Cactus cuttings should be planted in the same orientation to the sun as the parent plant. This helps minimize sunburn damage. Cactus develop thicker skins on the sides exposed to greater amounts of sun(west and south most notably).Wihout a good root system the cuttings can literaly cook in the hot summer sun which isn't far away. I have proagated quite a few different species using a technique that has had a very high success rate. When you take the cuttings, or in your case, re-cut the cutting you have (which will take some of the curve out of it) dust the freshly cut end in rooting hormone THEN let it callus over for one week. The rooting hormones usually have a fungicide which will help protect the cutting and they start faster. Plant in a good well drainig soil and water once every two weeks until established. Here are some of the cactus I have started this way. Here is a link that might be useful: Propagated Cactus

Thanks everyone. Ima, Hey I envy you being able to put your plants outside. The weather here in MO is so unpredictable. This year has been so rainy, windy awful. Hubby and I bought our house last year so this is our first year for a garden and over half of our corn is layed over because of the storms (and the corn is 5 1/2 to 6' tall. I just can't bring myself to put my babies (hoyas) outside. I have worked deligently this spring/summer to expand my collection. When the hubby made me that table in the eastern window, I didn't even have any plants on the second shelf and NOW LOOK!!! It's packed. Jsaniz Do post pictures before/after. Oh how exciting!! When I did my move, I had been considering it but got the urge and just went with it. I was a little nervous what the hubby might say b/c of this... Hubby and I have been married 2 years in May. The first year we lived in a rental house and we had our living room arranged like so. Well one day I switched the couch and love seat (only switched the two pieces of furniture) and when he got home he started rambling about long wall/short wall and the long couch on the short wall, blah, blah, blah and then he switched them back (by himself of course) saying it looked awful. So you tell me, when did men start caring how furniture is arranged? I wanted to tell him to hush, he is a bricklayer and know's nothing about interior decorating. LOL! but I didn't. So that is why I was a little concerned about moving the furniture this time but to my dismay he liked it a lot. Nancy I know, show's you how desperate I was to hang my hoyas since hubby won't let me put more holes in the walls for the arm hook things. Ann Yes, definately loads of more space. If you look closly on the left side of the pic, little round table with black cloth over it, it's empty, I know! You have me thinking now, how can I do that hanging rod thing, I know where the studs are now from the hangers that he put up on the side of that big window. Linda Hey I thought about that but just have decided how to do it yet. Talk about maximizing your space. Ines You have me laughing!! In my rental house I did use those for my plants (I have 3 of those). I agree take those darn curtain things off, I don't like the color anyway besides I don't really had a color theme in my living room. Hubby is going to build me on a sunroom, floor to celing windows on all three walls (north, east and south) that connects to the living room where the east window/wall is now. We are going to try to do it in about 4 years or so. I could hang the pictures on the wall somewhere or put them in another room. Yes, my house usually looks like that. My house being messy drive me NUTS! Hubby can't sit anything anywhere b/c I'm always picking up and putting it back where it goes, he! he! It has been more hard recently keeping it picked up and clean because I have been cleaning houses on the side to support my hoya addiction. Speaking of.. I should have 4 plants on their way from trades and maybe 9 more cuttings to root, Horray!!! The table with the black cloth will not be empty for long. Glad you all liked my set up. Thanks for looking. shanna

Roses grow best in a soil that has been well amended with organic matter that is evenly moist but well drained. Organic matter is compost and other vegetative waste and if you have clay that organic matter will open up the clay so water can flow easier and the plant roots can also move through the soil easier and get the nutrients the plan needs to grow easier. If you have sand that organic matter will fill in the pore spaces between the sand particles so moisture and nutrients can be held in the soil so the plant will have access to that. Your local office of your Ohio State University USDA Cooperative Extension Service can help you with a good, reliable soil test and in addition these simple soil tests could be of some help, 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Here is a link that might be useful: OSUCES

I would like to have a house plant exchange (mail items). Is anyone else interested?