Holiday Cactus General Discussion Part #5

OH, JB! I must be more attending to whose Birthday it is.
That information appears on everyone's home page--if you scroll down on the right.

Happy, Happy Birthday--hope you had a nice day.

My small CC's are doing well--but none can compare to your description.
Is it because you have a G-H.? Mine sit in front of my front door--facing North--and seem to be doing well.
I transplanted them all earlier this summer in 4" pots, and they really burst forth after that,

When my pink ones bloom--I will be able to tell which ones are what.
I will send you some--OK? Right now--they are all just putting on new growth--slowly....

yes! The salmon ones seem to be very robust. Very stiff, upright stems. Good plant to have...

Your gardenia is still status quo. Maybe a bit more growth at the tips--but NO flower buds at all.
I had a very hard plant-summer this year. Spider Mites got to everything and chewed up everything.

I sprayed and sprayed----even the gardenias....with NEEM. But--according to all ther DG'ers,
one is NOT supposed to spray with NEEM in hot weather....
My Brugs leaves were all chewed up as were my old, large Burning Bushes. BAD--BAD summwe!!1

My Tomatoes had early Blight. Lost most of their leaves. No fruit to speak of...WHY do I bother???

We have been discussing this ad infinitum here--and I do not know WHY on Earth do I even need to grow Veggies??

I am getting tired of all these diseases--and not being able to do anything much about them....

Well--Must send you a bloom for your Birthday. Happy Birthday!

Deep pink Sitka Rose taken in Alaska in 2007 when I was here....
The fragrance is to die for!!!! Lots of history of how it got here from the Russian settlers.
Just Google Sitka Rose......

Gita

Hi Gita Girl, I am sorry you are having problems with the gardenia. but, if it makes you feel any better I am sure the three I have left from that same batch have chlorosis, every darn one of them. They were outside in the rain and I brought them in but it was too late....they are all turning yellowish and I have sold one, which I am shipping today and then I am refunding her money for the plant because I can not sell a plant that I have my doubts about. She can pay the shipping because the plant really does not look all that bad, but I know it is not perfect, so she will get a refund. I have been treating them with iron for days but they do not seem to be responding. They could be pot bound too. Oh darn.
It just was such a hard summer. Today it is hot and humid again and so difficult to know whether to water in the GH or just let them go.
Speaking of tomatoes, I planted two stalks. They grew and producted some fruit, but last year we plowed over the old plants and they came up this year and were ignored because they were in with the glads, and now they are producing the most beautiful and sweet tomatoes you want to taste. My one plum plant is producing out of shape plum fruit. Looks like H. but tastes good. Can you imagine?
My God it started to rain like a tropical pouring rain. The sun was out a second ago. GRRRRRR My shoes are on the deck. Crap. Gotto go and thanks for the Birthday Wishes. JB

JB---

Long time no hear or write.....Hope you are OK!

I took some pictures of your gardenia. Overall--it is surviving OK.
NO buds...and not too much new growth. It seems to be getting a tiny bit more leafy--
at he top as well as from the bottom.
Nothing spectacular. Status quo. All the leaves have the darker veins on the lime colored leaves.
Is that an Iron deficiency? Will post a couple of pictures below.

I did re-pot it a month or more ago. Now it lives in an 8"pot.
Have NO Idea what I should expect of it--nor what is good--or "normal" as it is now.

CC's are growing well. Hoping most of them will bloom--and I will then send you some of the pink ones
and the white ones (not sure on these...)...I just have some marked as "white" from my scrounging
around the racks at Lowes. Can't wait to see them all bloom--so I know what is what.

OK! Here are some pictures of the gardenia.
What's with the pale, chewed up leaves in picture #2?
Also--is the dark veining normal (pic. #1) ? Or is it lacking something. I am keeping it well watered--
and it gets good AM light for half the day.

Gita

edited to add that this pot sits under the roof of my patio--so extreme rain does not fall on it.
All the watering I give it is the only source of moisture...

This message was edited Aug 30, 2012 9:16 PM

Hi everyone, sorry to be gone so long but duty calls and I had things to do that took me away from this computer, plus the computer is not behaving and I need to replace it. More bucks gone down the tube. Ayhow,
Gita, the gardenia needs some iron on the leaves and in the soil. Mine were out in rain for weeks and they got too much water, then I brought them in the GH and they turned yellow with the green lines through, I sold one, it looked so bad I told the woman I will refund her money but I can not sell a plant that looked like that. I began treating it really aggressively and it looks pretty good. I am going to give it to her and she is paying for the shipping. The plant is healthy, just not as pretty as it should be. She is delighted. I am wondering if they are potbound again. Their roots grow fast and I think maybe mine are ready to go into 12 inch pots. They are in 8 now.
You may want to give it some epson salts too and some fish emulsion if you have any. I really loaded mine with all three and there is a definite improvement but I do not know which one made the difference or was it the combination of the three. Mine bloomed very early and then even the big ones did not bloom very much but I had been taking cuttings for two years so what can I expect.

