Free seeds of Gymnocalycium cacti to get

Recently, my Gymnocalycium cacti flowered and gave me some seeds. I want to give them for free because they are too many for me and it'll be a good practice to grow normal cactus from seed.  Then you'll know to do it with another cactus which may need more advance experience.

In the past, my friend ever gave the free seeds, then I learnt how to plant cactus from seed and now I want to do it to other people, too. Here is the picture of mother Gymnocalycium.

But you may need to pay $2 for shipping.  (Please don't forget that I live in Thailand.  If you stay here, I'll send you for free!) So if you'd like to get those seeds, please send money $2 via Paypal.  Here is my account : thai_create@hotmail.com.  There are limited amount: 3 sets (about 20-30 seeds/set)

Cactus vs Scale

Today topic is about the scale, one of common pest for cactus as the blog reader has asked me about how to heal the cactus when scale attacks.  Hope it'll be helpful for you guys.

Scale is pinhead-size insects that present themselves as raised tan/brown spots. It is actually hard shell coverings that protect the insect or eggs underneath. Scales reproduce like rabbits, prefer columnar and rock cacti, and dine on plant juices. Infected plants appear yellow and weakened. Left untreated, scale can cause bud and shoot drop. Scale are treated similar to mealy bugs. 

Life cycle 

Scale and mealy bugs are related insects, and since their life cycles closely parallel each other.  In a general scale life cycle, eggs are produced beneath the female shell and hatch into tiny crawlers which are invisible to the unaided eye. Crawlers are not covered by a hard shell and they migrate to newly expanded foliage, finally settling near leaf veins on the underside of leaves or stems. It is this crawler stage, which is practically impossible to detect on cuttings or other propagation material that is responsible for spreading the infestation. 

Outbreaks of scale can be triggered by plants being under stress (overwatering/underwatering), too much new growth resulting from an overabundance of nutrients (overfertilizing), overcrowding (unavoidable in some collections) and other conditions specific to the infestation. These other conditions can include injudicious spraying that kills the predators but leaves the scale eggs alive, introduction of a new, more favorable host plant, etc.

scale on rose branch

How to rid scale? 

Many remedies are available for control depending on how much the scale outbreak. 

1. At the beginning, you may choose organic controls including alcohol spray (isopropyl alcohol, straight or diluted), soapy emulsion (can be mixed w/alcohol), horticultural oil (read the directions, taking the plant out of the sun is a must) and pyrethrum spray. 
Soapy water/alcohol should be reapplied every 2-3 days for 2 weeks. This is because little residual action can be expected, and newly hatched insects are occurring.

Alcohol in large quantities in the root zone is generally to be avoided since it can dehydrate some tissues. Soapy water/alcohol mix should not be allowed to dry in the root zone since damage can occur. If it is used, after a short period it can be flushed by pouring clean water through the root zone.

2. The most common and easy choice to remove scale is Chemical spray with proven results include Sevin and malathion.  DO NOT use sprays containing malathion on the Crassulaceae family of plants. These plants include the common Jade plants.  Some species in these genera are very sensitive to Malathion, and damage or death may result.   For your safe health, follow the pesticide instruction strictly when you use Malathion.

3.  Sometimes, spraying contact pesticides on scale is not effective since their protective hard shell coverings shed water like a well-made roof and the chemical ends up killing the natural predators (lacewings and their larvae that generally keep the scale under control in garden). 
Systemic pesticides can work but we should get rid of the alive scales, too.   They can't move, so once they are detached from the plant they will die. So you should scrape off the cactus scale by washing the plant with a weak detergent solution or by mechanically removing insects with a toothpick.  Then spray Malathion to control major infestations weekly. When fighting scale, be sure to cover the soil, otherwise, these pests will just drop off and then get right back on the plant. 

Information & Photo Source: http://www.cactusmuseum.com/, http://www.oldandsold.com, http://bugyou.blogspot.com/

Haworthia koelmaniorum

Family: Aloaceae 
Genus: Haworthia 

Species: koelmaniorum 

Synonym: Haworthia koelmaniorum var. koelmaniorum, Haworthia limifolia var. koelmaniorum

Origin: South Africa (Mpumalanga: Pretoria area)


Hardiness:
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)


Sun Exposure: Light Shade to shade (Its leaves can be burn if the sunlight is too severe.)

Growth Habits: Stemless rosette, very slowly clumping, 2 to 2.8 inches in diameter (5-7 cm); 14 to 20 leaves.

Watering Needs: regular water (every 3-4 days/time) 
Bloom Color: White/Near White
Bloom Time: Mid-late Summer, Early Fall
Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Evergreen
Blue-Green
Burgundy
Succulent
Leathery-Textured


Propagation Methods: By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets) or leaf cuttings
From seed; direct sow after last frost, From seed; germinate in vitro in gelatin, agar or other medium.
 Other details: 

·       This plant is suitable for growing indoors like normal harworthia.   

·        Koelmaniorum grows slowly and can be rotten easily, too.  The plant is not cheap so its soil should be light and take care of it carefully.  You may mix the cactus soil and pumice in small size with the ratio 1:2.  I've been told that it worked.

