Great pics! I love Euphorbia mammilaris too. I've not tried E. resinifera, although I do have a LOT of euphorbias too (very anti-rabbit as you mentioned). Happy Birthday by the way. :) I pretty much follow JoJo's regime. I water most of my cacti and succulents once a week in summer whether they're in the ground or in pots, and it's good to emphasize what JoJo said that plants in the ground will stay more moist than those in pots. Your plan of reading up on the specific plants is good. It's always good to find out if a cacti or succulent is a winter or a summer grower. Winter growers like most Aeoniums and some others like, say, Aloe variegata (partridge breast aloe) are winter growers so enter semi-dormancy in the heat of summer and will easily rot if given too much water in summer (though you can water them several times a week in active winter growth and they'll thank you for it). I always keep a close eye on Crassulas and their relatives in summer as they have CAM which means they generally keep their pores/stomata closed during the day to avoid excessive water loss, however they have a backup threshold of also keeping the pores closed above certain temperatures at night in order to save water, but in Phoenix especially some of our summer nights are above that threshold so the poor things hold their breath day and night and eventually croak. As an example, I grow jades either indoors year round, or outdoors autumn through spring but then bring them inside in summer. Same for Christmas cacti and most echeverias which often melt in our summers (though not all do). I have a five foot tall Aloe 'Hercules' and he wants water once a week or so autumn through spring, but not a drop from the hose all summer long. It almost kills me to not water for those long hot months, but he thanks me by staying alive and growing quickly during the cool months, when my friends or corporate landscapes water them in summer and they rot fast (and I killed a ton of partridge aloes before I toughened up and stopped watering them in summer, LOL). Anyway, succulents and cacti are fun aren't they? Their biggest enemy if overwatering at any time of year so like you've both said, when it doubt, don't water. Keep us posted! What books did you get? Take care, Grant

hi all, i'm looking for any cactus, succlent or crassula or any other seed to any plant that would be mentioned on this board or the dicussion board. i don't know what's what is why i i post the message like this...lol, thinking that maybe i could get something that i can grow with out having to name it. example-- lithops--what is it ? succlent, cactus or what ? i don't know but i want that seed badly too. i also know the name of one other seed that i want is the donkey tail ( sedum crassulaceae ) also i want a baby or seeds for the madagascar palm. i have some seeds that i can trade..i will trade 5 packs of mine for ever 1 pack of 20 seeds that you send me. here is a list of seeds that i have for trade. FLOWERS, trees, and shrubs ----- marigold , crackerjack mixed- 6 " , lemon drop-1 " , dwarf french mix - 3 unknown orange marigold- 2 redbud tree-- about 7 trades sunflower, mammoth- 5 mixed dahlia---about 14 plus trades red castor bean -28 ( abt 9 seeds each) blackberry lily - 19 ( 20 + seeds each) white baby's breath- 3 candy lily or blackberry lily- 1 sweet williams, mixed about 14 plus trades siberian iris- 3 cleome lutea, yellow beefplate- 1 mixed daylily - 12 trumpet vine orange - 2 purple cone flower -2 unknown iris seed- 2 unknown hosta- 6 white cosmo's - 1 datura, stramonium, big plant small flower - 1 mixed gladiolas 4 hot pink, kiss me over the garden gate- 2 asiatic lily, yellow or orange, - 1 perennial, 2005, saponaria, tall- 1 purple iris- 1 datura, white night blooming, annual, fragrant- 1 fever few- 1 cali poppy - 1 gypsophila, covent garden,- 1 annual, atroplex, hortensis, edible, -1 lantana- orange- 1 mimosa tree- 5 candle bush, yellow - 3 butterfly bush, royal red - 1 datura, single white bush- 1 datura, triple white- 3 golden dew drops- 1 pea bush, yellow-1 wisteria tree- 5 seeds cosmo, purple - 3 sweet pea, little sweet heart, mixed--1 wisteria vine, tin soldier- 6 seeds lavatera, shrub like -1 penstemon, white wild flower- 1 monkey grass- 3 mixed columbine- 3 shasta daisy- 2 hibiscus, flower of the hour- 5 white proso millet, bird seed- 1 lantana- 3 mexican sunflower- 3 cassia bush, yellow- 2 sweet bubbie shrubs- 3 fernleaf bleeding heart- 1 oragon grape bush- 2 ( nonedible) rattlebox pea- 1 VEGGIES AND FRUIT cantelope, unknown, sweet - 14 ( clean seeds) cantelope, unknown, sweet, 10 trades ( unclean dried seeds) unknown watermelon- 7 cherry tree seeds, edible, - 2 salad greens- 1 jiant parsley of italy - 1 basil, purple- 1 italian blistered lettuce leaf basil- 2 lettuce, simpson's curled - 1 peach tree- 3 seeds watermelon, sugar babies- 1 strawberries, wonder alpine- 1- strawberries, ruegen alpine- 1 carrot, danvers half long- 1 popcorn- 2 lemon mint- 1 thanks , miss daisy

Hi Karen and all. They will root easily in water, but I have a hard time getting them to make the transition to soil. Likely it is my technique, it might break off the new roots. One succulent I really have a hard time with is Pelargonium (the succulent ones). They will root almost instantly in water, but I have yet to succeed with a single cutting from 5 species. I give up, luckily they grow only too well from seed, and many are self fertile. The odd leaf is not really odd. Most of the epiphytic cacti I have have produced odd growth, but it almost always is with new plants (plants that have recently rooted). With Schlumbergera and the small segmented species (as opposed to the Central American species), I don't remember too many with new stems growing from triangular segments, that is, the triangular segment seems to be the end of the line for that particular stem. The Disocactus (a large stemmed Cen. American), also are flat stems, and they also make triangular growth, and this growth is also on newly established, rapidly growing plants. Their triangular segments make new flat stems though. My theory is that a new plant with good conditions makes this triangle stem in exuberance. Kind of like when you are laughing and get carried away with the moment. Just a theory, because I never hear them laugh.

I'm SOO upset with myself!!! I bought a load of anemone & ranunculus corms & failed to plant them late fall! I'm in central Florida & just planted them the other day & haven't a clue if they'll bloom now that it's so late! Our weather's heating up. I've tried doing some research & can only find info on planting them in the spring for cooler climates. I can't find any info on if they'll bloom or not. I could kick myself for not planting them in fall! I would've had hundreds of gorgeous blooms right now ! I'm so sick to my stomach over it. Anyone know of anybody who lives in mild climates who planted them late w/ success ? Or have any info or advice on this ? If they won't bloom for me this yr, I do need to move them to another garden & I'll have to wait until next spring :( I'm so upset, it's making me nauseous & not finding info on it isn't helping! Any help is greatly appreciated :)