The 3 worst cultural mistakes you've done?

[Patricia-CR]

According to your experience with cactus and succulents, which do you consider to be the three worst cultivation cultural mistakes you have done?

We learn a lot from each other's experience. To mention some:

Changes in the thickness of growth and cracks
Lack of light
Corking
Irregular watering
Burn marks
Too much warmth and humidity in winter
Lack of heat
Damping off
Introducing the new plant without checking and re-potting it
Too large pots
Use of non appropriate soil

Mine:
1. Not checking nor re-potting a new plant, letting pests get into my ol' good plants.
2. Huge sun burn marks when the rainy season changes to sunny (still happens).
3. Changes in the thickness of growth and cracks, especially after the dormant period... When I begin watering again, it's terrible the cracks and irregular growth they get. How can I prevent that? It's like impossible. I've tried increasing water little by little but still I get cracks or a sudden change in growth in some cactus that will be there forever. Suggestions, please!

[Lithos]

The 3 worst cultural mistakes I can remember are :-

1 - Mis-interpreting a New Zealand accent, thinking the person was from Australia (never did that again)
2 - accidentally going to the wrong funeral for two hours having been mistaken for a relative
3 - asking if there was a vegetarian option on the menu (U.S.A. in general)

Plant wise - it's usually over watering

[lobman]

Not repotting enough
Using an unsuitable detergent to de mealy bug , ended up with plants covered with blisters .
Probably trying to cultivate too many plants ; my first greenhouse was a 6 1/2 x 7 1/2 and things were fine ,despite using Borg type composts for each plant ; that was forty years ago ; now my main greenhouse is 48 x 10 1/2 and have cultivation problems all the time .
I used to say that if you did not know if you had a plant or not , you had too many plants , ( or a bad memory ? ) I now have happily reached that point ! ---- I console myself with the idea that I just need more room , and things would be better .

[Aiko]

- Not shielding seedlings for an entire week in a greenhouse baking under the summer sun. Losing all small Copiapoa cinerea's. But Euphorbia schoenlandii seedlings sure can come back from the ashes after a severe battering like this.
- Using commercial cactus soil for the first 13 years thinking it would suit the plants. But after some experiments you now realise how stupid you've been for all those years, how much some plants had to suffer (no wonder some died on you...) and you are glad you are mixing the soil yourself with lots of rocks and loam.
- Underwatering my cereus plants and treating them the same as my globose plants. The tips always dry up on me.

[Patricia-CR]

Interesting...

Aiko, what's the composition of the soil you prepare?

Lobman, I've found that not only detergent but using any plant oil doesn't work well in cactus either. Did you find a detergent they tolerate?

Lithos, good one

[AnTTun]

I guess everyone will have different answer to this. For ex, I doubt I'll ever meet someone from New Zealand Except neglecting my collection for a decade or so ('only toughest deserve to live') my worst 'mistakes' were due to lack of greenhouse and frequent relocation. Every time I moved to another house I lost part of collection but not because of transportation. It either stayed at old house for a while (completely exposed to weather) or was set down temporarily at new location with same (none) protection. Rain, ice and snow had their share...

[BrianMc]

The 3 worst cultural mistakes I can remember are :-

1 - Mis-interpreting a New Zealand accent, thinking the person was from Australia (never did that again)
2 - accidentally going to the wrong funeral for two hours having been mistaken for a relative
3 - asking if there was a vegetarian option on the menu (U.S.A. in general)

[jhb]

Not putting my multi headed Haworthia Maughanii in my heated greenhouse.
Its gone to the great compost bin in the sky. Am so annoyed with myself.

[Stuart R]

Not sure about the 3 worst, but my worst for sure is:

I sowed 24 different species into 2" pots, put pots on propogator & propogator on kitchen worksurface where it could benefit from the under cupboard lighting. Everthing was going nicely with multiple germinations. Dudley, our cat, decided they might do better on the floor. So he somehow pushed/pulled & got the lot onto the floor. Fortunately I had some backup seed for all bar a couple of those sown.

Stuart

[Aiko]

Aiko, what's the composition of the soil you prepare?

Will depend on species and my mood of the day, but normally around 50% soil and / or loam, and 50% stones and / or sand.