Core collection

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sechjoh
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Core collection

Post by sechjoh »

This topic may give you a serous scratch on your head or maybe a headache, I know :grin:

I started out to collect some different cacti from a lot of different genera. The monotypic taxon was easy in some matter, but some of them was just out of reach (to rare). But somehow I ended up with a collection of plants from Chile. "If you want flowers from a cacti you grow from seed you need patients". So what do you do meanwhile? You take steps out of your core collection!

1. Why is that?
2. What Core Collection do you have?
3. Why do you collect them, do you remember?
4. What kind of sidesteps do you do?
5. If it is growing other plants, what genera/species?
6. And why?
/Christer DPP4, Capture One 10, CombineZM
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AnTTun
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Re: Core collection

Post by AnTTun »

Lets see...

1. I like variety
2. None. I like variety.
3. Nope. Except because of.. well... variety
4. Various.
5. Veeeery various.
6. I'm just a guy that likes various varieties.

Sorry Christer, simply couldn't resist :)

Fact is, I choose plants by their looks. By time I had to cut off some, mostly mesembs, because they don't fit to my growing regime, other than that, if it survives one whole year here, it stays because I most likely like the way it looks. I like astros, I like forbies, but I have other cacti and other succulents as well. Riff-raff here :)
TTcacti - C&S database software - http://www.ttimpact.hr/anttun/
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Re: Core collection

Post by pieter »

Hi Christer,
This is a nice topic.
I started to focus on small Mexican species and Rhipsalis, but now the last years I started to focus on Peruvian cacti. I went to peru in 2007, when I met my wife. Since then I return to Peru almost every year to visit my family-in-law and make some short habitat trips to see the cacti. My side steps are still the small Mexican plants and Copiapoa as well as Rhipsalis.
Kind regards,
Pieter

Take a look at my website, fully dedicated to our beloved plants: http://www.cactaceae.be
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Re: Core collection

Post by Mawa »

By no means do I have a core collection, just because my collection is only 1 year old. Hasn't had enough time to build the core yet. But I will pitch in anyways.

1."the core" takes too much time to mature, I have to put my energy somewhere (where it is not productive, like looking for a better paying job).
2.Spheroid mesembs.
3.Yes, I do remember. When I was a kid I saw a drawing of a Lithops. I liked it. Why? Ask a pediatric psychologist. What you like as a child sticks with you for long time.
4.Non-spheroid mesembs.
5.Rhombophyllum, Rhinephyllum, Antegibbaeum, Antimima, and a few non-mesembs (Anacompseros, Calibanus).
6.They grow much faster, keep things going when Conophytums look dead for 6 months. They vent my energy.
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Re: Core collection

Post by Peter »

I have some thousands of plants but the core collection is 3-400 Copiapoas. One of our most distinguished speakers once told me that he thought they are boring. I can see his point - but I'm as addicted to them as I am to Lidl's chocolate covered peanuts. :ban:
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Re: Core collection

Post by Liz M »

It's a very interesting set of questions but a bit like an examination paper. I guess I can number my plants in the hundreds and looking back I started with a bowl of mixed succulents and cacti, of which I have several still. Then I had a rest from growing them and started up again with the originals and a few more. In the last ten or more years I have developed and refined what I collect. Now I have a core collection of Crassulaceae and then Agaves, Gasterias, Haworthias, Aloes, Mammilarias, Echinopsis, Gymnocalyciums, Rebutias and Mesems. Some I have because I like them, some came along by winning them or being given them or feeling sorry for them. There are a few that I have decided I cannot grow properly so they will have to go and then leave more space for the next ones.
Obsessive Crassulaceae lover, especially Aeoniums but also grow, Aloes, Agaves, Haworthias and a select number of Cacti.
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Re: Core collection

Post by FairyCastles »

I've only been immersed in the cactus "scene" for a month.
Christer Johansson wrote: 1. Why is that?
I try to broaden my horizons
2. What Core Collection do you have?
More than half of my collection are Gymnocalyciums
3. Why do you collect them, do you remember?
Because they are everything I'm not. They're small and round and they look cute but can pack a punch with their spines.
4. What kind of sidesteps do you do?
I have been given many plants from very very kind members (who know what I like). The other cacti are also small and round.
5. If it is growing other plants, what genera/species?
I am growing Astros and have got various other seeds (including some mesembs)
6. And why?
I wanted something winter growing that was within my budget.
Growing Gymnocalycium and Frailea family
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Re: Core collection

Post by macavity »

1. My mother used to collect cacti and my father is an avid outdoor gardener, so I suppose it was natural that I would be interested in both when I grew up! I tend to collect succulents now rather than cacti, simply because I find their appearance more interesting (and I worry about the cats getting spiked).
2. I only have 100 or so plants at the moment but I suppose they could be more euphorbias. Almost everything is from South Africa.
3. I find the varirty of forms that euphorbias can come up with to be fascinating! I collect mainly South African plants partly because my husband was born there and they bring back happy memories of our honeymoon, but also simply because of the amazing numbers of different things that come from the country.
4. I do have one or two cacti in my collection, mostly gifts/raffle prizes or "unloved" ones from people who didn't want them any more.
5. So many different species, I wouldn't like to list them! Have a look at my photos in the greenhouse section. I've added a lot of new ones since then so I may have to update soon.
6. I'm a sucker for those "I don't have a home" stories. :grin: Plus I like to expand my knowledge wherever possible.
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Re: Core collection

Post by Rob »

This should have got us all thinking Christer, Nice one!

For me...

1. I'd realy like to grow all things Cactus and Succulent, but I cant so...
2.Tribe Cacteae

3. Difficult to put a finger on! But, it must come from my obsession with Turbinicarpus, started by Ken Burke in 1982ish, when I was buying 30pence seedlings from him each month - mostly Mamms and Gymnos, he persuaded me to part with 70p each for my first Turbs (schwarzii and flaviflorus I think) these were soon followed by more and more and an interest in dwarf mexican cacti followed. helped by the fact that I had space for more of them than others - For the first 20ish years of growing I only had a 6x4 greenhouse so anything that was getting bigger ended up sadly going to the branch bring and buy sale. When we last moved house I had more space to try to grow a lot more plants but for the last few years I have tried to re-focus on the Cacteae

4/5. Many and varied! Gymnocalycium, Haworthia, Lithops, but it runs to almost anything! Although I have been strict and only sidestepped to buying 2 plants outside my 'core' this year a Gymno and a Copiapoa from the Graham Slack sale - that was difficult, I could have bought a lot more that day!

6. See answer number 1!

Rob
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Re: Core collection

Post by rodsmith »

Christer Johansson wrote: 1. Why is that?
2. What Core Collection do you have?
3. Why do you collect them, do you remember?
4. What kind of sidesteps do you do?
5. If it is growing other plants, what genera/species?
6. And why?
1. I started with a small mixed collection as a teenager which I kept in a cold frame. Then a cat got in one night and all cacti were covered in cat fur (I expect the cat was covered in spines). After having removed the fur, later that summer most of them were stolen. Gave up for about 20 years when I successfully grew cacti & succulents from seed.

2. It varies. I buy what I fancy & retain if I like what I bought and if I can grow it well. In the main, Gymnos, Mams, Turbs, Notos, Copiapoas; mostly small stuff as my greenhouse is only 8 ft x 6 ft. Flowers are important to me.

3. I collect plants that I find attractive.

4. Many and varied.

5. Many and varied.

6. Because I grow what I like and what I can grow well, not necessarily in that order.
Rod Smith

Growing a mixed collection of cacti & other succulents; mainly smaller species with a current emphasis on lithops & conophytum.
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