I don't know what to say.

Mike

Where they come from?

Couldn't find them googling, just Costa Farm Desert Gems, and they have this written about them: ..."Note: Slow-growing Desert Gems will eventually grow fresh spines from the new growth that are not colorful. If this happens, don't worry --- there's nothing wrong with your plants. In fact, it shows you're a great indoor gardener and your plants are happy and healthy!"...

Doesn't seem to be same plants as you are saying they start white and color up on their own... added: I kind of doubt that but you have the plants, not me. How long since you got them?

I've seen these at Wal-Mart. They do not change colour, they have been forced to uptake a bunch of dye to colour their spines. Of course new growth is white, it will not change colour.

I think the problem here, breton, is that the new growth is changing color. I suppose there is still some dye in the plant, and that is able to make them change colors.

Perhaps there is a bit of dye available within the plant, but I cannot imagine the new growth would get as darkly coloured as the old growth...

Hi mikerno_1micha!

These do look like our Desert Gems from Costa Farms. I'm afraid folks here are correct --- the new growth won't color up as it matures. I'm guessing what you're seeing are that some of the spines were at an in between stage where there was some color left. As the growth continues, you should find it's all white.

---Justin, Costa Farms Horticulturist

Justin. Thank you but not what I wanted to hear. Lol I think I fell victim to a scam. I bought all those and if I had known they were going to stay shite I would of not even have bought one. Gotta love these practices they do to dupe people into buying. At least I don't fall for the glued on flower ones. Lol. Thsnks ahain

mikerno_1micha,

I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed by your experience with Desert Gems. If you still have the receipts, you can get your money back from the store you purchased them from. (And if they still have their UPCs from the store you may be able to get a refund, even without a receipt.)

I know it doesn't help, but for what it's worth, it's not our intent to dupe anyone. We market Desert Gems cacti to try and get folks who normally walk by houseplants and never even see them to start noticing plants and try bringing a plant in their home or office. I get a lot of hate mail from houseplant enthusiasts about them because they're artificially colored --- and I totally understand why (I don't have Desert Gems at my house). But, ultimately, with these plants, it's not the crowd here on Garden Web that we're trying to reach out to. Desert Gems are one way we're experimenting with to see if we can grow the industry and get more people into houseplants.

---Justin, Costa Farms

Obviously you've already re-potted all of them thus making them all keepers. So with that in mind I add another small voice to encourage.

It's been close to three years with this one I can attest to the fact that any new growth will/ should look ' normal ' in appearances Although your results will/may vary even the painted dyed color could also revert back to it's more normal coloring as indicated in the red circle area.

IMO your mix looks a bit retentive ( at least as it appears on the surface) which may cause problems during the warmer summer months if you plan to get em outside.

Therein lies the problem, Justin, Costa Farm horticulturist--marketing cacti and succulents as "house plants". The unwitting buyer you are targeting end up killing their cobalt blue "house plant" and walk away from the experience looking suspiciously at their own thumbs, convinced that the appendage is black and will kill everything in the plant kingdom. Some of them do come by GW for help and poor Rina has to retype the same thing over and over and over again.

Pagan

nomen_nudum: I'm afraid that Opuntia we were using (that you showed a picture of) for a period didn't work out well for our Desert Gems program and has been discontinued. The varieties we are currently using hold up much better --- and the original spines do not lose their color.

Pagan: I get what you're saying. And I, personally, don't believe plants like Desert Gems are going to solve our industry's problem. But, it's one of many things Costa Farms is trying now to see if we can affect change.

---Justin, Costa Farms

That certainly does have a way of rolling off the tongue, tsugajunkie!

---Justin, Costa Farms

Justin - a few months ago you had hinted about some new plants from Costa that were exciting introductions. Any news on those?

Hey Leslie,

I'm still working on getting clearance. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the month we had our National Sales Conference, and then we transitioned into the holidays, so the team hasn't gotten back to me. I haven't forgotten about this... Thanks for your patience!
: )

---Justin
Costa Farms Horticulturist

Justin @ Costa Farms Horticulturis, Thank you for commenting on our forums. My only beef is buying a succulent with no name. If it is possible can you insist all plants be labeled? Only happens some of the times.

