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Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:16 pm
by Peter
I do appreciate the nice comments folks. The greenhouse was supplied by Peritys and one of their directors helped me and three chums erect it in a full day onto a previously built blockwork base. The floor comprises two layers of Visqueen damp proof membrane with about 1½" of pea gravel and paviours (flags) laid as a walkway. I fixed guttering down each of the 40ft sides, draining into four water butts which are interconnected. A Hozelock water butt pump is used, connected to a hosepipe inside the greenhouse and watering all the very many plants takes about 20 minutes with a hose-end feeder.

I made the staging which is quite simple - basically series of 4" x 4" legs joined together with wood strips along the top, lots of cross members, all covered with marine ply and with 1" x ½" laths along the edges to prevent the pots falling off.

Tina: you asked which was the oldest Copiapoa. I don't really know as I have so many but this scruffy Tenuissima is labelled as 1955.
cristate rsize 006.JPG
Liz: that plant is a cristate Borzicactus. Here's another one.
cristate rsize 015.JPG
This cristate is a cristate Akersia Roseiflorus.
cristate rsize 007.JPG
And this monster is a cristate Cleistocactus. It's got a Dioscorea Elephantides wrapped around it.
cristate rsize 011.JPG
The funny thing is - no matter what the names are on the label, these cristates are all from the same family.

Bill: I do still have quite a lot of spare space in the greenhouse but not for cabbages, thank you, nor for any of Ray_M's vegetables. However, I could manage any number of old Copiapoa Cinereas if you have any to spare....

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:28 pm
by Cactus Jack
Suitably impressed Peter :!: Wow :mrgreen:

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:21 pm
by sue46
Wow - what can I say :eek:

Peter what a brillant collection. You must just finish watering and have to start all over again!

I noticed a smaller greenhouse in the background - what do you have in that?

Thank you for sharing the collection with us.

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 8:19 am
by Peter
Thank you, Sue. The small greenhouse is a 12ft x 8ft that was here when we moved to Whitchurch (not far from you!).

I use it for growing plants from seed (cacti and special trees), also for overwintering cold-sensitive items, i.e. potted Magnolia Grandiflora).

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:59 pm
by Ray_M
Great photos and collection Peter,whats the blue opuntia/tephro type,in the 8th picture, to the right of the pachypus?If it ever sheds a pad I would be happy to give it a home.I must agree with Bill,you need some lovely succulents to st them off.Do you ever exhibit your plants Peter? Let me know when you are ready for the gasterias you asked for :lol: .Cheers,Ray.

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 5:55 pm
by Peter
It's Opuntia Miquellii, Ray. This grows into a nicely sized plant.

Also, I've never exhibited my plants, one reason being that I once saw a fantastic Mamm Bombycina - hundreds of heads in a huge bowl - that had a complete side ripped off when it caught on a door frame when being wheeled on a trolley into a show. I should imagine the owner was looking for a rusty razor blade after that happened....

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 8:22 pm
by sue46
Its a good job you have strong staging Peter! Am I right in thinking that the large multi-stemmed cactus sitting at the top of the greenhouse is a Cleistocactus Strausii? My knowledge is rusty! :oops:

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:44 am
by Peter
It is indeed, Sue. In fact it's been chopped down a few times because it's grown too tall. I keep removing 'legs' and root them. A very prolific plant.

The plant next to it is a Pachycereus Pringlei which again grew too large for the greenhouse that I had at the time. After I pruned it it produced the couple of shoots that you can now see. Again, a fairly quick grower - mainly due to frequent repotting.

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 11:09 pm
by IanW
Is it wrong that each time I see a reasonably sized Myrtillocactus geometrizans in someone's collection I think "Ooh, that'd make a nice bit of grafting stock" :lol: ?

Do you bubble wrap and heat your greenhouse over winter Peter? if so do you bubble wrap from the outside?

Re: Peter's Tour

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:04 am
by Peter
Ian: you're right about the Myrtillocactus! :eek: :lol: It's just that sometimes these things get hidden amongst the others and get to a size whereby one just leaves them to get on with it!

Re insulation - I don't insulate. There is a sheet of bubble hung from the roof but that's there to keep the sun off the Copiapoas. The volume of air in this large greenhouse takes time to cool down after a day's warming and the heaters only come on when it's especially cold. It's not an expensive greenhouse to run, also the fact that it's a wood structure does help considerably. There are though, three Parwins spaced around the greenhouse if needed. I also have a large fan connected to a thermostat for producing a draught in hot weather.