Photo's of this years Thanksgiving and Christmas Cactus

I have about 2 dozen orchids, most all from the clearance table at Wal-Mart and a few from trades! They hang in the Schefflera tree in the back yard most of the year but we are having some cold nights so they are now hanging in the guest bedroom window! We are supposed to be in the 30's here tonight! YIKES! Very COLD for this time of year for us!

28 here tonight.

Brrrr ... Wren, y'all are going to be ten degrees colder than us? We are supposed to be @ 38 tonight and 36 tomorrow night. You aren't that far north of me. I sure hope this is just a fluke of a cold snap and not what we can expect for all winter! We don't usually get real cold until January and even then it's only a couple of nights here and there.

I just hope my epis will be alright. I have them all together under several layers of plastic. It was 6 degrees warmer in there this morning that out side it. I have to get that green house finished

As promised here is my new Holiday cactus

And here is the other one

Wren, they should be okay as long as the plastic isn't touching them. My big E. hookeri is out in the backyard under a tree and I just throw an old blanket over it. The E. Oxypetalum is on my deck and I threw a blanket over it also. Hopefully the temps won't stay real low for any length of time.

I know that the E. oxy is tough enough to take it but I have a LOT of new growth on my cuttings.
It is already down to 38 degrees. This will be a few hours of very low temps. We usually do not get this cold. The intermost layer does touch but the outher two do not.

I don't think it's good to have any plastic touching foliage if the temp's are going to go real low. Plastic conducts cold and if it touches any foliage can freeze to the plant. Can you throw an old sheet or blanket over them?

Some good info regarding protecting plants from the cold: http://ufextension.polkvoice.com/default.asp?item=310169

Afraid not. To many. I have four or 6 layers over them so there is a air pocket between the enter ones and the other. Even smashed together on three of the close shelves and plants on ground inbetween we are talking about 8 feet x8 feet x6 feet high. Only a couple of leaves touch. Mostly that monster of a E oxy of mine. I put together a pvc pipe frame yesterday, and draped thin plastic over that. So there is a good size air pocket between the to layers.

It is gonna be cold tonight here too: 28 tonight, 30 tomorrow night. Just finished getting everything tucked away and covered. Brought the epies in... Then I went online and bought a couple more epies LOL!

Y'all are starting to get as bad as I am.

Wren, that should work then if you've used a pvc frame. I don't know enough about Epi's to know how much cold air they can take, but the pvc cold frame will at least keep any frost from getting them, and hopefully the layers of plastic will keep it a bit warmer inside around the plants.

When I managed the landscape nursery we were taught that it would often be colder inside or under the plastic than it would outside it. If at all possible, check out a thrift shop or something and find some sheets or blankets you can use. I need to do the same thing today. My makeshift cover may not work too well if the winds pick up tonight.

Ya'll don't start on orchids. I can't get into orchids, i have no more room! I have no more money! I have no more dirt! Hey don't they sell that in bags? I can babysit right? LOL is this a sickness or what?

Yes it is a sickness.

I am hoping to get the green house finished before the next freeze. Then I can use a small heater and a fan.
we did not get down to freezing here at our house. Thank you river, ocean, creeks and a tiny hill I live on.
It get to 27 at the airport but that is northwest of us. My outside senseser for the temp. said it get down to 39 so even if it is little cooler under the plastic everything should be safe----I hope

Orchidman1 what type of potting medium do you plant your holiday cacti in? I have a thanksgiving cactus that is absolutely beautiful right now. I have been given two large cuttings from a 100 year old Christmas cactus. I need to plant them. I also grow orchids and I plan to keep these cutting in my grow room under the lights I have for my paphs and phals.

My new Thanksgiving cactus is coming right along!

Please send pictures of the old Christmas cactus cuttings.
sandy the epi nut

WOW,WOW ,WOW.ORCHID MAN THAT IS BEAUTIFUL.....GINGEROSE

I found it. Here is my old fashion Holiday cactus.