Mike, Still love those plants. I got duped with orchards as well died blue.

Thanks, Justin, for jumping in in a way that seems...honest and forthright. I mean that with all sincerity.

ez

Hi Stush2049: Plant labeling here at Costa Farms is an issue that everyone is aware of, from the CEO all the way down. As a gardener myself, I feel your pain and know where you're coming from. And I regularly bring the issue up in meetings.

That said, there's a number of reasons we're not labeling everything with a variety name right now, including challenges we need to figure out how to overcome. We are actively working on doing a better job with labels and finding ways to get plants named properly. I understand the progress is not as quick as you or I would like it to be -- and ask for your patience and understanding as we find the best way to do it that works for us and our customers. Though you're not seeing it, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes here at the farm.

breathnez: I'm happy that my presence here is helpful. One of my goals here is to try to show everyone that we are listening to concerns, feedback, etc. Another goal is to try and give the company a voice and personality --- rather than having Costa Farms be some company somewhere that just ships plants around the country.

---Justin, Costa Farms Horticulturist

Justin, Thanks for your concern. Nice plant at a great cost is always best. Also some fun in looking up the names. Mostly I tag a plant with a question mark so if a better ID comes along to change it. One haworthia had over 3 names on it before I think (?) I got it right.

Justin, if you ever need someone to test your plants in northern Florida, let me know. :)

I just regret that I moved away from Miami before I became addicted to succulents. I can't tell you how many times I rode my bike past your nurseries without realizing heaven awaited inside the fence!

Hey Leslie,

If we ever do testing with home gardeners, I'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, keep an eye out on our social media channels for plant giveaways!

---Justin
Costa Farms

Justin sounds great but with my limited space, I am very particular as to what plants to buy. Costa Farms does sell nice plants at a great price. What more can some one ask? I like the fact that you are here for us if there is a problem.

I'm not at all enthused by the use of dyes and paints, but if you guys ever succeed at gene splicing so that my grapto will really glow in the dark, I'm there!

Pagan

The quantity of products ( IE Costco Farms and the number of plants they ' Allegedly' have concerns for) is also being confused as quality. Quality of a product is the one item that Costco is lacking.

nomen

Costco Farms? Does Costco have their own plant farms?

Justin - just liked the FB page. Will there be any interesting succulents or cactus at the Trial Garden Open House? Will it might be worth the 5.5 hour drive? :)

http://www.costafarms.com/

You'll notice the primary locations being Fla. and SC. ( USA) I would have to say they do have some sizable hothouses and with available spaces for some outside times for some to most of what they offer. Yes with that info I would say they would need some acres. Technically not a 'farm' per say

Farm to me means a large area of earth where plants are grown IE 3 acres for some rows of corn one acre for cukes 6 acres for the pumpkin and or other squashes Farming is different in a scene as crop rotation also plays a part and containers aren't involved.

Quality : Several testaments on this forum (over a period of time ) have and even as posted here state the concerns of dyed / painted C&S With the possible problems and seen results from the customers provide evidence that costco doesn't really listen to what the customer is saying.

I used to ride my bike past their farms. It is acres upon acres of plants. As mentioned, I just wish I had an appreciation then for what I was seeing. (It was just three years ago that i left South Florida, but I didn't own a single plant then!)

It's beyond me why Costco whats the public to think/ believe they are a' farm'" when farms grow necessitates not novitiates.

Rina, I'd be surprised if Costco has farms of their own. I suspect Numen meant to type Costa.

While I am among those who find the dying or spray painting of plants detestable, as long as Costa clearly indicates on the plant tags what has been done (and not in microscopically fine print) then I would argue that they playing above board. It would not be their fault if, having done so, customers were too clueless or lazy to read the info provided.

