droseraguy
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2012
Posts: 426
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Post by droseraguy on Mar 14, 2014 8:04:30 GMT -5
I gave up the professional greenhouse business cause after working for one old German guy west of Chicago (I learned a lot but mostly that I couldn't do anything right) and then another German guy near champaign,il ( I did even less right) that unless I owned the business it couldn't support the fam doing what I loved. That being said I am German and stubborn so I can't leave well enough alone and still over plant and over plan at our new farmhouse. The first old guy was personal friends with Vic ball of ball red book fame. Got to meet him a few times and was there a couple benches over when they took the old guys photo with Vic for the cover jacket on the last edition (Ball Red Book). Mr Schneider may have been very knowledgeable but he was best at being an @&$.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 8:04:58 GMT -5
Is this a photo from your garden Jean ? Some healthy looking plants  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 14, 2014 10:20:38 GMT -5
Dear Jean, check out this Euphorbia that resembles Ocotillo. It too has seeds in the same arrangement. Wondering if Ocotillo is a Euphorbia....  James, I have a couple of those as well. Alluaudia procera, common name is Madagascar Ocotillo. The green things are leaves, not seeds. I'm not sure that it is a euphorbia.
(EDIT: Actually, I know it is a euphorbia. I have a neighbor that has some, they are at least fifteen feet tall. The "flowers" are at the very top of the main stems, and after the flowers die, dry out and blacken, it looks like an Afro hairstyle. It totally resembles the flowers of smaller euphorbias I have. The Madagascar Ocotillo that I have are not that big, and have never flowered - they are still in pots, not the ground.)
From Wiki:
You could say that that is the Madagascar equivalent of our ocotillo. It fills the same niche, has thorns, leathery leaves to conserve water, and can drop those leaves when water is scarce. Our local ocotillo, Fouquieria splendens, is not a euphorbia. It has a woody stem, and does not leak the white, sometimes irritating juice common to euphorbias. Euphorbias include the ever popular red Christmas flowers, poinsettias.
I do have one euphorbia (don't know what kind it is, was from a free ad on Craigslist some time ago) that has a pretty thick, somewhat woody stem. It definitely will leak white juice should you cut or damage it. Pulling the dead branches off results in a milky mess where they attach to the stem. 
This one volunteered several years ago from seed that fell. This is the only offspring I have gotten from the adult plant - not that I actively promoted it or anything. 
Here is a close up of inflorescence (not a single flower, but grouping of flowers) on ocotillo:
Is this a photo from your garden Jean ? Some healthy looking plants Thank you, James. These are in my front yard. The raised bed vegetable garden is to the south of the house.
Here's a few more pics of cactus in the front yard:
This is one of the first larger cacti I got, Cereus jamacaru, native to South America. 
In bloom. The flowers are very showy, but don't have much of a fragrance. The bees like them, though! 
At night. Very heavy bloomers, I think they are happy here. 
This is how big it was when I got it, at least fifteen years ago. 
This is one of my favorites. I picked it up one year in Quartzsite, when the cactus people still sold there. It is called Parachute Aloe (or maybe Umbrella Aloe? Not sure), but I've never been able to pin it down to a species, or even where it is from. Anyone recognize it? 
Hope that wasn't too much for y'all! Jean
EDIT to add: Ah finally, some left coast pitcher plant progress pictures! Lookin' good Jean  Thanks, beef! I'll try to keep up with their progress, posting pics! |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 10:48:58 GMT -5
No wonder you like to garden. You have a show place Jean. A lot to be proud of. Odd that cactus blooms are some of the richest colors.
Those big white blooms on the cereus and the yellow/orange on the 'aloe' are crazy. Quite a hacienda you have there. Glad i sent plants to
your caring hands.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2014 10:50:01 GMT -5
hmm... I have one step away from the worlds foremost authority on Aloes. Dude has discovered like 40 new species or some such. Travels the world and has over 300 species on his ranch in Temecula.
Jean I'll forward the image thru my friend to him for ID. I'll need a pic of the plant also. Put it here or email is fine.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 14, 2014 10:54:49 GMT -5
Thanks, James. It keeps me busy and out of trouble. 
The majority of the cactus is in the front yard (west side of the house), have the San Pedro cactus along the back fence, also lots of smaller cactus in pots on a wooden covered rack that is about to fall down, lol.