·       Although Haworthia koelmaniorum naturally occurs in the summer rainfall area, the plants seem to have no problem when cultivated under similar conditions as their winter-growing relatives.

 Source: www.davesgarden.com, www.desert-tropicals.com/, http://desert-plants.blogspot.com

Making your own compost at backyard

What you do usually do with the dead leaves and food waste?  Composting is also a good answer to recycle leaves and other yard waste. Instead of burning or hauling away leaves, you can compost them and return the nutrients to your garden to save money with your own compost!

What is compost?

To gardeners, compost is considered "black gold" because of its many benefits in the garden. Adding compost to clay soils makes them easier to work and plant. In sandy soils, the addition of compost improves the water holding capacity of the soil. By adding organic matter to the soil, compost can help improve plant growth and health.

The composting process

The composting process involves four main components: organic matter, moisture, oxygen, and bacteria.

Organic matter includes plant materials and some animal manures. All composting require three basic ingredients:

• Browns organic materials such as dead leaves, branches , twigs. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost
• Greens organic materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds. The green materials provide nitrogen.
• Water provides moisture to help breakdown the organic matter

The best ratio is 1 part green to 1 part brown material.  Shredding, chopping or mowing these materials

1. Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.
2. Add your brown and green materials as you collect them, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded. Smaller pieces will help speed the composting process by increasing the surface area.
3. Moisten dry materials as they are added.
4. Once your compost pile is established, mix green material into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material.
5. Optional: Cover top of compost with a tarp to keep it moist.
6. When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use (this is usually occurs in two months to two years).

Tip:

• If the pile is too dry, materials will decompose very slowly. Add water during dry periods or when adding large amounts of brown organic material. 
• If the pile is too wet, turn the pile and mix the materials. Another option is to add dry, brown organic materials. 
• Turning the pile is important for complete composting and for controlling odor.

• Wait at least two weeks before turning the pile, to allow the center of the pile to "heat up" and decompose. Once the pile has cooled in the center, decomposition of the materials has taken place. Frequent turning will help speed the composting process.

my compost bag

• You may also add layers of soil or finished compost to supply more bacteria and speed the composting process. Commercial starters are available but should not be necessary for compost.

(I live in the city and have limited garden space.  Therefore, I make my own compost in the soil/cement large bag (which water can go through) and shake it every 2 weeks.  About 2-3 months, the compost will be ready J.  You can adapt another bag or sack to make the compost.)

How long does it take?

The amount of time needed to produce compost depends on several factors, including the size of the compost pile, the types of materials, the surface area of the materials, and the number of times the pile is turned.

The number of times the pile is turned influences composting speed. By turning more frequently (about every 2-4 weeks), you will produce compost more quickly. Waiting at least two weeks allows the center of the pile to heat up and promotes maximum bacterial activity. The average composter turns the pile every 4-5 weeks.

With frequent turning, compost can be ready in about 3 months, depending on the time of year.

In winter, the activity of the bacteria slows, and it is recommended that you stop turning the pile after November to keep heat from escaping the pileís center. In summer, warm temperatures encourage bacterial activity and the composting process is quicker

Tips:

• If the pile has more brown organic materials, it may take longer to compost. You can speed up the process by adding more green materials or a fertilizer with nitrogen (use one cup per 25 square feet).

• ·When turning the compost pile, make sure that materials in the center are brought to the outsides, and that materials from the outside edges are brought to the center.

 Using compost in the yard

Incorporate compost into your garden as you prepare the soil in the spring. Cover the area with 3-4 inches of soil and till it in to at least the upper 6 inches of soil. 

Or you also use compost as mulch around flower beds, vegetable gardens, or around trees or shrubs in landscape beds. Apply a 3 inch layer. Be careful not to apply mulch close to the main stem or trunk of the plant.

Source: http://urbanext.illinois.edu, http://www.epa.gov/

Notocactus/ Parodia Cacti

Notocactus/ Parodia Cacti

Most of favorite cactus have the origin in Africa, middle USA and Mexico but today, I’d like to introduce the cactus from South Africa: Parodia magnifica

Like other cacti, species of Parodia magnifica have developed means of reducing water loss. They have a thick waterproof cuticle that keeps water in and tries to keep pests and diseases out. Cacti have also recessed their stomata in deep pits over their bodies.

Scientific name:  Parodia magnifica

Synonyms: Eriocactus magnificus, Notocactus magnificus

Origin: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina

Habitat: The habitat where this plant come from can become very cold during the winter nights, often it will fall to just above freezing without harming the plants as it is also very dry.

Soil: Parodia/ Notocactus are found mostly on "islands" of low rocky hills found in grasslands and forests, growing between cracks in the rocks or in the shade of larger growing plants. The soil there is well drained and has a fairly high organic content, derived from the decomposition of other plants. 

So the proper soil for Parodia/Notocactus should be well-drained and have high organic content. 

Temperature: The habitat where Parodia/Notocactus come from can become very cold during the winter nights; often it will fall to just above freezing without harming the plants as it is also very dry. When growing at home it is best to avoid any frost as you may loose the plant but during the winter the temperature can be as low as 2C without any harm so long as the compost is very dry.

