BCSS - Forum

Kick off with a few of mine some very much alive and some now in the Great Compost Heap in the Sky :
and I make no apologies for posting pics of my treasured colademono again.......

Peter Cupial-Jones wrote: and I make no apologies for posting pics of my treasured colademono again.......

I'm glad Peter has shown us his mature colademono again, for that is what features in my short "Plant of the Month" article:
http://www.bcss.org.uk/pom092012.php
The two and a half year old seedlings in this article have now matured into four year old plants, and have started developing longer hairs/bristles and have flowered for the first time this summer. Here is one of them today, now in a 3 inch pot:

And a good POM article it is too Tony!

I have a Cleistocactus, any hints for growing it well or getting it to flower?

Bought this earlier this year. It's put on some good growth since then. Left pic is taken on 21st July, right pic on 3rd September.
When will it flower?

Liz M wrote:I have a Cleistocactus, any hints for growing it well or getting it to flower?

Lots of water in spring and autumn, not so much in summer; plenty of light; John Innes:grit 3:1; pot it on more often than you would a globular cactus; and talk to it!

capsid wrote:When will it flower?

I have one C. candelilla that has flowered when less than 12 inches tall; others have been 3 feet or more tall when first flowering.

Well, I have given it plenty of water and as good a light as is possible. It has grown a lot since I got it last year, so I will have to repot it soon. I have not been talking to it, so maybe it has been sulking. I'll try harder from now on. Thanks for the advice, Tony.

Hi Liz

Yes Tony is right, talk to the plants.
I always say good morning to Bernard,( top 1ft shown in pic ) who is a 6ft C. strausii, and has given me on average 40 to 45 flowers every week this summer. ( Why is he called Bernard ) After Bernard Lewis his former owner who passed away last year.

Tony good article for P.O.M. I must sow some of those colademononis this February.

Nice plant Peter, I do think Cleistocactus are are good genus to grow and give the collection shape and colour and grow quite quickly as a bonus.

Ray.

capsid wrote:Bought this earlier this year. It's put on some good growth since then.

The new growth looks narrower than the previous growth, which suggests that it's a bit etiolated and not getting quite enough light. Where is it growing? is it indoors?