10 year old cactus and I still don't know what it is. Help!
Here is a cactus I grew from a seed and I've never been able to figure out what kind it is. It's about 10 years old now and stands about 11 inches tall. About 5 years ago it grew the shorter arm and has really taken off since then. Anybody have an idea of what this cactus might be? I've searched and can't decide.
Comments (6)
Violet Blackwould
7 years agoRelated Discussions
I don't know what it is, but somehow im killing it!
Comments (4)Julie: Your plant is a Rose Easter Cactus, Hatiora (Rhipsalidopsis) rosea. It is a true cactus, but a jungle cactus as opposed to a desert cactus. So they can handle some shade quite well, and prefer a richer soil, though it should be well draining, than a desert cactus. They also require more water than a desert cactus except for a dormancy period in winter. That being said, I think it is limp because you overwatered it. After flowering I would probably take it out of the pot and check the root system for rot, and repot, maybe in a slightly smaller clay pot with a well draining mix. Hope this helps. Christopher Here is a link that might be useful: Rose Easter Cactus...See MoreI've lived with the window color for a year; still don't like it!
Comments (64)Wow! I was gone yesterday, when last I saw this there were only 27 posts! I tried to read through all of them, but I'm not sure I caught everything. I tried photoshopping Cilantro's green idea and Holligator's dull gold and a black frame around the stained glass like trailrunner's. I picked the green & gold out of the stained glass; I'm not sure how'll they'll look on everyone's monitors, especially the gold. Sorry, but I only "painted" around the window on the gold. No matter which you decide to do, IMHO the stained glass needs to retain some sort of frame, either the current wood or black. I'm still partial to tzmaryg's idea of the bottom part of the window white and leaving the top part they way it is; that is also a bit of a compromise with your DH. But others have suggested a gel to tone down the redness of the mahogany. Any scraps of the mahogany around to experiment with? Or for the green, maybe the color of your dishes. Sorry, I'm not much help other than trying to give you a mock up and even that may be showing up a little too bright! I hope it helps some, though!...See MoreMy kitchen 2 Years later. What I still love & what I don't
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Comments (15)Kendra Not the soil to add, but perlite. That is the white granules, few are visible in your soil (but it is better to add more). You can buy a bag of it, screen it and rinse it. I would add some and gently poke the soil closer to the rim with a chopstick (so I won't disturb the roots much), to mix it in - not leaving it on top. Or if the soil in the pot is loose enough, you could shake some out holding the plant. Mix this with perlite and put back in the pot. Perlite is very light and easily floats to the top. This would be temporary help, and if you don't feel confident about doing it - don't. I am only suggesting it for a time until you decide if you want to make 'proper' mix. You would need to make it yourself - they don't sell it in stores. There is just couple of places you could order similar by mail, but I am not willing to pay the $ they ask + shipping so I don't buy it and can't advice you about them. robinswfl gave you good advice, re-read her 2 posts again. Using well draining soil is much better for the plants, and makes it easier for the grower because it decreases chance of overwatering. Sure, even gritty mix could be overwatered, but it would take lots of water to do that+leaving pots sitting in saucer full of water. Keeping plants outdoors is also much better for the plants, and with that kind of soil one doesn't have to worry much about the rain...again, just my opinion....See More
greenclaws UK, Zone 8a
7 years ago
Sarah Smith
7 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoSarah
Please do not get upset if we tell you that it doesn't look it's best. While you have this plant for 10 years, grew it from seed and it is still alive, obviously you did something right but we do not think it has been growing under ideal growing conditions. In 10 years, it should have grown much more, especially for opuntia - they are usually fast growers. There are miniature opuntias in existence, but yours is not, miniatures grow only few inches tall, they are just about ground covers.
Healthy plant should support itself, without sticks and/or being tied.
There are some marks visible on the plants - could be just natural corking, but it is difficult to judge from the photos. Could you take photo in better light and perhaps close up?
Many opuntias grow paddle-like leaves. There are others that have cylindrical growth - but I am not sure yours is that type (maybe?). Here is Austrocylindropuntia subulata:
You can see totally different shape, also different spines.
The top part of the shorter plant on right is more round, that makes me think it wants to be paddle-shaped plant. It would need more light to grow more compact and wider segments.
It is difficult to supply enough light indoors, many of us have the same problem. Plants grow stretched - etiolated - looking for more light.
Changing soil yearly is not needed (the plant above has been in same mix for over 2years now and I am not planning on changing it).
Succulents like to be in gravely mix (closer to what they grow in in their natural habitat), that offers excellent drainage and air exchange.
You asked for ID - sometimes the plant has shape that is more difficult to ID. BTW, there are almost 500 species...
So, the comments are not attack on you, just tips-remarks on the plant as we see it. We are all plant lovers here, and ask questions all the time. There is something in every post, even just 1 thing, that could help.
Kara 9b SF Bay Area CA