weather

[Roy]

Well it's been a nice day here on the Yorkshire Riviera. I could actually feel the heat of the sun on the back of my neck as I was potting up outside. Even the greenhouse vent opened up a little.
One or two plants are now beginning to produce Bud's. I have seen them go back dormant again for another month at this time of year.
Frost again tonight though
[attachment 2059 krainziana.jpg]

[Bill]

Yes my vents opened a bit today too, was a glorious day,

I was busy potting up the new arrivals, but did have the chance to notice the odd bud on Mam. plumosa. BTW there are no gaps at the moment and it's not quite so tidy

[Roy]

That's what I like to hear, a working greenhouse :-))))

[Julie]

Roy, that looks a whopping cactus, how big is it?

Well, the nights are supposed to be cold but it wasn't that cold here last night. (Northants.) The stars were so nice that I decided to sleep with the curtains open... usually I shut them when it's dinnertime so that it stays warmer when I'm not in there to get claustrophobic

Woke up later on and thought it was light, but it was the moon blinding me. Was quite snug though.

Had the windows open today, and it was not cold. And another starry night tonight.

We have two inches of crocus shoots in the lawn, midges around the treetop and the doves were being romantic. It should be colder!!

[Roy]

Hi Julie,
no it's only a small multiheaded Rebutia krainziana in a 3" pot

[Julie]

Aaah... thanks Roy. Looking at it again, the spikes are a bit translucent, so it must be a wee one at high zoom.

Hope you get wee pink flowers!

[Roy]

I hope I get big ones :-)

[iann]

Lovely days, crisp frosty nights, lots of passive solar heating, have to keep an eye on those sensitive plants that burn at this time of year. Oh, and thick freezing fog last night, that was fun

[Roy]

One for Bill,
one of my plumosa's (the bog standard form) has been flowering most of the winter but strangely the golf ball form has not but they both flowered last year.
I like them but they are a heartbreak plant for me. I once grew one to 14" and then I repotted it. All the warning signs were there, just 25mm long roots and plenty of them. I planted it back in what was really a large pot saucer in nearly just grit and watered very carefully but one day I went into the greenhouse and I had a 14" pile of mush. They seem to collapse overnight for no really obvious reason
[attachment 2072 plumosa.jpg]

[Victoria]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to loose a plumosa overnight. Was one of the first plants I had when I really started getting into cacti and succulents 3 or 4 years ago. Fine one evening next morning collapsed into mush, haven't be brave enough to try again yet.