Yes indeed, especially when I learned about gritty mix. I soon found out what I had been doing wrong for about 30 yrs. of succulent growing, too heavy and wet soils. I have gotten about 75 new plants since I joined you all here. Most are doing great in their healthy soil.

Yes here too,but not just this forum, I have soo many more plants now because of here.

Pluto. don't get met started..lol I saw that 'Out of Africa' post and I was looking there. Thank God it's too cold to ship...Let me know which one you decide to get lol

King, yup, I agree!

Barb, I hear you on that. That is exactly the start of my venture. I could keep nothing healthy or alive for that matter until I came here and the container forums! Thank God we learned this.

God help us, because if there is another Thread started with more flowering ones that I don't have, it will drain my bank account unless some gracious friends here want to share..

Hi Mike,

Here's a radical idea, just enjoy its beauty from afar! I can enjoy someone else's gorgeous plants w/out having to get it & grow it for myself. But that's just me.

Mike

That monthly thread WILL continue, lol...at least I'll try to remember to keep it going, since it was started I think in 2013 (?) - not even sure...

I had only handful of succulents before coming to GW, maybe 8-10. I am not admitting how many I have now. And quite a few came from ppl here...

HA!

With all of the enablers here, how could I not? (Yes, I'm blaming you guys for my actions).

I only started even looking at this forum about a year ago because there wasn't much going on with my Adenium or on the Adenium forum. You know? Something to do during those slow Winter months. Yeah...well. My collection has grown ridiculously in the last year. The Adenium are cool, but all of the rest of my succulents and cacti are interesting year round. Always something to do or look at or look for. I have 2 plants now in my Arid Lands cart that have been there for probably just over a month. Trying to see how long I can keep from purchasing. Especially this time of year. I shouldn't be thinking about myself, right? I should be shopping for others. Husband, kids, grandkids... I mean it's not like I really need more plants. I just want them!!! Trying to delay that gratification as long as I can. And now that it's cold, I may as well wait until Spring. It'll make the acquisition all the sweeter! LOL! Yeah, we'll see how that works out.

Tyler

...and don't even talk about the Facebook sites. Succulent Marketplace, B.E.S.T (stands for buy, exchange, sell, trade) and Etsy. I've gotten some great plants on those, too. YIKES!!! I tend to stick with the U. S. sellers only, so that limits it some, thankfully.

Tyler

Yeah, Karen. That's too radical for me.

...must...have...more...plants...

LOL!

Tyler

Prior to this forum I had at the most 10 varieties of succulents now over 150 and climbing.

I’m definitely guilty! Between seeing pictures of so many wonderful and unique plants and seeing/ receiving so much advice, I feel much more confident I can keep my plants alive. I haven’t counted my plants in at least 6 months and I’m afraid to...

You know, I'm really starting to think a lot of us come here to look for advice, something rare, unique, or something you can not find in stores..

I also think many are a part of this forum to make friends and meet ones that don't mind sharing a plant or two.

I also think many come here to share out of the kindness of their hearts because of extra or knowing how badly one wants something they have or feeling bad for those that might of had a devastating loss..

It's practically impossible for me to just sit back and enjoy the plants we see here without getting ideas for one more in my collection.

I have seen it all, and in the end I feel that only a minute few come here just to offer advice or show off their beauties...ha

Oh yeah, I've bought plants because of the forum. Even an adenium which I'm not really crazy about but I wanted to learn about them. I'm happy with what I've got, representatives from various kinds, don't really need or want more. OK, OK I did buy an aloe this week! Twilight zone looked very healthy, not beat-up, over/under watered like many nursery plants.

Honestly, I can say that this forum really hasn't affected me at all in this regard. Visiting Bikerdoc and going with him to a succulent nursery now and then has been far more impacting. :-)

I've definitely bought and have been gifted a lot more plants since finding this forum. This forum and the awesome people on it have also shifted my hobbies and interests. I've always been into plants but my main focus has always been aquariums. Now my aquarium hobby has taken the backseat since finding this site.

Hey pluto, I'm in ne Ohio as well and I just fell in love with caudex plants. I picked up my first one petopentia natalensis over the summer and have been growing others from seed like crazy since.

isde02 - You're in NE Ohio? Have you found any good succulent/cacti greenhouses? Hirt's Gardens is supposed to be wonderful, but it's only open M-F normal 'business hours' and I can't get there in time. I plan on taking a day off in the spring to head over there.

Yes I'm in Willoughby, right on the lake. Yes, Havel's greenhouse in Mentor is pretty good https://www.havelsflowers.com. They have tents that are dedicated to cacti and succulents. I've been in the owners personal tent where he has lots of rare succulents. Have you been to cactus show and sale? I'm going to try to go this year.

Here are just a handful I know for a fact I would have never ever even known existed without this forum. There are more, but I just grabbed a handful real fast:).

Bottom left/right- Puya alpestris thanks to Tyler, Dorstenia foetida can’t wait for this guy to get big, and Haworthia truncata.

