My collection in Finland

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Pia
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by Pia »

Thanks, Brian. However, it's not too late for the new aerial roots that will grow in the future.

I think that the purpose of the aerial roots in S. grandiflorus is to help the plant in spreading and growing in the nature. That is, these roots might help the plant attach to and climb on different surfaces. If the roots find soil, they attach to it and then they can transport water and nutrients to the plant. But to a houseplant growing in pot, I think that these aerial roots have no purpose because they cannot find soil or something else to attach to. Moreover, the aerial roots become dry and dead very soon if they don't find soil. Thus, it seems to me that these roots have no purpose in houseplants growing in pots, and if they become dry and dead, what harm would cutting them off possibly cause? But I don't know for sure and that's why I'm asking if somebody wiser would know the facts.
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anders
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by anders »

You can remove them, I have often done that without harming the plants. They produce much more aerial roots when grown in low light, btw.
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RAYWOODBRIDGE
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by RAYWOODBRIDGE »

Cutting the dry and hard aerial roots off will be fine, I have done this many times without any effects. The plants still grow and flower each year. Hylocereus undatus is even worse for aerial roots and I trim them back every now and then with no effect to the plants.
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Cactus only collection mainly from seed.
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Pia
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by Pia »

Thanks for your replies!
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Pia
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by Pia »

My Opuntias (O. fragilis 'Füssen') are flowering again in my rockery! I planted them three years ago, and they have bloomed every year.

Also this winter was very harsh for plants in Southern Finland. In autumn and early winter, it was very wet and warm, but from January to March, it was very cold (-25 Celsius or more) for many weeks. Also this spring, the Opuntias looked very bad. They were dark, soft, and clearly looked rotten. I even cut off a few soft pads and almost dug all of them up because they looked so dead. However, once again, they rapidly became green and hard and full of buds! I cannot understand how soft and black and CLEARLY rotten pads can change into green and hard??

They are blooming early this summer because we have had very warm weather for six weeks now (about +25 Celsius or more almost each day). During these warm weeks, we have not had even a single drop of rain! This spring and early summer has been so dry in Finland that this only happens a few times in 100 years.
Fussen23x.jpg
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juster
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by juster »

Hi Pia, it's very interesting to have news of this plant, which I remember from previous years; also interesting to hear of your unusual weather. Your Opuntias seem to have an amazing ability to survive- I can't explain it either!
Croydon Branch member, growing mainly cacti and Echeverias
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Pia
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by Pia »

I bought this fishbone cactus at a store, but there was no name attached. Can somebody tell if it is Epipyllum anguliger or some other fishbone cactus?
Kalanruotox.jpg

Previously I tried to grow E. anguliger from seed, but I did not succeed. After this stage they rottened.

Anguliger5x.jpg
esp
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by esp »

Hi Pia,
Your fishbone cactus looks extremely similar to my Cryptocereus anthonyanus - but the stems vary a lot in shape anyway, so i wouldn't take that as definite. Flowers would help a bit.. :wink:
Ed
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Pia
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by Pia »

Thanks for your answer, Ed! I'm afaraid I can only dream about flowering….
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anttisepp
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Re: My collection in Finland

Post by anttisepp »

Thanks to Pia I've got also the same opuntia (O. fragilis 'Füssen') in the autumn of 2017 and last summer it flowered successfully as some other hardy cacti.
Etelä-Karjala, Suomi-Finland
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