If this is bacterial I wonder if anyone has tried Streptomycin sulfate as used for control of bacterial cankers on commercial fruit trees? It might not work as a cure but maybe the powder could be useful to dust the wounds after cutting out lesions?

My youngster, I think a rooted cutting, came from David Neville and popped its first flower this year. Looks more red than orange to me, but maybe not as cold a red.

Hi Lorraine, there are more experienced Pterocactus growers on here who will doubtless chip in. But it should be totally hardy in an unheated greenhouse provided it is kept dry - in fact it will benefit from being colder than it will in the house. Also - if young and not yet big enough to flower the...

I lost all my first attempt to scorch their first summer - the only species in the tray that suffered. So next attempt I was careful to keep them cool and in some shade the first year. After that, no trouble.

The winner is Ali Baba's Peniocereus. Incidentally - my own plant, bought as a 5cm tall specimen, has barely grown at all in three years! So am envious.

Hi These seedlings (S. heinzii RH_3237) are a little more variable than average. They are all from the same sowing. In terms of temperature, I've recently been growing Sulcorebutia crispata subs. hertusii from seed and they come from around Zudañez which looks to get up to 27 o C or so. So lower mi...

I treat my Conophytums as Autumn and spring growers, keeping them dry in december, January and early february. My Tylecodens are treated similar except if we get a few days of bright weather, they then get a splash of water. The Conophytums might not mind this. But if you grow African bulbs that ar...

I do the same as Ian and treat as Lithops except nelii. Two of my nelii have advanced buds now, perhaps because I continued watering quite late. Usually they would not show buds until new year. I will give a little water in mild weather now - I read that the buds might abort if too dry but not sure ...

I did let my youngish plants dry out by mistake this autumn and they shrivelled alarmingly but recovered well within a few days of watering. I won't be doing it again.

Apteranthes europaea with visitor in yesterday's sunshine.