At first I stalked this sight for a year before I joined because I loved all the pics. Then I started to think why no join in all the fun;). I adore this forum and the people. We may disagree sometimes, but when it comes down to it we all have one big thing in common. We love succulents and want people to grow them successfully:).

This forum has also opened my eyes to going to shows. Never went until I joined here. Which is whole other issue because than I see plants there I love:). But the plants above are from me strictly seeing others on this forum.

I started out in the avocado and citrus forums because I had a few of each tree then migrated over here and checked out this forum and BOOM the addiction began with succulents and cactus lol. I'm holding off from purchasing more this winter until I see how they hold up.

Nick, same for me... Started out in Palms & Cycads, just checked this forum out because it sounded cool. Palms went out the door to make room :)

Sorry pluto, try now

Mike, long before I had a computer or ever heard of Garden Web, I used to trade with people who grew houseplants and succulents and advertised for others to trade with, on a UK paper called Garden News, which I always think of fondly. It may well be still a going concern. Then one day in 2001, I found this place, and my knowledge and interest came on in leaps and bounds. I come for the cameraderie, for the photos, and sometimes to trade; there are Irish garden forums, but not like this. The two Facebook jade groups developed from this forum really, and the same people can be found on all, as well as people who have never heard of GW. I always feel SO comfortable here. Thanks to all who have been so nice and so helpful over the years.

Haha..You see I just bought a petopentia natalensis from Out of Africa!!

Marguerite, so sweet and thank you...

Hey, buddy, as I mentioned yesterday, I have a local friend who has overwhelmed me with cuttings this season. I try and give a way one or two plants to him....and then he gives me six in return!!! This is not helping!

Oh, and here's an update on the 'Red Horn Tree.' It's gotten big from that cutting you sent me so many years ago.

Josh

That's a nice pot Josh, is that from Keith Taylor?

I've definitely come to like Sempervivum. I haven't bought as nearly as many plants as I'd like to though because there is hardly any room for bringing them in during the winter (and I don't live on my own yet).

Would that be a reference to the fellow Caudex, of the extraordinary pots? It sure looks like one of his. Nice plant too Josh ;>)

Thanks, it's one of my favorite pots...and plants :-)

It's a similar cracked style pot, but it was actually made by Steve Pate, who has now retired (I think).

Josh

I avoided cacti before this forum because I don't like the thorns. Now, OH, who cares about thorns!? haha!

I've also become more interested in plants with a caudex which I didn't even know what that was in the beginning.

As I posted on FB-The more I grow succulents the more I move toward the strange/weird and unusual and where succulents are concerned there is NO end to WEIRD! Ya gotta love 'em!

Curse you SoCal Steward! Putting up yet another place on FB where I can get into trouble. Haha!

Hey Laura, happy to help! (he he!)

...and it was Kara who got me to see the beauty through the thorns. As a result my collection has expanded beyond the relatively thornless succulents to the pokey cacti. In fact, I got poked at HD yesterday "just looking". I resisted the urge to buy any. Nothing different, unique or special that I just "had to have".

So proud of myself!

Tyler

Guilty! use to be patient and mostly started from seeds. No longer as patient, doing 50/50 seed and plants! Definitely exploring new space since joining the forum, caudex, lithops haworthia etc... And the shows and nursery hopping in the Bay area...My son better finish college quickly :)

Isde02, still can't message. Could you try to message me? I'd love to know more about a society show, but don't want to hijack this thread.

Laura - ﹰMy wife doesn't like thorns so I sold them. Then I had space for other plants! Haha.

I am more interested in the smaller genera of Mexican cacti, so don´t find a lot here to really inspire me. But the people are friendly.

Spanish Fly, what do you mean Mexican Cactus? Do you have a pics of any? Why do you like them so much? I just might try a few depending on your response!

Hey Josh, beautiful plants!! And POT

Kara, what beautiful plants! I even got one of them.

Genera of greatest interest to me are Acharagma, Ariocarpus, Astrophytum, Aztekium, Cumarinia, Epithelantha, Geohintonia, Leuchtenbergia, Lophophora (some of these are ILLEGAL in the US), Obregonia, Ortegocactus, Pelecyphora, Stenocactus (spectacular wavy ribs), Strombocactus, Toumeya, Turbinicarpus. Many of these are regarded as difficult and I rarely see any mentioned in this forum. To be honest, Mike, if you are interested, do a google for pics, that will bring up much better ones than I can produce. But I am more than happy to answer any questions about my small collection.

Spanish Fly, why biggest curiosity is WHY do you like them so much? Because of the flowering? ease of growth? I have myself a couple and I like the ones I have..

Thanks

Because many of them are regarded as difficult - it is a challenge to keep them alive, growing, flowering, setting seed. I also make a bit of money selling Lophophora williamsii plants and seeds to Americans.

I really like Mexican, and Central and South American plants. You all can have your succulents.

Rob, you are too funny! Do they flower nicely? Do you enjoy the flowers besides the difficulty to grow them?

Spanish Fly, that goes for you too..