The CC look great and all those you sent me seem to be much more stronger and larger than the ones I got from other sources. They also take root faster. I am going to have a great variety when these all decide to bloom, then some of them can be identified. LOL
I will be back later, I must go into town and do some errands. Hope you are all well and happy. Hope to get back to you soon. Knee deep in trying to sell some of these plants. I put two classifieds on DG with a special to DG members....so far nothing.
Both are very nice plants. Big for their size. I have them in 3" pots and when I put them in 5" the prices go up.

I've recently rad tyhat fish emulsion is really good for the good soil fungus, and that shrubs for one like those good soil fungus.

Gita, my red Epi has shot out some really long arms this summer. You'll see it soon!

JB--

I have Epsom Salts and I have a seaweed fertilizer as well as Fish Emulsion.

I also have some old Ironite. Would that help? What other products contain Iron?
Do you believe in the "old, rusty nails stuck in the soil"? ..:o)

My small CC's are getting to be a good size as well. They have all been now in 4" pots.
They sit on my front porch and never get sun--just nice, bright shade.
One thing that may hinder their blooming is that there is a porch light right above them
which is on all night. Not a bright light--just 40W in an old, rusty fixture.
At what time should they have complete darkness to set bloom?
I could put a box over the plant stands these sit on.

I have also started several 4" pots of the red Easter cactus. Not sure yet how far they are with the rooting...
Nothing has died--so holding my fingers crossed....

#1 and #2 here are the CC's...on my front porch right by the door.
#3 is my Easter Cactus starts. Should be good to go by next spring's Plant Swap.
***The bigger one sitting off to the right is a White Easter Ccactus that coleup shared with Sally and me.
I just ripped the root ball in half. MAN! That thing had a serious root system!

Thanks! It was nice to hear from you again........ Gita

All of my plants seem to enjoy fish emulsion. Yep, love that soil fungus microbial community.!

I bit the bullet and took some pics of my first holiday cacti today.

Pic 1 White easter cactus in 8" pot (sitting on garden chair for size comparison) This is the one Gita references in her pic 3 above as having quite a root system.

Pic 2 is a pink version also in an 8 inch pot

Pic 3 a branch of each....note the white is twice the size of the pink!

Edited to add my apologies for only being able to post pics that can't be fully enlarged at this time. Thanks, Judy

This message was edited Aug 31, 2012 6:47 PM

Judy---

Interesting--how some CC's are more robust than others....
I find that of all mine--the salmon one is the most robust. The red one is a close second...

Havw not yet seen the pinks and whites bloom--whose broken off cuttings I scrounged from racks
at Lowes and HD.

I will definitely post when any of these bloom--and JB will have the first pick.

Gita

You guys need to tell me if you want any of the colors I have. I certainly will share them with you. I can send you cuttings of all of them. If you are looking for something in particular, just tell me the name or color and I will see you get them. Also, the pink could be a hybrid of a .S. RUSSELLIANA X S. TRUNCATA that was considered one of the original Christmas Cactus. the pink I have and sell as a russelliana has very think leaves. I hope I have ID it correctly. I would hate to mislead anyone. It as beautiful fine small leaves and looks so petite compared to the others, yet the plant is large and healthy. In the horse business we would describe it as having "fine" or maybe a flower would be dainty? You get the idea I am sure.


Must get out there and water. This 90 deg. heat is a mess again. Later. JB

Hello all. Been gone a while. So nice to see your cc are doing well. I had some problems with mine this summer, shriveling (maybe didn't water enough in the heat), branches falling off, etc. But the good news is, I was able to save quite a few of the pieces and they are growing. Still small, but starting.

Sorry to hear about gardenia troubles. I was just sick when I lost my big one! I have a frost proof one that did so well this spring, it bloomed like crazy. Then it got sooooo hot, and I was down in my back. Couldn't go out and water. It's leaves all turned brown except for 1 or 2. I have been watering it and I think it may pull out, but I am going to have to cut it back.

coleup ..... are you going to have any coleus starts this fall? If so, please keep me in mind. I LOVED the ones that I got from you a couple falls ago. Tried to save them over the winter but lost them. There was one really pretty purple leaf with sort of scalloped edges I loved.

Well, take care all. Lots more threads to catch up on!

JB--
Good to see you are OK! We all survived this hot summer--even if some of the plants did not.

I was, actually, going to write you tonight. WHY? Because "birder17" sent me 5 small, thin cuttings
if a real CC. I do not know the color--will D-mail her back and ask.

