Cactus pictures

[Detector Man]

The left picture represents the buds just forming which will be a flower a few weeks down the line...
Eventually they will grow such as what you see in the second picture
and then the BIG reward....flowers are HUGE

the last two are from a cactus in a pot on my porch...the plant is 21 inches tall and 6-8 inches in diameter....beautiful flowers and i have never noticed any fragrance to them ....the top pictures are plants that will reach 6 foot...however, as they get tall they are prone to snap in half when we have windy days (15-25MPH) so we try to take them and secure them with ropes to the stakes

Cactus are funny plants because of the sharp points they have on them.....one either loves them or hate them...

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

Just curious, if you have to support the 6 foot tall cactus plants on windy days, what happens to the ones out in the wild? Do they break easily too? How long does it take for the cactus to reach 6 foot? One last question, how long will a cactus live? Thanks for sharing this hobby with the Forum, most interesting subject. Kelley (Texas)

 

[Detector Man]

I dont know about the tall ones in the wild but my suspicion is that they do break or that they are "fatter" and do not break...the ones in the picture act as a sail in the wind and just snap...with a strong wind...certainly not tornado speed wind......and i estimate they grow about a foot a year...as far as how long they live? the only ones i have that die are the ones in pots that i over water in the summer...i have never had an over watering problme problem with the ones in the ground...never seen one die of natural causes...i think i have my watering under control now....more is not always better...however , some act as if
they should rarely be watered....when in the ground id agreed but in pots? they probably "cook" and not grow as well if water was restricted from them

 

[ojm bc]

n/t

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

in a pot or bucket. While growing some Patio Tomatoes in a five gallon paint bucket, I had a habit of over watering the plant. Over time, and many damaged plants later, you will learn to do it properly. I think the roots also are subject to heat damage because of the sun heating the limited amount of soil in the pot or bucket...baking the roots as per se. Kelley (Texas)

 

[Detector Man]

I believe you got it all down in regards to watering....i finally have (took a long time) to not over water my cactus and succulents in particular the ones in pots...i have plants (Lithop) commonly called rock cactus (small succulents that resemble rocks)...i bought MANY of them before i stopped killing them by overwatering. I FINALLY figured out that it is (for potted plants) safer to UNDERWATER the plants. Now they are fine and are doing excellent
In my over watering days the plants turn mushy and by the time i noticed it , it was too late. In some cases i would cut off the bad part and replant what is left and save the plant.

 

[Detector Man]

TY OJM
unfortunately the flowers do not last...im looking out the window and they are all droopy and drying...much like the droopy flower in the second picture...

 

[Roscue2]

Very nice cactus's Detector Man. I had a small one in a pot for yrs that was eventually killed when it fell out of its pot. Do u happend to have an alovera plants (the ones that smell and taste terrible, but can be used on cuts?) We have had at least one of them for a decade now. HH and GL

 

[Detector Man]

not in the pictures shown but i do have an aloe vera plant....never smelled it ...many use the plant for first aid in burns especially....in fact if you look at the sun tan lotion tube many will say that it contains aloe vera

 

[Roscue2]

n/t