Thank you! I did google to find images and information on theses plants, but I'm not sure I'm getting the nuances. Could someone please help me with the differenced between Echinocactus and Ferocactus? Espcially when it comes to very young plants; I found the attached images, and I'm not sure what to look for to compare it to mine. Thanks again, and in advance. Jeanne Here is a link that might be useful: Echinocactus seedling

It does look a bit like Singapore Daisy, Sphagneticola trilobata. Has a yellow flower. It's an invasive weed in many places, most likely in the Philippines as well.

While it is certainly suggested to bare root or clean out as much old soil as possible when repotting into one of the fast draining mixes, I can only say that by my own experience, I have not found it to be critical to plant development OR more encouraging to root rots if you do not. And my experience is pretty extensive. I have been growing in containers for more than 25 years. Mostly trees, dwarf conifers and other woody plants. Several of my trees have been around for that entire time. And I also grow an extensive collection of houseplants, as well as seasonal crops and mixed annual and perennial plantings. And I will say again............by NOT bare rooting I have never lost a plant to root rot nor do my plants appear to be suffering in any way. They flourish and grow and produce well and when repotting, always have a very healthy and well-developed root system. The same considerations for bare rooting when working with container plants exists when planting in the ground. There will always a be a discrepancy between the texture and structure of the soil a plant was grown in, whether it be container grown or B&B, and the soil texture and structure of where it is to be planted And similar cases have been made that these should also be bare rooted before planting. You will find convincing arguments both for and against but very few accept and adopt the practice wholeheartedly. There are simply too many risks involved for the average gardener. Typically, just properly loosening the rootball and avoiding amending the backfill (using only indigenous soil) is enough of an adjustment to allow for proper root development and the adequate percolation of water through the soil profile(s). And making sure the rootball is well hydrated before planting. In addition to my many years of successful container growing without bare rooting, one of the factors that has convinced me this practice is not absolutely necessary is the fact that most quality wholesale growers of containerized plants - the trees and shrubs that I favor to collect - have long realized the benefits of growing in bark based mixes, for much the same reasons we hobby gardeners do. The textural quality resists collapse or compaction, they are fast draining and they allow for healthy root development. In short, the nursery container mixes are very similar in content and structure as to the 5-1-1 mix, negating any overwhelming need to remove a hugely disparate soil mix by bare rooting. I won't tell anyone not to bare root - that is their choice, as is the soil mix they use or their method of fertilization. All I can I do is relate my experience based on my many years of gardening, both in containers and in the ground. Understanding the plant and its needs and understanding the soils you are working with are paramount. If you have these factors well under your belt, then you can make whatever adjustments you might deem necessary.

Jim - it's definitely EW. I'm not sure when it was first released for sale but I've had this for around 10-12 years now. I'm not great w/ any definite time frame past a year ago the older I get! HAHA! I grow this one in full sun and I think that lends to the tight, upright form. I can't imagine the real estate it would take up if it was sprawling! LOL Funny thing is I purchased another EW around 5 years ago and it was growing around 6' away from this one. It was bloom time and I was standing and looking at that bed. Total lightbulb moment that I had twins! HAHA Funny thing is that the other one was around the size of Royal Standard. It looked fine but never thrived like this one. I've heard many tales of EW that never got big. Makes me wonder if there are TC snafus on this variety.