My two seem to have been leaning from the start judging by the stem angle. It is not a very pronounced lean, only a few degrees, but very noticable as they get taller, especially as the Cephalocerus senilis in the corner is ramrod straight.

I think you are right Diane, which explains why they need shade to start twining. Some twiners start like as prostrate forms and grow towards the shade, as shade = tree trunk (called skototropism). Keeping them juvenile doesnt keep them tidy though, my 25yr old juvenile stapeliiformis is about 5 fee...

That makes me feel better...I thought it was just me

This plant has suprised me this week by breaking out in flower for the first time. It is an old rescue plant from my late Mum's windowsill. It seems very shy to flower, is that just my plant or is this normal?

Cleistocactus. The two Cleistocacti in the picture below are leaning very gently towards due north. As my plants are always kept in the same orientation to the sun, this must be the way they like to grow. Anyone else noticed this phenomenon in other columnar cacti? Any idea why they might do it? htt...

Here's my favourite mesemb, smiling in the sunshine...



Cono. minutum v. pearsonii 'glabrum'

Hi Phil I'm not sure you will get back to nice fat stems. It looks like armandii follows the same dimorphic growth pattern as C. stapeliiformis , which has very fat gnarly stems as a seedling, with 3 leaves per node and a non-climbing habit (hence the specific name). At some point it starts producin...

Agree with Paul, I too had 5 seeds last year (not so expensive from Mesa Garden), 5 came up, one withered away. Normal seed treatment ,same method as Paul, no problem.

That is a very small plant as it still has live cotyledons.

Thanks guys! Ian, thanks to your advice in a post a couple of years ago, I didnt water them too much when they grew up! The vanzylii is the lone survivor of a potful of seedlings that were doing very well, when I dropped the entire potful upside down on the greenhouse floor, at the green raspberry s...