prefer to treat alal my plants i will be bringing in before I bring them in--with Systemic Granules.
Sometimes an Insect Bomb is what you really need to use if you have a serious issue with pests.......
Mealy Bugs, or Fungus gnats--or anything that thrive in the soil can best be killed off
by using the Systemic Granules (Bonide makes these) type of a product.
It will kill anything in the soil! Which in turn will kill anything sucking on the plant....
It just takes a couple of weeks to do this....
Gita
Gita
I know ladybugs eat the aphids - not sure what eats the mealybugs - something must... perhaps some praying mantis egg cases are in order.
I use the spray formula with Neem as recommended by 'tapla' in the Indoor plant forum, and yes, alcohol and water 50/50 is safe to spray right on the plant.
When dealing with insects that spend the majority of their time underground chewing on the plant roots horticultural oils including Neem very seldom do a good job. This leaves the choice to be a chemical that will ....one be systemic and two be easily understood and applied. Then get back into your organic principal management. For the nasties presently discussed here I use Merit 75 WP.....one eighth of a teaspoon level filled in a quart of water. Drench with Merit being sure to damp the medium first. Three weeks later make a second application. This procedure has cleaned me up after I lost half of my inside plants trying hard with every organic approach I was aware of and some ideas suggested by other trusted sources. I now apply the first half of this treatment before I move plants inside. The other half three weeks later is done inside. Since using this product as reported I have had no (0) inside insect problems. I do also treat the other inside plants one time also in the fall each year.
Before using this chemical or oil inside the house "YOU" need to seek and read the entire label of the product. You may wish to isolate the plant rooms according to label instructions for a day or two.
Merit 75 WP can be bought on line. The smallest container may be enough product to call it a lifetime supply for we backyard and patio gardeners.
Please do not now ask me if something else will work. Factually I have tried any and all so called organic treatments. Pretty good is not a good answer if the suggested product only gets half to three quarters of the present underground populations. The only choice left without the use of a harsh chemical would be to completely throw out the entire plantings, sterilize your tables, benches, trays and pots. Then start over and hope you never see these critters again.
I have a greenhouse commercial grower under advisement that even after trying live steam is now using Merit 75 WP. He has steam in the house and will clean up the benches, floors and side walls as soon as the potted material is treated. He is dealing with the same two insects being discussed here in this forum.
Doc you are absolutely correct. I am 99% sure that you need to treat the MB with something other than neems, and the other "softer" methods, and I have a real problem with that because I have tropical birds with my plants that need treatment. So, I really am limited with what I can do with those in the house. There is no wall between the bird area and the rest of the house, it is surrounded by plants and tropicals. I could try it in the greenhouse if I have plenty of ventilation, yet I am afraid of anything that could get into my system at this age. LOL Thank you for your information. We can use all the help we can get.
If anyone on this list knows anything about Gardenia Jasminoides 'Fortuniana' or a link that would deal with their problems, please dmail me.
Gita and Sally, thanks to you also, I know Logee's swears by the Neems, but I also know it does it not a sure cure. It is a temporary fix at my house. I wonder if the granules would be o.k. for the greenhouse. I wonder if they put off any toxic odors....I will research that.
Gita, thanks for clearing up the HD situation. That is good news. It was horrible here for years. That is why i gave up on them.
Have a good day. I will be back later after I get MORE PAPERWORK done. Plus GH needs attention today. We are expecting more snow this weekend after days of nice 30 to 40 deg. weather. Here we go again.
Thanks doc.
JB- I have used Bayer systemic with good results but I think they no longer market it for indoor. The implication is they don't want to guarantee it safe that way. It sue does have a weird chemical smell. I buy the Bayer systemic plus bloom food for roses, and use it judiciously on outside potted plants, if they are not coming in right away. Merit WP would be better. I don't always want to food part of the Bayer rose treatment, say, in fall.
Thanks Sally, I am really up a tree on the treatment of these little buggers. I have so many reasons not to use the stronger methods that I hate to even ask anymore. I know there is a cure out there, but I am unable to use it. I hate that. Oh well, maybe I will get lucky and something will work for me. JB
ALL CHEMICALS give off fumes. How long is required to be stated in how long after treatment the applicator or other workers must stay out of the sprayed or drenched area. LOWE'S I suspect has the same general products as HD has for a yard and garden granular that will work if applied correctly. Just scratching a given amount in without carefull guided experience is asking for trouble.
I got the suggestion to use Merit 75 WP from the violet forum in Daves Garden. I did the homework and had a success two years in a row to date. It is not labeled for inside use. I know of no really good one that is! Within certain comparrisons I see little difference in the application stated concerns. Therefore I chose to use the one that I knew worked for others and went immediately back to organic techniques after the six week clean up program.
I have not had a problem with my roses for thirty years. Over the years I removed all roses that commonly have problems and fed my good roses an organic fertilizer for acid loving plants. About thirty years ago I went to a permenant wood mulch an average of four inches deep. This leaves me with the mulched older roses and surprisingly enough the relatively new Knockout. hybred roses. Hybred Tee roses have always been a problem rose for me. I do not grow them. In this case Neem Oil does satisfy all my needs.
Doc .... could you please explain six week clean up program.
I greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences, practices, and expertise.
MARY
We are now talking outdoor plants, so let me ask you Dave, how about treating hibiscus? These also come in during the winter, how would you treat them? I do not do roses, I have two rose plants that bloom all summer and into December. I do nothing to them. They are both tea roses someone gave me at Easter. I stuck them in on the warm side of the barn and they grow like weeds. I have no knowledge of them and admit it. LOL JB
Here is the Cacti ID I had told you I was going to post.
The first row the picture that was in the first part of the History of the Christmas Cacti.
R on this one is S. russelliana - Blooms in Jan to Feb
T ou OTS is S. truncata (blooms in Oct. and Nov) and S.orssichiana - (Blooms end of Aug. or in Sept.)
Op. is S.opuntioides and blooms in March or April
____________________________________________________________________________The second row are from three of my stock plants.
The first one is what I purchased as a Christmas Cacti which blooms in Nov. and Dec and Jan.
Question? It looks very much like the Zygo but I see a difference in the length of the leaf. Must be a hybrid of some sort. Never had an ID.
The second or middle leaf is from a plant I got from a woman who brought it from S. Africa and she tells me it is pink. It is starting to bud now.
Question? What is it? to me it looks like a S.russelliana but I am not sure. Could it be a S.opuntioides? I doubt it but the buds will not be out for another month at least.
The third leaf is from my Zygo yellow and it is blooming and has been blooming since Nov.
Question: I am asking these questions so when I sell these babies I can be as accurate as possible on the Tag. Not that most people care, but I do.
I have spent too much time putting this together but I would rather do this than filing. LOL
Here is another picture of my three leaves.
through all that did anyone ever say why christmas and thanksgiving cactus gets woody??????
I would say the two on the ends are Thanksgiving and the middle Christmas.
No one came up with the answer on woody plants, I am thinking that it might be a age thing. But some sun scald could also contribuite. Just my idea not a prover answer.
I am sorry, I wrote Dave instead of Doc......senior moment. Sorry.
I have woody plants in the shade, so it must be age. I have all ages and the oldest ones are the ones with woody looking stalks. I really don't know. Sorry. Maybe someone else can come up with it. As the researcher, Mary......she comes up with all sorts of information. M A R Y ARE YOU THERE?????? Maybe Gita knows, she must be working.
I wonder if the ones the girls grow outside in the South get woody too. Yoo Hoo wake up down there. We need your input.