I just get the cuttings this year , it has not budded but it is a pink.

Sandy the epi nut

This message was edited Nov 25, 2008 6:23 PM

I just discovered a new christmas cactus...Schlumbergera Opuntioides....it has bumps on the leaves that are prickley like an opuntia. I just saw one on ebay, and the starting bid is $99 or buy it now for $125. It says its rare, but.....wow. I have bought about 5 more christmas cactus in the last week in various colors. I know....I'm already out of room in my greenhouse, but, I founds spots to wedge them in...lol.

Down Child.... Even I would not buy one at that price!!!!!!!!!!!

And yes I bought a couple of more.

Did you see the one in the picture above???

I think I have one of the "Flame" will have to take a picture and send it later
Sandy the epi nut

Here is my newest one.

LOL I bought 4 new holuiday cactus this week a pink,red,white and orange. Now I need a yellow.
I also got my gas heater put in my new Green House today so I am ready.

Lavina

This message was edited Nov 28, 2008 4:57 PM

I have a pale yellow, if you can't find one let me know.
I get some more of the pvc joints today, so I am getting closer to finishing my green house.

Sandy the epi nut

Wren that is a beautiful cactus, put me down on the I need a cutting list when you start one. And a yellow one too! :)

Ok Do I have your address? In fact it might be best to send me a d-mail with it and what you want and I will try to get them to you. The yellow has not bloomed yet, so I will wait until after it blooms.
I also have a red and white and one that is labeled lavender(?) If I have a d-mail I will put it into my future cutting folder- do not remember things to well.

Here is the red and white.

Sandy the epi nut

yes...I bought one labeled lavender today too. The pic looks a lot like the magenta though, and I hope it actually does look diferent when the buds open. I've also been looking for a yellow. I have red, magenta, pink, salmon, one thats a really really pale almost white salmon, white, and a few that I dont remember the color of that maybe I should label when the flowers open.

by the way wren....I did see the pic above. When I saw this new christmas cactus, I remembered you said you had a different one, and thought perhaps that was it, but after seeing your pic, it dosent have any bumps or spines on it.

I have 3 different reds, pink, white, salmon ,yellow, orange, lavender, magenta, hot pink and white, red and white and magenta and white

None of my Holiday Cacti are blooming yet, I don't even think even one has buds yet! I know I have one that is a coral color, a few that are fuschia or dark pink and I think I have a white one too. Can't wait for them to set buds but they don't usually bloom until late December/January time frame for me.

I see Schlumbergera opuntioides is listed in Plant Files: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/141430/ but there are no photo's.

I googled and found these pictures: http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=images+of+schlumbergera+opuntioides&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

I was googling and found this site with some really gorgeous Schlums: http://www.schlumbergera.org/index.php?shp=show&pg=12

I have already bookmarked that one,am fighting myself, so want to order some. LOL

I'm getting really confused. Still googling for S. opuntioides and found this: http://www.gailans.com/view/2629407739

and this one that looks like a spiny, desert type cacti: http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/lifeforms/epiphytes/b0800tx.html and this, spines/thorns too: http://www.brazilplants.com/cactaceae/schlumbergera-opuntioides.html

The S. opuntioides I saw on ebay looked just like a regular christmas cactus, except that it had bumps on the leaves, which I imagine had very fine spines coming from them. Funny.....perhaps they are the same species from different parts of the world. You learn something new every day. Interesting!

plantladylin, the one on the first link is a very common Hatiora gaertneri. Just the one on the third link is S. opuntioides, a hard species to get and to keep alive.

Here's one of my many varieties of Schlumbergera truncata, Samba Brazil

Regards

Carlos

and here's "Sol Brazil"

This is "Carnival Brazil"

Lovely!!! I wish the labeled them with there names in this country.

I just added a couple of more.

A pink and yellow one picture below
and a very soft pink

carlo05 My pale pink is not all the way open but I think you might like my epi guard dog as his ancestors came from Belgian

I love the pink and yellow!