"Fat Plants" : cacti,succulents, caudiciforms, whatever..

[cohan]

my summer is also not reliable for most c+s outdoors, no greenhouse yet, so they are all in the house full time..

i haven't tried brevicaule, but have heard it is often on a suicide mission it seems it may also depend on the individuals--i have some friends who have tried and failed, and now are doing very well with plants from a particular seed batch a friend raised; he is trying to pollinate the seedlings of that batch now, in hopes to get more seed of strong individuals...

[maggiepie]

I like caudiciforms anyway but the disadvantage is they need heat(much heat )in winter.

I better not even think about them then, the thermostat in my house is set around 16-18C during winter.

Btw, your lady is very fortunate that you show such consideration. My poor other half has to put up with living in a jungle during the winter months.
Trays of seedlings and plants everywhere.

[cohan]

I like caudiciforms anyway but the disadvantage is they need heat(much heat )in winter.

I better not even think about them then, the thermostat in my house is set around 16-18C during winter.

Btw, your lady is very fortunate that you show such consideration. My poor other half has to put up with living in a jungle during the winter months.
Trays of seedlings and plants everywhere.

16-18C is fine for most species for winter(too cold for me, though...lol)--they are considered to want warmth relative to cactus collections, for example, which are often kept just above freezing in greenhouses over winter; things like adenium and pachypodium are dormant in winter, usually, and usually need to be above 10C as a minimum, though i have had them (a few, havent grown many as they tend to get too big) on windowsills which must have pushed that line on cold nights, though warmer in daytime..

[maggiepie]

Cohan, thanks for the clarification. I'm still finding my way with cold climate gardening.
I don't find 16-18 too bad, I just wear more jumpers 
 

[cohan]

Cohan, thanks for the clarification. I'm still finding my way with cold climate gardening.
I don't find 16-18 too bad, I just wear more jumpers 
 

actually, since virtually all of our heat is from a woodstove, the temperature varies a lot from one room/spot to another, and depending at what stage the fire is, even with fans--so when i am sitting to watch tv it may not be much above your 16-18 at times, but the computer is very near the stove, so here its probably nearer 30 when the fire is going strong; ironically, its hardest to get a good temperature when its not very cold outside--too cold for no heat, but the stove quickly overheats, then if you start only a small fire, quickly burns down and start over

[maggiepie]

Cohan, our computer room is usually the warmest room in the house, it's amazing how much heat a few computers can throw out.
I get what you are saying about warmth indoors when the temps rise outside, we are having that at the moment.
Am feeling colder inside now with +2 outside than I was when it was -16 outside. Doesn't make sense to me.
The 30 from the woodstove would just about kill me. I had never slept with a window closed even in winter until I came to Canada. Still find that difficult.

[cohan]

Cohan, our computer room is usually the warmest room in the house, it's amazing how much heat a few computers can throw out.
I get what you are saying about warmth indoors when the temps rise outside, we are having that at the moment.
Am feeling colder inside now with +2 outside than I was when it was -16 outside. Doesn't make sense to me.
The 30 from the woodstove would just about kill me. I had never slept with a window closed even in winter until I came to Canada. Still find that difficult.

i'm good with heat, but don't like dry air-keep a pot of water on the stove, but its not nearly as drying as central heating--not weeping walls like we had in toronto but still not bad..my sinuses shrivel when it gets too dry...lol
i tend to have plants on the majority of windows, so opening windows below 10C is not something i'd even consider,and then heat is hard won--either paid for or in this case (wood)earned with hard labour, so i'm not inclined to let it escape through open windows however, this house was never finished properly, so there is plenty of ventilation...lol

[krisderaeymaeker]

16-18C is fine for most species for winter(too cold for me, though...lol)--they are considered to want warmth relative to cactus collections, for example, which are often kept just above freezing in greenhouses over winter; things like adenium and pachypodium are dormant in winter, usually, and usually need to be above 10C as a minimum, though i have had them (a few, havent grown many as they tend to get too big) on windowsills which must have pushed that line on cold nights, though warmer in daytime..

This is exactly what I mean Cohan.The glasshouse where I keep my cacti is to cold for the caudiciforms.
(keep it frostfree no more ,no less) 
Few caudiciforms tolerate a 5 degrees Celcius in wintertime .
Try to post a few caudiciforms next season .By the end of may they will be moved to the glasshouse again and start to grow.By the end of september or in october they come back inside.

[pel1]

There are at least a few caudiciforms that can survive the sort of temperatures found in the average frost-free cactus greenhouse, why not try some of the following-Dioscorea Elephantipes, Kedrostis Africanus, Pachypodium Succulentum and most of the tuberous Pelargonium species. There are probably many more!

[krisderaeymaeker]

There are at least a few caudiciforms that can survive the sort of temperatures found in the average frost-free cactus greenhouse, why not try some of the following-Dioscorea Elephantipes, Kedrostis Africanus, Pachypodium Succulentum and most of the tuberous Pelargonium species. There are probably many more!

I agree with this list James .Dioscorea also stays in my greenhouse for the winter and even get some water in this period.There are more  ,Sarcocaulon e.g.
But Adenium and most of the Pachypodium must have 10 degrees anyway.

[pel1]

I agree, Adenium, and anything from Madagascar, is very tender, it seems to do ok on my windowsill though.

[pel1]

Hi,
Could anyone out there spare a cutting of the unusual tuberous rooted cactus Opuntia chaffeyi ? I had one for many years but lost it to a mealy bug infestation, in return, I can offer cuttings from several nice pterocactus species.
Many thanks, James.

[angie]

Here are some caudiciforms Tylosema fassoglensis, phyllanthus mirabilis, 2 small dioscorea, Zygosicyos trichadenia, Pseudolithos migiurtinus,uncarina sp. and a  large Adenia Spinosa, I think this one will have to go to someone local ( post would be to expensive )
Sorry if spelling isn't right labels a bit faded, anyone interested please pm me,
Angie

[mark smyth]

My cacti that spent all winter, down to -11c, are coming bck in to growth again. Only one fatality - so far.

[ruweiss]

Last Weekend our Cactus Club (www.vkw-kakteen.de) had his annual show with plant sale in
Korb near Stuttgart. We had many visitors during the two days who enjoyed the plants and took
the chance to obtain many plants offered by private and professional nursery people.
Gymnocalycium saglionis was about 60 years old and the Stenocactus about 35 years. Czech
nurserymen offered grafted Pachypodiums and showed the stock plants, the yellow one was
15 years old! Agave ferox starts to flower and the owner wonders how high it will grow.