When all is said and done, one must remember that Costa is a business and as such has the goal of making $. If selling those "tarted up" atrocities to Joe Shmoe proves highly profitable, then that is what they will do. The hort industry is by no means an easy biz to be in. Many good orchid nurseries in the northern parts of the country, for example, have had to close their doors as rising heating costs and competition from cheap overseas suppliers has made it too difficult to compete.

Leslie: It will mainly be annuals and perennials on display in our Trial Garden. There is a very small section planted with cacti and succulents, but if that's your main focus, I wouldn't make the drive for it. If you're excited about cool new petunias, calibrachoas, etc., then it might be more enticing.

nomen_nudum: Costa Farms started as a farm that grew vine-ripened tomatoes in the winter months and calamondin citrus in the summer. Over time, the Costa family branched into growing ornamental plants, such as the houseplants, annuals, perennials, tropicals, orchids, and bonsai we grow today. You are correct that we don't grow edible plants in the ground and that the Costa family (it's still a family-owned company and now in the third generation of Costas) has not changed the name since its founding in 1961.
For what it's worth, we do listen to all the feedback we receive. We just don't act on every piece of feedback we receive. There are many cases -- including the artificially colored Desert Gems -- where we receive both positive and negative feedback.

---Justin, Costa Farms Horticulturist

Paul, that's exactly what I think it was supposed to be, but don't want to make assumptions :)

nomen

I am familiar with Costa Farms, but you said Costco few times, in more than one post, so I rather ask...and I do know what a "real farm" is, lol. My grandma had one, many fields, pastures, 600sheep, horses...I used to work there every summer.

edited to add: we don't call hem ranch where I come from, just farms (do not want to make another post re: nomen's comment)

Thanks for the costa ' farms' not being costco farms correction

My thoughts and high hopes for Costa while wanting to adventure with new things would be would be for them to put two unpainted/ non dyed C&S flats for every one painted C&S flat in a three season nation wide test to see which of the two is being sold in higher volume. Higher volumes sold equals to more profit for costa

Often the' reputable' local area garden centers offer more realistic ( unpainted / dye free C&S at times and depending on the owner management of them They too don't always have the highest quality C&S

@ Rina Knew you knew the differences between a farm from a sizable garden center, though you had ( in a manner of speaking) described a ranch with a number of sheep and and horses that nestle in a stable.

@ Justin any ideas to what would happen a few short years ago if this where on a graft ?

The graft would have broken and it would be ... What the customer wanted ?

Hey nomen_nudum,

I know you don't like the artificially colored Desert Gems and would like us to stop offering them, but please keep in mind they are a tiny percentage of our cacti and succulents. We grow hundreds of thousands of natural cacti and succulents that we ship around the country and Canada. (I don't know the exact ratio, but Desert Gems are well less than 10 percent of our total cacti and succulent program.)

Nor do we force Desert Gems on any of our customers: Lowe's, for example, doesn't buy them from us. The buyers at Walmart and Home Depot love them, however.

When sales numbers drop on the Desert Gems and they no longer make sense to offer, we will stop growing them. But right now, there are people who do buy them -- and appear to be quite happy with them (based on their feedback). Just like there are plenty of people who passionately hate them and take the time to let us know (but are not buying them).

That's a pretty impressive euphorbia you have shown there. I can image that, if it's generating enough chlorophyll to survive, there would be a good number of consumers who would like it --- as well as a good number of consumers who would think it's ugly.

I hope you don't feel like I'm being argumentative. I did want to make sure it's clear to everyone out that Desert Gems aren't a product we're doing willy-nilly. We do our research before offering anything new (including market tests). I also wanted to point out that Desert Gems are not the only cacti we grow.

---Justin, Costa Farms

Nomen, Nice impressive euphorba crest you have. I have lost a few that was grafted on different euphorbia stock but the ones that was grafted on like euphorba lactea is going great. I read it's main reason, it keeps the crest off the ground to reduce rot. I know some rot at graft site due to bad grafting that takes a few years to show up.
I've had the three for well over 5 years and didn't check to see just how old they are. I have cut many sections off of them and gave away and kept some reversions (Gray Ghost) on their own.