Today, I spent potting up all the Easter cactus cuttings that have been languishing all summer.
Not rooting...getting all dessicated. It is my own fault. This summer, after it bloomed, I took a lot
of cuttings and thought it was a great idea to pot them all up in straight Coir. NOT!!!
They were forever dry--the Coir just wicking all the moisture out. Besides being in clay pots,
they just petered out. Not dead--but many of the sections were limp thin as paper, and all wrinkled.

So, I spent half a day today un-potting them from the Coir--sorting them out--twisting off a LOT
of the dead ends, and re-potting them in pro Mix. man! That took forever!!!
Just hoping that being in something organic they may recover.
The old mama Easter cactus was also in very sad shape. Did the same thing.....hope she recovers.
They are now inside. The Holiday cactus are all still outside--except the ones that were also struggling...

With these cold nights we are now having, slowly but surely, something will be coming in now and then.

Here are my new CC babies from Birder. I hope they do well. The cuttings were in excellent condition.
I put a small bow on it just for the picture----after all--they ARE a Christmas Cactus.

Gita

Glad you and JB and Gita are back! Every time I'd think how horribly hot summer was here, I'd hear something worse out of Oklahoma. Seriously it is amazing that as much survived that did.

Evidently, it is part of survival statedgy for cc s to drop branches when stressed.

Don't think I'll have any coleus this year but if I do, you are first on my list!

Gita, hope you cuttings take well in your tried and tru what works for you method after trying coir.

JB, when I have a place to properly care for them I'll ask you for one of each color!

Hope everything fits back in for all for the winter.

Judy

Judy--I always turn up--like a bad penny...:o)

My half of the white Easter cactus, that I ripped in half at sally's, has been really OK all summer.
It still has those little "nubs" at the tip of each segment. What are those??? Seed pods???
Remnants of the flower??? What.....

I now have 10 small, clay pots with red Easter Cactus starts in it--hopefully, they will all root now.
There just was nothing organic in the Coir to make this happen. Such a drying medium!
Maybe it works better mixed INTO another medium--NOT used by itself.

I hope they all take too. My biggest concern is whether the dessicated, somewhat drier segments will
re-plump (new word??) as they root. Will try to keep them a bit drier.

I remember last spring, that the Mama plant was looking a bit shabby throughout the winter and spring,
but when it got close to blooming time, it really plumped up. It actually had its first blooms
while still inside. Then, bloomed again outside later on. It is such a pretty plant when blooming...

Just took this picture of the white Easter cactus you gave me.
I did not realize how much new growth it had put on during the summer.
Do you see the "nubs" i am talking about? What are they???

JB---

Just asking---------
Do you think it may be a good idea to start a new "Holiday Plants Discussion Part #6 Thread ??"

We are approaching a new Holiday Season and there will be a lot of talk about this, and other
Holiday plants. Since we have already covered so much in the past 5 Threads re CC's--maybe
we could include discussion of other Holiday Plants in this new Thread.

What do you all think?

Gita, I also wonder about those nubs, Glad you asked.....I still have nubs too.

By the way- I fertilized some flowers on a CC last year. They all formed those bright pink fruits. (pink C if that matters). The fruits stayeed on all summer and were very decorative. The germination and growing sounds too long for my interest but the fruits were easy to create and neat to have.

This message was edited Oct 9, 2012 9:29 AM

Sally--

Would you agree with my suggestion above?? There are so many other Holiday plants
we all see. Poinsettias, Kalanchoes, Paperwhites, Amaryllis, Ivies, Hollies, etc....

There seems to be a lack of Threads at this time. 'Tis that time of year.
Any ideas to some new Threads that would light the fire a bit on the MAF?
Create some more interest to chat away?

G.

UP UP AND AWAY......WE ARE OFF TO THIS NEW LOCATION:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1284057/

Check in so we know we did not loose anyone. Newbies are welcome. See you there.

Sally, do you have a picture of those "nubs"?????

Talk about whatever you want to, no big deal, just do not forget our little darlings. I do agree there are some really exciting Holiday plants but I have no room to add them, I have no objection if you want to discuss then here or start your own thread. Up to you all.

Birder---
I will answer you more in a couple of days. Meanwhile--if you go to the very top of thisThread. then to the second
post by coleup--she has all the links in there to everything...

I cannot believe, that out of all of them, you chose the one in French...

Here are 4 that I thought you may like the best. These are from the bunch coleup posted above.

http://cactus.biology.dal.ca/paulS/christmas/christmas.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlumbergera

http://mattslandscape.com/schlumbergera_growing/

http://mattslandscape.com/rhipsalidopsis_info/


Be well and i so appreciate you caring about me. I am a tough old goat! Just roll with whatever comes along...

Gita