Search found 488 matches

by Keith H
Sun Jan 29, 2023 12:36 pm
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: A peek under the covers.
Replies: 21
Views: 1102

Re: A peek under the covers.

I thought the idea was to trap airspace which acts as an insulating layer, cooling down more slowly after warming in sunlight, rather than the fleece itself insulating. The same principle as wearing lots of layers when winter hillwalking (or summer, up here) 😋 My Dad was always a fan of putting new...
by Keith H
Wed Jan 25, 2023 11:58 am
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: Not so hardy Agave
Replies: 39
Views: 1988

Re: Not so hardy Agave

Last time we had the same December freeze was 2008/9 when I lost a number of plants outdoors including several of the more tender Americana variegates. I also lost a lot of slightly tender Tree ferns and Mediterranean types plants which the run of hot summers / mild winters in the early 00’s encour...
by Keith H
Tue Jan 24, 2023 1:28 pm
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: Not so hardy Agave
Replies: 39
Views: 1988

Re: Not so hardy Agave

I am amazed by how many plants some of our experienced growers have lost this winter, I know we all expect the odd loss but did we all become complacent after a run of mild ish winters? I am not that far from Mike is SE London and know we have had both colder nights and more snow in previous years b...
by Keith H
Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:59 am
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: Argyroderma testiculare
Replies: 8
Views: 539

Re: Argyroderma testiculare

Wonderful colour to brighten up a cold day.

(Yellow seems to be the only colour flowers I see in my green house at this time of the year.)
by Keith H
Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:54 am
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: Unwanted spines
Replies: 11
Views: 641

Re: Unwanted spines

Maybe this is the reason cowboys wear leather chaps. :grin: I did think of buying a leather potting apron - until I saw the price. :cry: Leather welding aprons in various qualities are from £15 upwards on Amazon, I use mine when welding not gardening but I don't see why it would not work. You could...
by Keith H
Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:47 am
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: how to fix polycarbonate panels in a greenhouse roof
Replies: 21
Views: 2287

Re: how to fix polycarbonate panels in a greenhouse roof

Replacing glass with polycarbonate is in itself a problem as older aluminium framed greenhouses used the glass to aid rigidity in the frames, as is seen when building the greenhouse which becomes much more stable when fully glazed. I vaguely remember a discussion on here where additional aluminium c...
by Keith H
Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:36 am
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: M. schiedeana v. plumosa seedlings
Replies: 9
Views: 586

Re: M. schiedeana v. plumosa seedlings

They are looking great. I'm sure I have read that these do better when watered over the winter... I have found them to need to be dried out in good time for winter, and that they flower unwatered. I suppose each grower and each greenhouse is different I keep mine at +5 deg. C and don't get a lot of ...
by Keith H
Tue Jan 10, 2023 3:40 pm
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: 2022 seed list
Replies: 70
Views: 4728

Re: 2022 seed list

Thank you to everyone involved with the seed list this, despite ordering quite late from the pdf my seeds have arrived this morning with only one substitution. As my December journal has only been here for four days I would say that is a tick and gold star for whoever actioned the on line publicatio...
by Keith H
Thu Jan 05, 2023 8:16 pm
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: Faucaria felina Solved
Replies: 3
Views: 330

Re: Faucaria felina Solved

In my admittedly limited Faucaria experience, waiting ages to catch a flower open seems to be a feature, well it is with my F. paucidens grown from BCSS seeds. Some of my earlier flowering ones opened in the green house before Christmas so I brought a couple of later ones into the house hoping to en...
by Keith H
Sun Aug 28, 2022 12:53 pm
Forum: The Cactus & Succulent Plant Forum
Topic: Death to Mealy Bugs
Replies: 33
Views: 2609

Re: Death to Mealy Bugs

el48tel wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 3:22 pm
Elizabeth wrote: Sat Aug 27, 2022 2:30 pm In my experience, mealies seem very fond of hairy Echinopsis buds. I keep a very careful eye on them.
How true those words
Add to them ... seed pods .... roots .... body ............
^^^^ 100% agree and would put Echinocereus in a close second place.