Mike sorry for going way off topic on your post.

This post turned into a large info center.

Justin, I believe Nomen's point regarding the Euphorbia is in reference to the common nursery practice of grafting cacti/succulents to obtain faster, easier growth of the scion. (Or in the more extreme case of the bright red, yellow, or pink Gymnocalycium, simply making it possible for them to survive.) As you are no doubt aware, at some point the scion will break free of the rootstock. (For that matter, most members of John Q Public will likely not even be aware that the plant is a graft to begin with.) Most of the general public would be unaware of this, and will likely be dismayed when this occurs and have no clue as what to do (if anything) to salvage the situation. This, in turn, can lead to disappointment and turn them off from trying again.

Unfortunately, there is a very real limit to how much info can feasibly be included on a tag. Tags for such plants really should mention the fact that it is a graft. The more observant novice, noticing such, might take it upon themselves to do some research so they know what is in store for their plant's future, or later , when they start seeking help, they'll have a search term to help.

Nomen might suggest that the plants sold should not be grafted at all. And I understand that viewpoint. However, looking at this from a nursery's standpoint, I can also see the efficacy of grafting. Some plants like the aforementioned chlorophyll free Gymnocalycium are popular novelty plants that can survive no other way. Other plants commonly used as scions grow much more vigorously when grafted making it possible to grow up saleable (or salable depending on one's spelling preference ;-) ) plants faster and at significantly lower cost to the consumer.

Justin thanks for the ratio info but if all I see at BBS are painted/dyed C&S in my area BBS then they are not displaying the unpainted C&S that you said they may have gotten OR NOT GOTTEN

It's nonsence Justin, simple cross talks of accusations with finger pointing at best that lead to no resolve You say it's the BBS telling you what the customer wants to buy as the BBS stores tell me painted/ dyed C&S is all the vendor sent to them.

Harsh as this may sound Costa can learn from this If Costa doesn't know where plants are going shows me that Costa doesn't care

Just as stush had mentioned closer related grafting stocks do help a plant grow and allow the plant to live longer

@ stush Cant see your pics on this thread but have seen them on another Good working IMO and glad that you can enjoy them . Thanks it's never been on a graft. Having that one for the past 13 years I've grown fond of it as well. It pains me to cut the reverting growth off off but also prides me to share.

@ Paul On the other hand I might not ever suggest that graphing not be sold sense it is at times needed. Example 'Red Fred' Mammilaris bocasna cant and wont live in cultivation if not on a graft the grafting stock is also an arid type cacti.

Unlike them Moon cacti that are Gymnocalycium ( arid cacti ) grafted on a more tropical type cacti stock. In a sense this grafting combo is like grafting an apple using orange as a stock.

nomen_nudum: I apologize to you. It was not at all my intention to make you feel like I was pointing fingers or make accusations. I'm sorry I came across that way.

---Justin

@ Justin They ( the BBS) state that I should contact the vendor. You as a representative of the vendor I think I have done what they ( BBS) stated to me Yet you say it's them It's run around run around when all there is is a circle.

Words often require actions to allow one to be true Your apology is accepted but isn't needed. Understand that sorry isn't sorry until something is resolved. When and if resolved I think more would be happier. If you want more to be happier it's probably not up to you alone ( as a costa rep) but, it is, if you are a person who wants to have some pride in the product his company presents.

Re-posted one picture. Seems to be a memory problem with Houzz. Was there when I posted but also didn't see them now. Happened before, I had to downsize the pictures to post.

Justin, you have no need to apologize, nothing you have said has been argumentative or inappropriate. Thanks for coming here and being a good representative of your employer, I appreciate the information and your decision to participate.

inappropriate ? Meaning painted/ dye cacti are "proper" ?

Thanks for doing the re-posting pic Stush not sure why the far right one had reverted back to green to the degree as it's seen If to guess maybe it's just a random act of nature in pot