Cactus is to me what your water plants are to you. On that topic, the sarrancenia with the larger bud has been doing some growing! The shoot has shot up another inch or two. Must like that intense sunshine! Will be very interesting when it blooms. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 14, 2014 10:56:02 GMT -5
hmm... I have one step away from the worlds foremost authority on Aloes. Dude has discovered like 40 new species or some such. Travels the world and has over 300 species on his ranch in Temecula. Jean I'll forward the image thru my friend to him for ID. I'll need a pic of the plant also. Put it here or email is fine. Thanks, Scott. I think I'll email you a higher res pic. Jean |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 12:27:22 GMT -5
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 14, 2014 12:33:46 GMT -5
Yes, that about sums it up, James. I know you can relate, you are shackled to your plantation as well. Mine is just a tad smaller, but still takes some work. If I wasn't so lazy, I could invest even more time and money into it, lol!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 13:01:01 GMT -5
Inside the throat of the cruelest of all sarracenias- S. Minor. The bug is deceived by the windows. Only after trying to climb out the windows and getting tired, he falls to the dissolving pit of killing elixir. cold blooded. the light inside resembles the sky, bright above and fading at the horizon.  |
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Post by iant on Mar 14, 2014 13:21:59 GMT -5
I'm learning, thanks James. Isn't nature fascinating!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 14, 2014 13:53:22 GMT -5
My slice of paradise, lol! Bet you thought my parcel was much larger than this, huh? A little of everything, shoehorned in.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 14:42:10 GMT -5
Who is that sun bathing in the bikini ? Switching to high resolution...
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 14:46:20 GMT -5
Found Scott some goodies   Yum, protein. Down the hatch they go...  |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 14:51:05 GMT -5
I'm learning, thanks James. Isn't nature fascinating! In this case iant, interestingly cold blooded.The S. Minor is the hottest climate(furthest south) sarracenia. Growing down to central Florida and north to S. Georgia. I do not keep them because poachers raid them and i don't want to be accused of being in their company. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 14, 2014 16:24:45 GMT -5
Who is that sun bathing in the bikini ? Switching to high resolution... You wish! James, I'm not 20 anymore - or 30, 40 or 50, either! I may soon be able to wear a bikini again without embarrassing myself, lol! But, really, I think I can do without any more sun damage to my skin. I mostly get my sun when out working in the yard, not like when I was a sunworshipper as a kid.
Bikinis are for use in a Jacuzzi, but only if it's not your own. Don't need one then...
Edit to add - Do you think those are frog eggs, James? I recall that they are laid in long strings like that. Scott will know. Tadpoles coming soon? Or omelets for a bunch of other critters?
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Post by Pat on Mar 14, 2014 16:43:03 GMT -5
Progress! Plants are in Peat Moss (Genuine Canadian Sphagnum Moss) mixed with water, all standing in a bin of water. Our bag was 2.2 cubic feet, but we could use only a little. Does that sound right? Here's the gang.  IMG_2197 by Pat6489, on Flickr They arrived yesterday afternoon without any of today's development. Today they show growth. Thought that was fast! One has a bulb, one has a flattened end of the step, and on one, the stem has formed into a triangular shape. Here's the one with flattened stems.  IMG_2200 by Pat6489, on Flickr For variety --- freesias.  IMG_2203 by Pat6489, on Flickr You can see the ball in the lower left.  IMG_2206 by Pat6489, on Flickr I'll take more photos after the sun moves down. They seem to be fast growers. We'll see. I'm wondering if I should put snail bait around the gray bin to protect them from snails at this point. Opinion? Thanks. |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 18:30:29 GMT -5
Looking great Pat. Pat, always keep the water 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the peat. If you go much higher they may get too wet.And don't forget the rain
may fill the gray pan up. You can drill a hole in it if you like to drain the water to desired level.I have planted linered beds of them in the ground where the A/C
condesate keeps them wet. But you guys probably do not have condensation.
I do not know what to say about the snails. Got lots of snails here but never found one inside the plant. Nor have I ever seen snail damage.
There are a couple of bugs that drill round holes like a carpenter bee does but i think they are only a problem here. I have never had a pitcher
plant destroyed by bugs-not ever.
Your arrangement is perfect. Just not to wet and lots of your hottest sun. The greenhouse i have has no ventilation and stays closed. Often
hitting 130F w/most likely 100 % humidity. So they are tough. They love heat and high radiation sun light. Go Pat !!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 14, 2014 18:33:42 GMT -5
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junglejim
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 344 
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Post by junglejim on Mar 14, 2014 18:41:15 GMT -5
Very cool thread. I've been reading it from the beginning and every couple of days catch up on the progress. Certainly looks like frog eggs to me. That greenhouse is like a sauna. I'd probably break a sweat in two minutes.
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