Tag: succulentplants

Myrtillocactus geometrizans cv. Fukurokuryuzinboku, Myrtillocactus geometrizans

How To Care for Myrtillocactus geometrizans ‘Fukurokuryuzinboku’ The Booby Cactus

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Hi Guys 😀 In this Cactus care Blog I am talking about the very unusual and very wacky and yes a little bit naughty of a cactus called Myrtillocactus geometrizans var. ‘Fukurokuryuzinboku’ also known as ‘The Booby Cactus’ 

I have made a special How To Care for video on Myrtillocactus geometrizans var. ‘Fukurokuryuzinboku‘ also known as ‘The Booby Cactus’ on my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon and I have linked the care video at the end of this Blog 😀 

Myrtillocactus geometrizans cv. Fukurokuryuzinboku, Myrtillocactus geometrizans
Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Myrtillocactus geometrizans cv. Fukurokuryuzinboku, also known as Blue Candle Booby cactus, Breast Cactus, Titty Cactus.

ABOUT :

Myrtillocactus geometrizans Fukurokuryuzinboku is a monstrose cultivar of the more commonly seen Myrtillocactus geometrizans, but this Cactus has more unusual shaped ribs along with areoles that resemble nipples making this cactus appear like it has little breasts in appearance, this is why this cactus is often nicknamed as ‘The Booby Cactus’ or ‘Titty Cactus’.

Myrtillocactus geometrizans Fukurokuryuzinboku is a rare plant to find for sale and is only available from specialist cactus nurseries and online cactus nurseries but is now becoming more popular to grow in cultivation, it is definitely one of the more expensive cactus plants to buy.

It is a Japanese cultivar that can grow up to 4.5 metres high ( 178 inches ) and 10 cm wide in diameter ( 4 inches ).

LIGHT :

This cactus definitely like a nice sunny spot, however when these plants are still young ( less than 3 inches in height ) or if taken as cuttings they are best placed in a less sunnier position, however when cuttings have fully rooted and the plant is taller than 3 inches in height they love to be placed in a sunny position as long as ventilation can be provided. If grown on a very sunny south facing window in the middle of summer then a shade cloth may be placed over the window to allow indirect sunshine onto the plant this will prevent scorch or yellowing of the stem.

SOIL : 

A very well draining cactus soil is an absolute must for these cacti as soil that stays wet for too long will encourage rot, a good quality well draining cactus and succulent soil mix is to be used and not any other type of houseplant soil. I like to make my own cactus soil up for these cacti and use a mix of 3 equal parts of Loam, Horticultural sharp sand, and Grit. Here is a video I have made for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How I make my own cactus soil and you can watch this video below:

WATERING : 

From Spring until mid Fall / Autumn these cacti love to be watered very regularly always allowing the soil in their pots to fully dry out first before watering them again, this is a better guide I like to give to people because when it comes to watering all cacti, one size does not fit all haha, as it can depend on many different factors for example the temperature, the climate etc, but as a good rule of thumb during their active growing period of Spring until mid Fall I recommend to water every time the soil in their pots has fully dried out.

In Winter these cacti like to have a winter rest period and no water should be given from late Fall / Autumn  until Spring. Its normal for these cacti to shrivel as they use up their water stores during winter and their little ‘breasts’ will start to shrivel haha ‘however if you are overwintering your cactus indoors in a heated room and notice that the cactus is looking a bit too shrivelled you can go ahead and water just enough to plump up the plant again, but avoid doing this if growing your cactus in a cooler environment e.g a greenhouse or polytunnel etc, due to the cooler temperatures and higher air humidity levels of a greenhouse or polytunnel or other outdoor structure, its better a few wrinkly ‘boobs’ than  rotten ones haha, and your cactus will soon plump back up again in Spring when normal watering resumes.

Clean Rainwater is always best if you have access to it, but if not then let your tap water sit for 24 hours to help to dissipate some of the chemicals that are present in tap water.

FERTILISING : 

From spring and Summer feed these cacti once every 3 weeks with a good quality cactus and succulent fertiliser. Do not feed at all in Winter when these plants are resting.

TEMPERATURE : 

Myrtillocactus geometrizans Fukurokuryuzinboku can not take frost and in Winter this cactus must be kept above 10 Celsius / 50 Fahrenheit, many growers would recommend that they can take lower than this if kept totally dry over winter but personally I would not recommend it as Myrtillocactus has a tendency to scar and scab and at the worst case rot in low temperatures during the Winter months when they are dormant, especially in my climate in Ireland and the UK where the air humidity is very high outdoors in winter, if you live in a more arid winter environment and country then its possible these plants can take lower temps in Winter but avoid frost at all costs.

During the Spring and Summer these cacti can take very high temperatures as long as plenty of ventilation can be given. If growing behind glass, e.g in a sunny window or greenhouse or conservatory, sun room etc, then windows must be open or and a fan / doors etc for ventilation during very hot and sunny days.

Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Myrtillocactus geometrizans cv. Fukurokuryuzinboku, Blue Candle Booby cactus,Cactus, Breast Cactus, Titty Cactus,
Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Myrtillocactus geometrizans cv. Fukurokuryuzinboku, Blue Candle Booby cactus,Cactus, Breast Cactus, Titty Cactus,

RE POTTING : 

Its best to re pot these cacti during their active growing period in Spring and Summer and only when the plant has outgrown its pot, as with all cacti its far better to under pot rather than over pot because too much soil around their roots can stay damp for too long and may encourage the chances of root rot.

FLOWERING : 

Myrtillocactus geometrizans Fukurokuryuzinboku will bloom when mature from about 60 cm tall in height ( 24 inches ) The flowers form in Spring and are small white flowers.

PROPAGATION : 

Propagation of Myrtillocactus geometrizans Fukurokuryuzinboku is from cuttings taken in Spring and Summer. Cuttings need to fully dry ( callus ) over for a couple of weeks or more until a hard white callus has formed at the base of the cut before planting up as cuttings. Cuttings of these cacti need very warm weather above 18 Celsius / 65 Fahrenheit to root for the best success, additional heat with a heat mat can help with rooting these cuttings if your Summers are cool and damp like mine in Ireland and UK.

Seed propagation of Myrtillocactus geometrizans Fukurokuryuzinbokus is not recommend, this is because this cactus is a monstrose variety of the original Myrtillocactus geometrizans and any seeds germinated will grow as normal Myrtillocactus geometrizans cactus plants and will not grow with the little ‘breasts’.

I have made a video for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How to care for Myrtillocactus geometrizans Fukurokuryuzinboku aka The Booby Cactus and you can watch this video below :

I hope you enjoyed reading and learning lots about this very bizarre and wacky cactus.

Check out my Cacti and Succulent You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon for lots more tips and tricks on many different types of cacti and succulents and also for lots more info on how you can care for your Cacti and Succulents.

Thanks so much for reading and sending you all lots of HAPPY GROWING.

 

 

 

 

 

Echeveria, Echeveria plants, Echeveria Succulents, Echeveria Succulent Plants, Echeveria flowers, Echeveria blooms, Echeveria flower, Echeveria bloom,

Top 5 Succulent Plants To Grow for Beginners

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Hi Guys 😀 

In this Blog I share with you my Top 5 Succulent Plants To Grow For Beginners 😀 

There are many Succulent Plants that are wonderful to grow but these are my recommendations on what I think are very easy for beginners to start with, and in this Blog I will be sharing links to pages and videos that I have wrote on this website and also videos I have made on my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon to help newbies to grow and care for these incredible succulents.

Echeveria, Echeveria plants, Echeveria Succulents, Echeveria Succulent Plants, Echeveria flowers, Echeveria blooms, Echeveria flower, Echeveria bloom,
Me with some Echeveria plants that I could not resist buying from my local Supermarket.

1,ECHEVERIA:

Echeveria, Echeveria plants, Echeveria Succulents, Echeveria Succulent Plants, Echeveria flowers, Echeveria blooms, Echeveria flower, Echeveria bloom,
An Echeveria in beautiful flower at Dublin Botanic Gardens.

Echeveria’s are one of the most beautiful Succulents to grow, they grow with a rosette appearance that always remind me of a flower. There are many different types of Echeveria that are easily available for sale at many garden shops, and plant nurseries. 

If you can provide them with plenty of sunshine in Spring and Summer and a well draining soil, and a cool and mostly dry winter rest period then they will readily flower all through the Spring, Summer and often into late fall /Autumn too.

Graptopetalum and Graptosedum are also excellent plants to grow for beginners and resemble Echeveria and the care for both of them is the same as Echeveria.

graptopetalum, graptopetalums, graptopetalum succulents, Echeveria, Echeveria plants, Echeveria Succulents, Echeveria Succulent Plants, Echeveria flowers, Echeveria blooms, Echeveria flower, Echeveria bloom,
My Graptopetalum Succulent Plant, this plant resembles Echeveria and the care is the same.

I have made a video on my You Tube channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How To Care For Echeveria and I share lots of tips and tricks on How to care for them and you can watch this video below:

2, GASTERIA:

Gasteria, Gasteria's, Gasteria succulents, Gasteria in flower, Gasteria flowers, Gasteria blooms,
A Gasteria in flower at Dublin Botanic Gardens, many Gasteria have wonderful variegated fan like leaf arrangements.

Gasteria’s are wonderful small growing compact plants that are ideal for people who do not have the space for large growing plants. The are often variegated and have wonderful patterning to them. Gasteria’s are also more shade loving than many other Succulents, making them ideal for growers who do not have south facing windows or positions, although many Gasteria’s can also tolerate full sun too as well as more shade. 

