I love Morning Glories too, and they will almost grow themselves, but what are you growing them up? If it is a trellis, or some sort of wire that has fairly large openings it is good...but if you're planning to put them on chainlink fencing, or chicken wire....beware!!! MG tendrils grow up and around any and every conceivable wire...which is a delight to the eyes....but miserable to remove come fall. I've even left it up over winter thinking the stems would soften by spring: they don't. It takes alot of finger strength and time to untwist each and every little tendril off the fence. With larger fencing you can sort of yank it down, clip, yank, clip, yank.

hello Everyone!!! Roxanne.. I'm sure your desert Sunrise is just beautiful as all of your other trees!! I can't wait to see all of your beauties!!! Hi James!! I do think it is the heat and the humidity we have here. Today it was 105 with the heat index and you can hardly go outside without feeling like you opened the oven door.. It's hot! I was happy to see a bloom after the hurricane . Lol. I did bring in this one and JL Dane. I think I see inflos on that one.. Didn't want to take a chance. I brought in about fifty into the greenhouse, so all is well. No broken branches. Im happy!!! Hope to see you this weekend... ;-) That you Chuy!! I love each and everyone.. They all have a story and each one is so special.. My son is watering while I'm gone.. He said that he will thin out my collection for me.. Yea, right... If he wants to live!! Lol.. Hi Iso!! I'll be there tomorrow and leave late Monday... Going to Roxanne's on Friday, JJs on Saturday and the SCPS on Sunday . Planning to see Bud and Bill during this time too! I can't wait!! I wish I was going to see you again... Have fun on your trip. I'll be back out there again and we will makes plans to meet up again!! I always love seeing you!!! Have a safe trip!!! XOXOXOX Laura Mona!! It is a nice reward for bringing them in.. It was a lot of work, as you know... But I would rather do it then see them all damaged. Manat would break my heart !! Hope all is well with you.. Go and buy another DS. You need this one.. It loves our heat and humidity!!! Ohh. We can do any lunch.. What ever you would like!!! Thank you Texas!! Always so kind!! Mahalo!! Have a great night!! Laura

Lovely, lovely, lovely ... impossible to pick a favorite. I could never tire of looking at all of them! Thanks again!

The plants known as Holiday Cactus, Lobster Cactus, Xmas Cactus, Sunrise Cactus, and many other names, belong to several genera of jungle cacti but can generally be treated alike. All are true cactus plants, some have small spines in the aeroles, and the flowers grow on last year's growth. These plants are generally segmented and flat, and roots form between the segments for easy propagation. These plants come from the jungles of Central and South America and therefore cannot store water like their cousins from the deserts can. Instead, they rely on almost daily rains, and enter a semi-dormancy period when the short dry season comes. For most of the species concerned, this dry season occurs in the short-day period so that the combination of short days and cooler nights leaves these plants drier but not dessicated. The soils of these usually epiphytic plants consists of decayed leaves, insects, pieces of bark, etc., generally anything the wind or birds leave in the crotches of the trees or on the ground below. In cultivation, the stone/gravel/sand mix for desert cacti is supplanted by peat/leafmold/loam for these. The difference is high organic matter, the similatity is that both kinds of cacti need well -draining mixes. Once the right soil has been given, it is important to note that full sun in the summer is not a good idea in most places, but that some sun is needed. When the days grow short (Sep/Oct in northern hemisphere), water sparingly, giving the plant about 6 weeks of a cooler, drier regimen. This period will induce bloom, especially if the diurnal range is in the 20-30 degree F range, something hard to do in the average home. Although some thought can be given to shading the plants from bright lights at night, this does not seem as critical as the rest period. More important is to shelter the plant from dry winds (heating ducts), changing the environment once buds have set, and ethylene gas (from plastics, propane heaters and ripening fruit). Any of these three conditions can cause the falling off of the flower buds, commonly called bud blast. The small roots of these cacti are not equipped to deal with drought, and the stems have adapted to living in the shade cast by their tree hosts. Given even a rough approximation of their jungle home they will bloom in a panoply of colors, in season, every year.