Hi arum, I don't post on the cactus forum very often, but I have quite a few Schlums and other jungle cactus. I'll tell you what I do to keep them from drying out. I have found that most of the soil that Schlums come in compact and get stiff when dry, so I make sure to keep them moist. I don't water from above because this can cause the plant to mold, have black rot, mush, or have dieback. When I buy a new plant I take the plant immediately out of the plastic liner, this has been the death of many schlums. Water it really well, (to remove the crust on top of the soil and remove fertilizer from the soil) then put it in a catch pot 1-2 sizes larger than the pot size. How I do this is put about an inch of gravel on the bottom of the catch then put the pot in and adjust the gravel level until the plant is level with the top of the catch pot. I then measure water to the level of the gravel replace the pot and then fill in the gap around the pot with more gravel all the way to the top, this anchors the pot and helps keep it from tipping, I also put gravel on the soil of the plant. When it begins to droop or the soil begins to lift from the side of the inside pot I know to water it again with the same amount as before. Water the gravel, not the plant itself. This works like hydroponics, in a way. You can also mark a stick and insert it into the gravel to guage the water level. Never let the water reach above the pot's bottom. I have also planted Schlums in the clay AV self watering pots, the same size as the pot they came in. Schlums like tight toes. Just remember that in the US it is not as humid as where they are from that a complete dry out can cause them to shrivel up. They like to be moist, but not soppy or drippy. Mine love light and as long as they are not moved and kept moist (not soppy) and on the cool side, (below 75*) minimal bud drop occurs. As soon as you see new growth you can start to feed your plant 1/4 strength liquid tomato like fertilizer, I've been feeding mine for about a week now. and they have been growing like weeds. I have one that evey stem has new growth. Another thing I'd recommend is when you go out to buy a plant in any cold weather at all, keep a styrofoam cooler in the back seet and immediately transfer your plant to that before leaving the nursery. I also have one handy for aquarium fish. This helps reduce the shock of warm, cold, warm, cold, etc..

Hey thanks guys for the very nice comments. I know I can get a bit goofy at times and go off the deep end on some very trivial subjects. I had always assumed maybe I had more enemies here than friends. Well that may still be the case, but it's still nice to know you guys are here. I would miss alot of your personalities too. You guys are good people. My crash was a big wake-up call. God was definitely watching out for me. Any number of things could have happened just a little bit differently and netted much more disastrous results. I walked away w/o a scratch and so did the trucker. My car is a bit mangled, but is repairable, and yes, it is JUST a car - easily replaced. I had been taking a lot of things for granted and had fallen into an "I don't care" attitude - and this event just snapped me out of it. I have a firmer grasp of what is REALLY important again. Life can drastically change or can even be snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Maybe this lesson wasn't just intended for me either. Maybe somebody out there reading this also needs to wake up. Take care guys. Thanks again.

Oh, Christmas Tree is one of my favorites, too.... My mother sang it in German (she was of German descent from Northern Ontario, Canada, and didn't speak English until she went to school), and that's how I always remember it - auf Deutsch. When I was in 5th grade our small class was a human Christmas Tree for the school Christmas program and we sang O Tannebaum. Being the smallest girl in the class, I was the angel on the top of the bleachers that formed the "tree", and the kids all held pine boughs. I was so tiny I needed a wooden box to stand on to be seen, and the teacher was so afraid I would fall off. I was so proud because I already knew all the words to the song (LOL)! Deutsch Tannenbaum TEXT: Ernst Anschütz, 1824 MELODIE: Volksweise (traditional) O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Dein Kleid will mich was lehren: Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Das soll dein Kleid mich lehren.

I think you should shave it off now. I know that sounds harsh but, this way, you have the control. Two of my sisters had cancer and both asked me to shave them at my salon which I did. They were relieved to be able to forget about it and go on to the next step. Both of them got Raquel Welch wigs which are the most realistic to the point that people asked them where they got their haircuts. I wish you didn't have cancer but I'm happy you can speak about it and share. It's so important. Both of them are living happy lives and you will do the same. We took joke books to chemo and laughed so much, both had the other four sisters for support and love. I wish you the very best that life can offer.