I have had this Edithcolea for about 7 years. Every spring it forms buds, but these tend to abort before they get very big, and the certainly never open. I ave always put it down to the fact that I am too scared to water this plant so early in the season, so the buds dry out.
This year, 2 buds formed. And this is the result:
This one opened today. It looks like the 2nd bud is going to abort, despite a fair amount of watering over the past few weeks. So perhaps something else is the cause.
Fantastic seeing it flower, I can only wish my plant would do the same. Mine is just over 2 years old now and no sign of buds. It is in a very warm sunny room (min 15C) and gets watered generously all year round. It seems to like this. In fact it liked it so much its fellow seedlings had to be given away to a good home cos they took up to much space on the kitchen windowsill.
Mine is grown indoors all year round too. Though I keep mine dry over the winter. It's about the same size as yours, but much older. Perhaps they need a dry period to induce but formation, and then watering at the right time for them to develope?
I had a nice sized plant, it over wintered fine, started growing well, so I watered it, couple of days later, went back, poof! Gone! Rotted....
Just started another couple of seedlings, LOL!
Cactophile since Childhood (infected by Mother.) 400+ collection of all sorts but currently into Asclepidaceae. As my Dad would put it, I like anything wierd and wonderful.
Yes, I'd love Jamaican weather all round! I am sure I should have been born abroad, somewhere hot....
I was particularly cross because the one I lost was one I imported through Kambroo nursery a couple of years ago, it was a bit touch and go to get it to re-acclimatise to the Northern hemisphere seasons, but it did and had put on good growth and I was getting hopeful...but c'est la vie!
On the bright side, I have a small cutting of Orbea Paradoxa which was slowly dying back and I thought was on the way out, which has suddenly put on a growth spurt and grown a whole new stem, so fingers crossed! Everything seems seems to like my new conservatory and lots of plants are coming into good growth or flower for the first time, so I am hoping for a good season with lots of pics for the forum!
Cactophile since Childhood (infected by Mother.) 400+ collection of all sorts but currently into Asclepidaceae. As my Dad would put it, I like anything wierd and wonderful.
Aloenut wrote: Perhaps they need a dry period to induce but formation, and then watering at the right time for them to develope?
You may be right, but mine always looks very miserable if I neglect to water it at any time. I reckon they may be like Melocacti, in that they suffer with root dieback if they get too dry, and then the rot sets in when you water them. Its only a theory, mind...