Provide Gasteria with a bright position and a well draining soil and they will also readily flower from spring and Summer and into the Fall / Autumn.

I have made a video on my You tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How to Care for Gasteria and you can watch this video below:

3, HAWORTHIA:

Haworthia, Haworthia's, Haworthia plants, Haworthia succulents, Haworthia attenuata, Haworthia attenuata - fasciata, Haworthia succulents,
My 36 year old Haworthia attenuata – fasciata plant, one of my very first succulent plants. This plant was just a small Rosette and has over the years formed into a wonderful large bowl arrangement with many Rosettes.

Haworthia plants are very easy to grow and also nice and compact making them ideal for growers who do not have much space for the larger growing succulents. Haworthia is also perfect for people who don’t have sunny windows or positions as Haworthia prefer to be grown in more shade than many other Succulents, and although they appreciate some early morning sunshine, they can be grown in a bright position with indirect sunshine, or even a bright well lit position that does not receive any sun, although these plants will flower more readily if either a couple of hours f morning sun or indirect sunshine can be provided.

The rosettes form into little clumps over time and will eventually fill a bowl with their rosettes, the rosettes can also be separated from the parent plant and be planted up individually.

The flowers are not the most impressive on these plants but their foliage and rosette appearance to the leaves make them very attractive to grow for their foliage and ease of care.

Haworthia, Haworthia cooperi, Haworthia's, Haworthia, Haworthia plants,
My Haworthia cooperi Succulent plant

Haworthia like all Succulents like a very well draining soil mix and to dry out in between waterings, and prefer to be kept more cool and dry over the Winter.

4, ALOE: 

Aloe arborescens plant, Aloe plant, Aloes, Aloe succulents, Aloe plants, Aloe arborescens,
Our Aloe arborescens plant, this particular Aloe can grow very large over time, however there are many Aloes that stay small and compact, this genus is very varied. Photo by Hans Muller

Aloe Plants have to be one of the most famous of all succulent plants to grow, the most well known being the very common Aloe Vera, Aloe Vera is commonly always seen for sale at almost any garden shop or plant nursery, its a very easy and fast growing succulent with many well known medicinal and skin care uses.

There are many different types of Aloe plants, some are smaller and some can grow very large over time, making them ideal specimens for growers who love larger plants or have greenhouses or conservatories. Many Aloes especially the many hybrids now available will stay small and grow into clumping rosettes, and because this genus is so varied it makes it ideal for growers who love either small growing or very large growing Succulents.

Aloes do need lots of sunshine otherwise they will grow thin and leggy. However if growing Aloes behind glass or in a greenhouse its best to provide some shade in the strong midday sun in Summer. Aloe plants need a very well draining soil, water only when the soil has completely dried out in the pot before watering again, keep the soil dry during Winter with occasional watering if growing Aloes indoors in winter.

I have made a video for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How To Care For Aloe and you can watch this video below:

5, CRASSULA:

Crassula, Crassula falcata, Crassula Falcata, Crassula falcata propeller plant, Propeller plant,
My Crassula falcata plant in beautiful bloom, Photo by Hans Muller

Crassula is a very large and very varied range of many Succulent plants, the most common one being the Jade Crassula Ovata, also known as the Chinese Jade Money Plant. Crassulas are wonderful plants for beginners and also perfect for growers who want to see flowers in Winter, as many Crassula will flower in Winter as well in Summer and quite often Crassula’s will prefer to have a bit of a dormancy in mid Summer when everything else is in flower and growth.

Crassula like a sunny position to encourage them to flower, they also need a well draining soil and the soil to dry out completely in between waterings,

There are many small growing Crassula that are ideal for a nice sunny windowsill and also many crassula like the Crassula ovata that grow large into a tree over time.

If I had to pick just one Crassula to grow I would chose the Crassula ovata, its a classic favourite and easy to prune and keep in shape and if you want to know How to get your Jade Crassula ovata to Flower check out this video I have made for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How To Get your Jade Crassula Ovata to Flower and you can watch this video below:

I hope you found my Top 5 Succulents to Grow for Beginners Blog helpful and if you want to watch a video that I have made for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on the Top 5 Succulent Plants To Grow for beginners you can watch this video below:

Thank you all for reading Guys and Happy Growing to you <3 

 

 

 

 

Aztekium, Aztekium hintonii, Aztekium cactus,

How To Care for Aztekium Cactus

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Hi Guys 😀 

In this Blog I share my tips and tricks on How to care for the Aztekium Cactus.

Aztekium, Aztekium hintonii, Aztekium cactus,
My 23 year old Aztekium hintonii grown from seed ( not by me ) 

I have made a video on my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants Of Avalon on How To Care for Aztekium, and you can watch this video HERE:

ABOUT AZTEKIUM:

There are just three species of Aztekium, 1, Aztekium ritteri, 2, Aztekium hintonii, and 3, Aztekium valdezii.

