In China

[ralphrmartin]

IanW Wrote:
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> "Potted with roots"
>
> Oh, how nice of them, they even include the roots?

Unfortunately, nearly every cactus I have seen for sale in a supermarket, gift shop, florists, etc in China is potted WITHOUT roots...

[nirwa]

Those cacti are for common people instead of serious cacti growers. That's why they were going to be sold in the supermarket. Common people often can not identify those cacti whether have roots or not. If they die, they just simply buy some new ones with out any thoughts. And, as we know, cacti can tolerate in the unrooted condition for a very long time before they die of dehydration ( Of course, Some lucky ones might get new roots during the period ). Common people won't think the sellers were cheating them. That's why those cacti nurseries let them out without getting rooted, I guess.

Guess they were raised in southern China where has the warmer climate. Here in Taiwan, some of cacti illegally imported from China are often grafted. I guess the cacti growing history of mainland China is not so long as European area or Japan as the rapid growth of their economy only for the past decades. According to the market needs, they have to haste cacti grow so cacti are often grafted.

[Colin Walker]

ralphrmartin Wrote:
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> Thanks. That might be what I saw. What species is
> it? Where does it grow?

Hi Ralph,

I've just done a quick check in IHOSP and around 10 spp. of Orostachys are recorded for China.

[lenbell]

Hi FQ, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for showing us those interesting plants. I think the only Chinese succulent I have is Sinocrassula yunnanensis.

Good luck!

[AllanA]

to the forum FQ

[Bob Sobelman]

i have pictures from a friends trip to china. he visited several nurserys. the pictures are unbelievable mostly super kabutos and all of the rare types of astrophytum, discocactus, crests of all types in the hundreds.all raised in china. i will ask him the name of the nursery.

[Stuart]

Hi,
I usually have a few days in Holland after ELK and went round all the large wholesale nurseries last September. There's very few plants from China in relation to the millions of cacti grown in Holland but the Chinese plants are very easy to spot. They are exported from China by sea - takes about 6 - 8 weeks including transport at either end and days waiting to be loaded - and the remarkable thing is how little etiolation there is. They must be completely dormant when shipped. I've seen plants from C&Js in Southern California that have been sent to the UK by sea still planted in trays , still with very little harm coming to them. The Chinese plants are easy to spot because of the compost, orange shredded coir - fascinating stuff and I've not seen it used elsewhere. I know garden centres have bags of coir but this stuff is like orange dust! The Chinese plants that will be turning up at garden centres, Homebase etc, are all the grafted Euphorbia Lacteas in various colours and Astrophytum Myriostigma & Nudum, I'm sure all the Grusoniis around are from the Canaries, being sent via Holland. None of these are of much interest to us apart from the Euphorbias which do take quite pretty photos - any chance of posting a few photos of the Chinese plants Ralph?

Stuart - Plantlife

[ralphrmartin]

Stuart Wrote:
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> any chance of posting a few photos
> of the Chinese plants Ralph?

Not this time as I am here for work and don't have my camera.

Next time I visit my inlaws in Shandong, I'll get them to take me back to the flower market and grab a few snaps. There are just a few places selling cacti in acres and acres of other stuff...

[pijaya]

Stuart Wrote:
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The Chinese plants are easy to spot
> because of the compost, orange shredded coir -
> fascinating stuff and I've not seen it used
> elsewhere. I know garden centres have bags of coir
> but this stuff is like orange dust!




The orange colored coir is a great stuff to use as soil ingredient.I also use them a lot in my mix, and the plant roots just love it, and they don't break down as fast as peat. The downside is that they can leach out color and leave ugly stains on your growing benches

[FQ]

thanks for care friend.
chinese cactus are often grafted.and profiteers selling plants without roots,many chinese cactus had cactus virus disease.(like rust,i don't know how to speak.)
Cultivation of the length of time is not a problem, take care of breeding reproduction of these I do not think it too difficult.
Agronomists have to engage in wheat breeding, rice breeding. That I would like some more meaningful.
even though china is a dictatorial nations but china does not lack horticulturist, breeders ,gardener.
Legally imported plants is almost impossible, so caused rampant smuggling.
Some people can be imported cacti and ferns .I think that are muggled.
[attachment 16209 200912614132519.jpg]
His album http://flickr.com/photos/33058508@N03/
If the Government does not manipulate the exchange rate I think prices will be reasonable.
A democratic country imported plants should be able to take the legal channels.