Disocactus flagelliformis
As spring rolls on and temperatures remain consistently warmer, it’s finally time to bring your plants outdoors again. Over the past month or so I’ve been slowly but surely bringing out my cacti, succulents and tropical oddities. While many plants seem to do just fine in living room, nothing beats the great outdoors. Given the opportunity to breathe the fresh air, plants will almost always benefit and in turn, thrive.
Euphorbia leuconeura (Madagascar Jewel) loves it outside and begins flushing out rather quickly after being place outdoors.
Of course bringing your plants outdoors doesn’t come without it’s dangers, there are a couple things to keep in mind. It’s not as simple as placing the plant from indoors to out, patience and planning should exercised. Much like many of us who get a sunburn on our first day out in the sun, plants also have to adjust to the new intensity of sunlight. Plants taken from the sheltered existence of the home and out into the elements need a bit of time to adjust. Getting impatient will not only damage your plants, but might kill them all together. “Poor little sunburnt cactus…”
Some plants are easier the harden off then others, this Disocactus flagelliformis went right out under the maple tree. It’s home away from home.
It’s essential that you ease them into their new surroundings, hardening off your plants is a must . The idea being that you bring your plants out into the sun for a couple hours a day, increasing their exposure gradually until finally they can handle a full dose of the outdoors. I’ll openly admit I have tried this back and forth technique, moving a banana tree in and out of my house for a week. After many trips in and out I stepped back in protest, this strategy is back breaking, dedicated and monotanous. Let’s take a simplified approach, and make the move only once.
Some of the plants that on the third stage of the migration, having been deemed ready to live in the cold-frame.
After temperatures have started to stabilize and remain warmer in the daytime and night, it’s the perfect time to start the migration. A overcast weekend will work even better and the first move should be to a sheltered, shady outdoor position. I place my plants on the side of my house where it’s shady for 3/4ths of the day with minimal direct sunlight . While it seems like this wouldn’t make much of a difference from your indoor setup, sitting in the shade for a while seems to toughen them up a bit. They’ll feel their first rain drops, be blasted with fresh air, and experience real temperatures changes. Most reccomend you leave your plants in a position like this for at least 2 weeks, I often start to bring them out a little sooner. After about a week I go from shade, to partial shade, and shortly after to wherever I want. The stress caused by hardening off your plants seems to vary from specimen to specimen, but the more patience you have, the more successful you’ll be. A summer spent outdoors will give your plants better growth and a better life. They’ll reward your efforts by being overall more healthy, thus living longer, flowering more frequent and being significantly more rot and pest resistant. Let your poor plants out won’t you, it’s a good week to do it.
Cyphostemma juttae’s first leaves started to emerge this week. Hardening off on the side of the house.
A new addition in the midst of being hardened off, Euphorbia greenwayi.
Hope everyone’s enjoying the garden as much as I am. So much lush spring growth!
A couple nights ago I found myself sitting in my small greenhouse appreciating my cacti collection. It’s a great place for the cacti to live, they enjoy the extra heat and seem to thrive in this environment. While the rest of my garden gets generously watered the cacti house is on a much more moderate watering regime. Behind a wall of towering scarlet runner beans, the greenhouse is a good place to take a moment out and contemplate one’s life. I’ve always been attracted to close quarters and this is a bit a small sanctuary for me, an obscure sense of privacy is obtained in a city bustling with life. While hopelessly gapping out, I found myself in the golden hour and quickly ran to grab my camera. For all you cacti and succulent fans, here’s a small peak into some of my collection.
I recently found this cacti pot at a flea market for 3 bucks. While the pot has 3 different specimens, none impressed me more then this small spike ball. So far a NOID for me, it looks somewhat like a euphorbia. Either way a nice score.
A closer look, the needles gather water in the most unusual way.
Echeveria glauca, the first echeveria to really grab my interests, pre gardener.
The very first time I spotted one of these in flower I was smitten. This was long before I knew anything about plants, but I remember it grabbing me. It seemed so unusual, out of a hallucination or willy wonka movie. These succulents are almost anti gravityin their ability to repel water miraculously. They’re covered in a light white dust that mixes with water and creates a strange gel. I’m still unsure why they have this powder but asthetically it enhances the color of these fine plants. With that in mind I suspect it helps the plant in one way or another and shouldn’t be wiped off. Look with your eyes not your hands. A drop of water in the crown of the echeveria makes for a cheap crystal ball.
Ok just one more photo, incredible!
Upon closer inspection Agave bovicornuta has a menacing look. War scars tattoo it’s large succulent leaves, while it’s crown thorns say “No Touch”
A closer look: looks like a chainsaw blade.
Parodia Haselbergii (scarlett ball cactus) is flowering again. I found this one in Feburary and it was in bud then, I’m happy to see another set of blooms in the same year. It’s loving life outside.
A closer look at it’s neon orange flowers. For more information on this plant, see a post earlier this year, Parodia Haselbergii (scarlett ball cactus)
Pleiospilos nelii otherwise known as Split Rock was aquired late spring. Since then it has completed discarded it’s old fleshy body and replaced it with these new ones. It’s essentially the same size but fresh, quite strange.
It has the strangest spotted patterns, nature is the most intricate artist. I know a pointilist that get’s hand cramps doing this kind of work.
Echeveria runyonii has similar flowers to Echeveria glauca but super sized. Outstanding.
Graptoveria paraguayense ‘Fred Ives’ has been reliably beautiful all year round, aquired from a friend last year.
As far as giant African succulents go, Kalanchoe thyrsiflora is a must have. It’s doubtful I’ll ever see it flower, but regardless it has a worthwhile presence in the garden.
Euphorbia obesa also known as (baseball plant), I’ve wanted one for what seems forever. This specimen followed me home one day on an accidental nursery tour. A choice succulent.
Looking up from my greenhouse I’m pleased to see Disocactus flagelliformis (rat tail cactus) loving life in a characteristally unusual hang spot.
After visiting the hot south I feel a bit ridiculous collecting cacti and succulents in the way I do. When you visit a tropical cacti garden and see them at truly enormous statures it makes you feel a bit silly for nursing them along in small containers. Of course this is the beauty of being a gardener in the 21st century, one has never had more access to species then right now. If I want to hang a cacti in a maple tree, then that’s my prerogative. Hope you enjoyed the tour.