Aztekium valdezii has only recently been discovered from 2011.

The Aztekium Cactus grows in its natural habitat in Mexico growing on steep cliff faces that consist of mostly gypsum and some limestone gravel.

Aztekium is extremely slow growing and forms into little clumps over many years, it is one of the slowest growing cacti both in natural habitat and in cultivation. 

I have grown my Aztekium hintonii for over 23 years, I got it as a young seedling that was grown from seed from a Cactus Grower in the U.K called David Quail, it was the just size of my thumbnail and in all of that time it has grown only about 2 inches in height and width.

Because of their extremely slow growth and difficulty to grow when young on their own roots, these cacti are often seen for sale grafted onto other more hardier cactus stock, but once established on their on roots they can survive long term as long as a very careful watering is maintained and a very gritty well draining soil is used.

Aztekium, Aztekium hintonii, Aztekium cactus,
My 23 year old Aztekium hintonii

HOW TO CARE FOR:

LIGHT:

Aztekium like most cacti need bright light with some sunshine to grow healthy, however these cacti prefer to be protected from very strong midday sunshine and prefer more shade than a lot of the other types of Desert Cacti, and Aztekium would be best positioned where they can get either early morning or very late afternoon sunshine.

WATERING:

Aztekium prefer soft water that is not alkaline and clean rainwater is best to water these cacti with. Its best to avoid watering these cacti with water than has a pH higher than PH 7, as hard alkaline water can cause damage to the roots. If you use tap water check that the PH is not higher than PH 7 and allow the water to sit for 24 hours to allow the chlorine and other gases to dissipate.

If you are growing Aztekium that have been grafted, then the pH of the water is not as much a concern as most cactus stock used for grafting Aztekium are mostly Trichocereus or Pereskioposis, and these cacti are not so sensitive to water PH, however careful watering should still be given with all Aztekium cacti.

Water Aztekium from Spring through Summer ALWAYS allowing the soil in their pots to fully dry out before watering again.

Keep Aztekium totally dry throughout the Winter rest period with no water from Fall / Autumn and Winter, introduce water again from Spring when their active growing period returns.

SOIL:

The soil used for Aztekium must be extremely well draining, this is very important especially for Aztekium cacti that are growing on their own roots, especially when they are young as they can be very prone to rot, which is why they are often seen grafted.  If grafted onto hardier root stock such as Pereskioposis and Trichocereus they are far less prone to rot and grow faster, but as with all cacti except the epiphytes, the more well draining the soil the better.

Some growers of Aztekium like to add lie to the soil, but I have had success over 23 years of growing this cactus with my well draining soil mix that I use for most of my arid loving cacti.

Avoid using peat and houseplant soils for these cacti as they need a VERY well draining and gritty soil.

I like to use a soil mix of 3 equal parts of loam, horticultural sand and grit for my Aztekium hintonii, For more information on How I make my own Cactus soil click HERE:

FEEDING:

Feed Aztekium once a month in Spring until mid Summer with a good quality cactus fertiliser. Because these cacti are extremely slow growing its best to use the fertiliser at half the strength they recommend for normal cacti.

FLOWERING:

The flowers on Aztekium are very tiny and white or pink or lilac coloured, they grow from the top of the cactus when the plant is mature often after many years. 

Aztekium forms a woolly tuft and fine spines from the crown of the cactus when the plant is mature enough to flower.

I have not had my Aztekium flower for me in 23 years, but I hope one day to see flowers, patience is definitely the key when growing cacti haha, but I have heard of many growers who have had their Aztekiums flower after 10 years or less.

Grafted Aztekiums will flower much sooner than if grown on their own roots.

TEMPERATURE:

In Spring and Summer Aztekium can take high temperatures but they must be protected from extreme heat and strong midday sunshine, especially if they are grown behind glass in glasshouses or windowsills, and they like to have plenty of ventilation.

In Winter its best to overwinter Aztekium cool and dry above 5 Celsius / 41 Fahrenheit

PROPAGATION:

Propagation of Aztekium is done by seed that are very dust like, but it is extremely difficult and slow to grow from seeds, although germination rate can be high at first lots of seedlings will often die within the first few months of germination. 

I have never tried to grow these from seed myself but when my Aztekium flowers for e in the future and I get seed I will definitely have a go at trying to grow this amazing and unique little cactus from seed.

If you want to grow Aztkium from seed or any other type of cactus from seed read my page on this website Growing Cactus from seed  by clicking HERE

Here is a video I have made for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants Of Avalon on How To Care For Aztekium Cacti and you can watch this video below:

 

Thanks so much for reading Guys and Happy Growing to you all <3