What have I got myself into??!

[SaiBon]

For years I've taken the mick out of my father and grandfather for thier interest in plants. I promised myself that I would never know the names of plants when looking around someone else's garden (not that I would ever want to look around anyones garden of course) and I would never start cutting bits of turf away to make flower beds etc.. Plants are boring....

Well, don't tell my dad or grandad but I have allowed the mysteries of plants to sneak up on me without me realising that I am becoming interested in them! Last year I bought 3 Chinese elm bonsai trees, and I removed a great strip of turf from the front of the house and dug it over before planting lots of plants that I don't know the names of - I just planted them because, dare I say it - 'I like them'.

Then, yesterday when we took the children to see Santa at Gates Nursery in Cold Overton I spent a long time looking at cactus's - or is it cacti? I ended up buying one that I, erm, like! It is called a Mammillaria Hahniana and although it has no flowers on it at the moment it does have lots of hair and spikes! But the picture showed it with purple flowers around the top. I wanted to buy more of them and this morning I had to stop myself from driving back to buy a 'Stone Plant' that I saw and found rather interesting.

So as my subject title says, 'What have I got myself into?' For all these years I have never had an interest in plants and now, here I am joining a forum and wondering just how many of these funny plants I can fit on my window sill!

I know I didn't really introduce myself, but hopefully I have managed to explained how I ended up here!

Here is the Mammillaria Hahniana that I bought.

[Sinningia]

Wow, what a nice writing style! Looking forward to reading more from you. Welcome!

[Aiko]

I ended up buying one that I, erm, like!

Oh. Oh dear. This is how it will start...
Buying one, buying a second. Then a third, and before you know it you've been hooked for life and you will have a big greenhouse filled with plants. And then you have to spend your afternoons carrying big heavy plants inside to protect them from the frost during the winter, like I did this afternoon and yesterday!

Just hoping you will not be forced doing that twice a year for the rest of your life...!

[AnTTun]

You can't escape it SaiBon, its in your blood Welcome to plant-infected-society

[Diane]

Hi SaiBon, to the forum! What have you got into? Well, a fascinating hobby that may last you for life! Most of us started the same way as you, a few plants on windowsills, which then progressed to the largest greenhouse you can accomodate in your garden, and a hunger to acquire more and more plants, the rarer the better!

I have been "hooked" on cacti and succulents for over 30 years, with no sign of it abating!

Good luck in your new hobby, and we are all available to help you with problems.

BTW, Mammillaria hahniana is a nice start - it will produce a ring of vivid purple flowers around the crown (maybe next year) - try to give it as much sun as possible.

Look forward to hearing from you!

[sue46]

Hi SaiBon, welcome. Yes, you buy one, then another, then someone passes you a cutting, then you will try a bit of seed growing, then the BCSS journal comes out with a seedlist, then - oh dear need I say more. Enjoy. I have just come back to these remarkable plants after a few years away, (about 8 I think), but I bought a couple of plants in the local Coop and well here I am! Oh try not to go on eBay - you can spend a fortune on cacti on there! Sue

[SaiBon]

Thank you very much indeed for the warm welcome. I am looking at my plant and wondeing when I should water it? The label says to water in the summer but keep dry and cool in the winter.... Should I water it at all at the moment or not? If I do, would I do that with a small watering can, or misting bottle perhaps?

Once again, thank you very much for the warm welcome.

[Paul D]

Welcome SaiBon.
What country are you in? If like me you are at the beginning of winter, then no water at all until spring.

[SaiBon]

No water at all until spring?! That's amazing! Baffling even! I'm in the midlands uk, so yes, winter now. It does feel as though the soil has been watered recently, perhaps in the nursery they just water everything at the same time. I feel like I should be doing something for it, but don't worry I won't! I'll just leave it on the window sill and look at it! Thanks Paul.

[Patricia-CR]

SaiBon, I'm also a newbie here, I've just joined, but have some experience with growing cacti.

What Paul says is mandatory. Cactus enter a dormant period now in winter time, they'll even shrink, but not die (if they're in healthy conditions). My recommendation is to start reading all you can about them. Here, in the BCSS home page, where it says CULTIVATION, you'll find very valuable information that can help you get acquainted with your lovely new 'bundle of joy'. All the info you can get there and from these forums + the trial and error personal experience, is going to teach you over the time how these fascinating plants will do best under your circumstances.

Best of luck and keep us posted on your experiences or any new succulent acquisition.