cacti @ IKEA

For the discussion of topics related to the conservation, cultivation, propagation and exhibition of cacti & other succulents.
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Colin Walker
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cacti @ IKEA

Post by Colin Walker »

My lovely wife has just treated me to three pots of IKEA cacti.

The most interesting of these is Eriocephala (aka Notocactus, Parodia & Eriocactus) warasii.

tempImageotM1gN.gif
These 11 seedlings were crammed into a pot so tight that separation was tricky. The soft spines helped, so the resultant pan of seedlings doesn't look bad.

The compost of course was pants and they're starting to etiolate.

Now, a question: I've never grown this sp. before, so how big does it need to get before it struts its stuff? Melon sized?

The other two pots are Pilosocereus pachycladus & Mammillaria spinosissima. Two of the latter had already flowered. :grin:

In total I got 31 seedlings for £15 which is excellent value.

Why am I pleased? This year for the first time I produced and sold C & S for our local gardening club's plant sale. I sold around 100 plants and made £250 profit for the club. (BTW we're reviewing our pricing policy for 2023 since I was selling some plants for as little as £1. :shock: )

The two sp. I was specifically asked about were Aloe vera and the money plant, i.e. Crassula ovata, both of which I had for sale.

The IKEA plants are stock for next year because I had few spare cacti for this year, as opposed to the wide range of succulents from which I propagated.

For 2023 I've already taken loads of cuttings so I'll have good sized plants of the crassula, along with popular echeverias, pachyphytums, sedums and the like.

This year I handed out the BCSS cultivation booklet to everyone who bought a plant and that worked really well, so thanks to Graham for producing this. I'll aim to do this at future events and I highly recommend this as a strategy.
Cheers,
Colin

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Eric Williams
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Re: cacti @ IKEA

Post by Eric Williams »

Some years ago in a show, I saw this plant about two foot tall. This one did not cluster as mine has. Cheers
Colin Walker
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Re: cacti @ IKEA

Post by Colin Walker »

Eric Williams wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:23 pm Some years ago in a show, I saw this plant about two foot tall. This one did not cluster as mine has. Cheers
Eric, please tell me something about the rate of growth of your plant? Slow and steady or what? Size at flowering, assuming you've actually produced some flowers?

It's a close relative of E. lenninghausii and E. magnifica for example which we all know can get really big over time.
Cheers,
Colin

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ralphrmartin
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Re: cacti @ IKEA

Post by ralphrmartin »

Colin

does this partly answer the question? This was my plant in 2002. I'm afraid I can't remember how big the pot was though, but maybe you can estimate from the size of the grit which I think was 1/8 to 1/4" across.
Notocactus warasii.JPG
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Re: cacti @ IKEA

Post by ralphrmartin »

And here's the same plant a couple of years ago. I beheaded it many years ago after some staging collapsed and it got damaged, so it's not as big as it might be for its maturity. I think it's in an 8" pot. It may not be that different in size, overall, to 20 years before!
Notocactus warasii 2.jpg
Ralph Martin
https://www.rrm.me.uk/Cacti/cacti.html
Members visiting the Llyn Peninsula are welcome to visit my collection.

Swaps and sales at https://www.rrm.me.uk/Cacti/forsale.php

My Field Number Database is at https://www.fieldnos.bcss.org.uk
Colin Walker
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Re: cacti @ IKEA

Post by Colin Walker »

Thanks Ralph, perfect. It clearly makes a handsome beast and not too big, so I 'll keep at least a couple of the seedlings for my own collection.
Cheers,
Colin

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Re: cacti @ IKEA

Post by Eric Williams »

Hi Colin, went down to check label on my plant, and lo and behold it’s in flower today. Under the flowers it is 13 inches high. Years ago I was told if I wanted flowers , remove offsets. That explains their absence. Seems to grow (and look better) when young, but slows down in later life. Cheers
2609B216-90C4-4012-9D35-7859966B3ECC.jpeg
Colin Walker
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Re: cacti @ IKEA

Post by Colin Walker »

Eric Williams wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:16 pm Hi Colin, went down to check label on my plant, and lo and behold it’s in flower today. Under the flowers it is 13 inches high. Years ago I was told if I wanted flowers , remove offsets. That explains their absence. Seems to grow (and look better) when young, but slows down in later life. Cheers2609B216-90C4-4012-9D35-7859966B3ECC.jpeg
Thanks Eric, that's one head of flowers. But guess I've a year or so to wait before my babies strut their stuff. :grin:
Cheers,
Colin

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