41 replies to this topic

[Grunta]

My back yard used to have river stones, bromeliads, herbs and of course, my Cacti. Then I had a water leak. A mini excavator came in and promptly ground all the river stones into the ground and made a general mess! Disheartened, I turned my back on the back yard and everything in it for over a decade. Well, last week I decided to see what had become of the cacti. It's a mixed bag of Pachanoi, Peruviensis and Bridgesii. I am not proud of my neglect so I intend to set things straight. I was known as Ferretious here in the past and if one looks through the archives you can see photos of these things from over a decade ago. Included in the photos is one of my very old Peyote (possibly Caespitosa) and a very young Red Khat plant.

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Edited by Grunta, 29 December 2021 - 01:43 AM.

[Grunta]

Unfortunately no photos! Edit; Sorted!

Edited by Grunta, 29 December 2021 - 01:44 AM.

[Phineas_Carmichael]

I remember you as Ferretious from "back in the day" and I look forward to watching you nurse these cacti back to health! It's great to see you again!

These past 2 years have been tough on my backyard as well... Last summer I discovered that my neighbors Blackberries had migrated to my yard...

https://mycotopia.ne...ding-questions/

Here's hoping that I can tame that Bush and keep it from pulling down my shed lol

Edited by Phineas_Carmichael, 29 December 2021 - 06:17 AM.

[Grunta]

Thank you Phineas. Your name rings a bell! Look forward to many communications between us!

[Skywatcher]

I also remember you from those days, but I was such a newbie then....

I see lots of very viable material in those pictures. One year of clean-up, followed by care will return a healthy cactus collection again... That Caespitosa looks awesome. I would ditch the white rock so the roots can breathe better.

 

I will be tuned in to watch your progress. I lost 80 percent of my cactus about 12 years ago when I was quite ill, and some animals got over vigorous digging and then it was left with no attention for several months.

[Moonless]

Thanks for making this post.

 

I'm amazed at your cactus and how they survived being left alone in pots for a decade! Some of them look like they didn't mind so much.

 

Good job finally getting to your back yard though. Good luck on getting it back in order

[Grunta]

I also remember you from those days, but I was such a newbie then....

I see lots of very viable material in those pictures. One year of clean-up, followed by care will return a healthy cactus collection again... That Caespitosa looks awesome. I would ditch the white rock so the roots can breathe better.

 

I will be tuned in to watch your progress. I lost 80 percent of my cactus about 12 years ago when I was quite ill, and some animals got over vigorous digging and then it was left with no attention for several months.

Thanks Skywatcher. My, how time has got by! I think I'm alright with the white stones around the peyote as the terracotta pot breathes as opposed to a plastic pot. Man it's good to be back! 

[Grunta]

Thanks for making this post.

 

I'm amazed at your cactus and how they survived being left alone in pots for a decade! Some of them look like they didn't mind so much.

 

Good job finally getting to your back yard though. Good luck on getting it back in order

Thank you Moonless! The Bridgesii were the ones most affected. Rather more delicate than the others.

Edited by Grunta, 29 December 2021 - 02:46 PM.

[Grunta]

Alright! It's a start. This is just the tip of the iceberg! The one lying on its side has a couple of roots growing out of its side so I decided to let it go that way. PS annoying when your photo refuses to attach upright!

[Grunta]

Just re-potted the best surviving Bridgesii (Var; Monstrose). No pain without gain!

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[Ferretious]

A bit more done this morning. Have to be cruel to be kind and it's cut off the viable and throw out the not so. Etiolation is already evident in some of the cuttings. 

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[Skywatcher]

Compared to the first post you showed us, you are making some nice progress!

Are you getting "thank you vibes" from the cactus you have given a fresh start to yet?

[Ferretious]

Compared to the first post you showed us, you are making some nice progress!

Are you getting "thank you vibes" from the cactus you have given a fresh start to yet?

Certainly feeling it brother! Gotta go up the local garden centre and purchase a third bag of Cacti & Succulent mix! 

Edited by Ferretious, 15 January 2022 - 02:00 AM.

[Ferretious]

This is what I intend to process. Foot for scale. Can anyone tell me if the grey/brown length(to the right) is viable? It's a lot to process and I don't need anything extraneous. Peace and love to all. Look at what a little pot this grew from! There was a very fat tap root that had to be cut through to free this cacti up. Edit: Upper rather than right as regards the grey/brown length; damn it!

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Edited by Ferretious, 15 January 2022 - 05:39 AM.

[Skywatcher]

Can anyone tell me if the grey/brown length(to the right) is viable?

I cannot touch or feel that section, so you will need to be the determiner. If it has some "water weight"  and no sour smell it is more likely to have a chance.

I can tell you what I have personally seen and done with success. The real determining factor is what the interior looks and feels like. Regardless of what skin scarring etc., if the interior is solid not soft, and has the whitish coloration of living cactus, it can produce a pup.

Ideally there needs to be a few areolas in a section from which to produce a pup.

 

I do see a few sections in that brown length, that appear to have some green skin still showing. Those would be the sections I would be inclined to give a try. You will want to cut sections around 8" or so, in order to have enough interior stored water to last through  the rooting and/ or pupping process.

 

It's up to you. You have quite a bit of good viable material besides that section, so it's a matter of how much you would like to keep.

If you do try a few sections, you will know by the end of fall if any of them have taken or not.
 

[Ferretious]

 

Can anyone tell me if the grey/brown length(to the right) is viable?

I cannot touch or feel that section, so you will need to be the determiner. If it has some "water weight"  and no sour smell it is more likely to have a chance.

I can tell you what I have personally seen and done with success. The real determining factor is what the interior looks and feels like. Regardless of what skin scarring etc., if the interior is solid not soft, and has the whitish coloration of living cactus, it can produce a pup.

Ideally there needs to be a few areolas in a section from which to produce a pup.

 

I do see a few sections in that brown length, that appear to have some green skin still showing. Those would be the sections I would be inclined to give a try. You will want to cut sections around 8" or so, in order to have enough interior stored water to last through  the rooting and/ or pupping process.

 

It's up to you. You have quite a bit of good viable material besides that section, so it's a matter of how much you would like to keep.

If you do try a few sections, you will know by the end of fall if any of them have taken or not.
 

 

Thanks Skye. I actually meant viable to "Process" e.g. extraction. Already got enough sections of San Pedro re-potted. 

[Coopdog]

I am amazed at the two that grew from that little pot! Wow! Glad you were able to salvage a lot of them. Good grow vibes for your Cacti...

[pharmer]

That trashy looking stuff may have been stressed to the point of being excellent processable material. If it were me I'd do the work and see if it doesn't produce a few milligrams of useful extract.

[Ferretious]

That trashy looking stuff may have been stressed to the point of being excellent processable material. If it were me I'd do the work and see if it doesn't produce a few milligrams of useful extract.

My thoughts exactly Pharmer. Two of the lengths are green, but the third is largely grey brown. So, wondering if this length is still viable. It's not rotten or beyond using to produce new growth. I could do a separate extraction on this particular length to find out, but of course, if it doesn't work then it is a waste of time and resources. 

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[Ferretious]

Well, apart from a couple of pieces, that's it. Now it's a waiting game to see if they take, or not. Fingers crossed. Infuriated by the photo's always ending on their side! Never mind, you get the idea!

One small piece already didn't survive. I noticed a brown patch that steadily grew until it was mush. Hopefully the rest will proliferate!  

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