Watering: The plants in the cold country should be kept almost completely dry during the winter months, only water them to prevent the roots from completely drying out, once a month should be fine. From March onwards the plant will begin to grow and watering should be increased gradually until late May when the plant should be in full growth.

But I am in Thailand, warm location; I also water my cacti every 2-4 days upon the sun exposure and season.

Lighting: Grow most species of Notocactus in full sun during the summer and winter avoiding only the harshest summer sun. 

During the summer it is best to keep the plants outside. Keeping the plants in full sun will make them look healthier and will result in stronger and more colorful spination. If kept too dark they may become overly lush and could be prone to rotting due to over watering, they will also be shy to produce flowers.

As the sunshine here (Thailand) is severe, especially in summer, my greenhouse also has the shading net to reduce the sunlight and protect the plants to be burn.

Natural ways to get rid of ants

Ants, a small animal, prove to be beneficial to the gardener by feeding on destructive garden pests such as caterpillars, spiders and small insects. But, some species of ants like black garden ants live together with the aphids (for their honeydew). In such a case, ants are inviting a notorious pest in the garden.  Here are several natural ways to get rid of the insects in your garden.

1. Try a vinegar spray. 

Mix three parts vinegar with one part warm water, and spray around the perimeter of the garden. If you know where the ant hill is, you can spray the mound directly.

 2. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper in your garden around your plants.

Ants won't cross it, and it doesn’t cause any harm to you plants.

 3. Ants hate any type of strong odor.

The pungent aromatic scent of mint leaves acts a natural pesticide for the ants. So, do not delay in planting mint in your garden so as to get rid of the troublesome ants. The permanent solution for garden ants is to grow and maintain mint plants throughout the year. 

 4. Shake out a line of baby powder around the garden.

For some reason, ants don't seem to like the smell, and won't go near any part of the garden that has a baby powder smell.

5. Find the ant hill, and pour corn meal on top of it.

Ants will eat the corn meal, but they can't digest it, so they will die. If you hate the idea of killing ants, put a jar of honey in a tree near your garden. The ants will relocate so they can be near the honey, and it will keep them.

6. Use Citrus Peelings 

Collect citrus peelings (orange, lemon, etc.) and ground them by using adequate amount of water. Remove the liquid concoction and spray it over the ant mound. This method is an effective natural remedy for getting rid of carpenter ants and other garden ants.

I don’t recommend the ways with boil water and boric acid because the boil water is too cruel to ants.  Imagine how you would feel if your body was burn by hot water.  Meanwhile, boric acid is chemical, I also am unsure about its side affect to the soil, plant even or my health.   

Another harmful part of cactus

I got the interesting question about the poisonous cactus.  After asking my friends who are the cacti great collector and searching the information., I found that beyond the sharp thorn, other harmful main part of cactus is sticky milk sap but not all cacti have the toxic sap.  Just only some of them have such sap.  Here is the list of cactus which has the harmful latex:

The desert rose (Adenium obesum) is a member of the dogbane family. Like many of its relatives, the  desert rose can exude a milky acrid sap when the stems or leaves are broken. This sap has cardioactive ingredients that can be dangerous if taken internally. Ingestion can cause abdominal pain and vomiting.

Some of the euphorbias or spurge species yield a milky latex. This can cause dermatitis in susceptible individuals. Avoid getting this in your eyes or bare skin, particularly if you have open sores or wounds. All parts of the euphorbias could be potentially poisonous if consumed. If swallowed, this can cause lesions of the mouth. Ingestion of the juice can also act as a purgative. In addition, gastrointestinal symptoms can occur.

Pachypodium is another member of the dogbane family. These often have a caudex. Bearing resemblance to a columnar cactus, this has thorns up and down the length of the stems. These thorns are modified stipules. They can be injurious, so be careful. Like the other dogbane relatives, this plant yields a poisonous sap.

Agaves, including the century plant and maguey, contains an irritating latex or sap. This can cause dermatitis in susceptible individuals.

Crassula argentea

Christmas candle is also known as candelilla. This is a species of pedilanthus. It is related to the euphorbias or spurges. All parts of the plant have a toxic white sap. Avoid getting this on your skin. It can cause severe dermatitis in susceptible individuals. If taken internally, it can bring on various gastrointestinal symptoms. These include diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and nausea.

The baby jade (Crassula argentea) also has a burning, irritating sap. This comes from the leaves and all other parts of the plant. This latex can cause dermatitis.

Meanwhile, many of the Opuntia cacti have glochids (small hair-like spines) that can hurt someone who is unaware. It can make skin irritation.  (And really it’s difficult to get rid of the small spine from the skin.  I had every that experience before.)  The bunny-ear Opuntia is particularly deceptive because it looks so cute and touchable.  But the spine of some Mammillaria is OK.  Its spine is so soft like the teddy bear (Personally, I like to touch it when I feel upset.) 

my favorite mammillaria

So when working with these plants, especially if your hands have wound, protect them and arms with heavy, long sleeved clothing and gardening gloves.  If you are injured, seek medical attention. Watch the injured spot carefully for signs of infection.