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Gary350
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Cactus Flowers are Beautiful

Cactus Flowers are Beautiful.
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TomatoNut95
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Those ARE beautiful! Are those all your cactuses, @Gary?

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Gary350
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TomatoNut95 wrote:Those ARE beautiful! Are those all your cactuses, @Gary?
Yes I had a cactus garden when I lived in Arizona 5 years ago.

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TomatoNut95
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So pretty! Grown from seed, or transplants?

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Gary350
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TomatoNut95 wrote:So pretty! Grown from seed, or transplants?
I grew everything from cuttings except agave they all grow very fast. I use to harvest baby agave by the 1000s in several 5 gallon buckets. Cactus cuttings & agave plants sold as fast as I could get them in the mail. I grew lots of fast growing cactus when plants got too big I sold cuttings. Once I had 200 to 500 of every type plant growing in my garden I sold about $400 of plants by mail every day. When I moved away I gave most of the cactus & agave to 2 women that were starting a business they came every day to get another truck load of plants. For a while I had a cactus garden in Tennessee but got rid of it. People that live about 10 blocks up the street got some of my plants they have lots of cactus in there yard. Black lady across town that likes plants I gave her cactus too. Cactus grows as fast as weeds when it gets too big I hate to trash it so I sold cuttings on Ebay.

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That's awesome! Cactuses aren't so much my thing, since they die on me a lot, as well as succulents. However I do have a Haworthia in the house, and it has a teenage 'pup'.

There are a few 'wild' cactuses growing nearby, I think they're from seeds or plants my Grandmother or Mother had dumped out years and years ago. They will bloom yellow flowers, I'm not too sure what kind they are.

By the way, aren't Prickly Pears supposed to be edible?

That reminds me.....I think I have a packet of cactus mix seed somewhere. I tried growing them before, and I actually had ONE come up! It was adorable, but it died. What is the highest temperature needed for a cactus to germinate?

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TomatoNut95 wrote:That's awesome! Cactuses aren't so much my thing, since they die on me a lot, as well as succulents. However I do have a Haworthia in the house, and it has a teenage babies.

There are a few 'wild' cactuses growing nearby, I think they're from seeds or plants my Grandmother or Mother had dumped out years and years ago. They will bloom yellow flowers, I'm not too sure what kind they are.

By the way, aren't Prickly Pears supposed to be edible?

That reminds me.....I think I have a packet of cactus mix seed somewhere. I tried growing them before, and I actually had ONE come up! It was adorable, but it died. What is the highest temperature needed for a cactus to germinate?
I think you can eat any cactus. I ate a lot of cactus in AZ just to try it. It all tastes the same. Prick pear is easy to eat you can scrap needle off then slice & dice then fry with onions and eggs for breakfast. You can put cactus is any food dish you like replacement for vegetables. Don't eat San Pedro is contains physico drugs I tested it once it will make you feel like, your whole family was murdered, children murdered, parents murdered, grandparents murdered, aunts, uncles, cousins all murdered, pets murders, plants all dead. It is a horrible anxiety feeling you never want to experience, feed it to someone you don't like. Cactus are extremely hard to start from seeds I tried it. It seems like a miracle cactus can grow in the wild from seeds.

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Ha- ha; that is funny! There are some people I that I wouldn't mind feeding San Pedro to!

That's pretty cool! So what would you say cactus tastes like? Does it have it's own unique flavor? Can you freeze it or can it like other veggies?

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TomatoNut95 wrote:Ha- ha; that is funny! There are some people I that I wouldn't mind feeding San Pedro to!

That's pretty cool! So what would you say cactus tastes like? Does it have it's own unique flavor? Can you freeze it or can it like other veggies?
Cactus has almost no flavor. I cannot think of any vegetable that cactus tastes like, it does have its only flavor. It is soft easy to chew up. If you could grow lettuce leaves as thick as cactus pads that is about the closest thing I can think of that tastes like cactus. If you live in the desert and there are no other vegetables to eat cactus is probably a good substitute for things like, green beans, lettuce, cucumbers, asparagus. I never froze any cactus, lots of vegetables can be frozen maybe cactus can be too. I ate cactus 3 or 4 times never cared much for it. Cactus probably has food value like garden plants we grow and this is a plant most of us can grow.

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Your Arizona garden must have been amazing when all those cacti were blooming. But maybe the babies weren’t mature enough to bloom? I suppose they flowered at different times of the year ... or did they bloom all at once at a certain time of the year/weather conditions when growing in their native habitat?


...I have little patience with plants that attack me when I’m trying to take care of them.... :( :shock: -wall-

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applestar wrote:Your Arizona garden must have been amazing when all those cacti were blooming. But maybe the babies weren’t mature enough to bloom? I suppose they flowered at different times of the year ... or did they bloom all at once at a certain time of the year/weather conditions when growing in their native habitat?


...I have little patience with plants that attack me when I’m trying to take care of them.... :( :shock: -wall-
That is so FUNNY LMFAO

That is exactly why I don't grow cactus anymore no matter how hard I try sooner or later I get stabbed. I do miss the beautiful blossoms.

I recall most mature plants blossom in spring April to July. They don't all blossom at exactly the same time. Some blossom for 2 weeks then others like the tiny barrel cactus will shoot out a very large trumpet flower 12" long over night like magic. These large white trumpet flowers come and go fast you need to know they are coming so you can watch for them every day. You have to look every morning then one morning there they are. I don't recall what comes in the middle of the night to pollinate the trumpet flowers. Soon after sun comes up 12" trumpet flowers start to die and are gone by sun down. I like blossoms that stay for a few weeks. Cactus plants growing in a group might make blossoms 1 or 2 or several days apart that can cause the whole group to have blossoms for 3 weeks. You can have several cactus that all look identical but when they blossom some plants have yellow blossoms others have white then others have orange as it turns out they are different varieties because of the different color blossoms but look alike on the outside.

If you go out exploring the mountains for cactus in several places, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, plant look alike plants all in the same location you get 3 different color blossoms. I learned this by accident cactus 250 miles apart might look identical but color of blossom prove they are different varieties.

I remember 30 ft tall saguaro cactus blossom in early July.

It is amazing these trumpet flowers were not hear yesterday evening when it got dark then 8 hours later here they are. There is another plant that does the same thing it has BIG bright Red blossoms 6" diameter I should have taken a pic when I first saw it at 6 am 5 hours later at lunch time blossom was already wilted. Moon flowers do the same thing blossom every night the close up when sun comes up.
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It is amazing these trumpet flowers were not hear yesterday even when it got dark then 8 hours later here they are 12" long.
It is amazing these trumpet flowers were not hear yesterday even when it got dark then 8 hours later here they are 12" long.
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Those are beautiful! Ha-ha, yeah that's one BIG reason I don't get cactus, I'd rather not go to the trouble of putting on a suit of armor wrapped in bubble wrap to repot a cactus!

Another thing was, doesn't cactus attract snakes? I don't do snakes, especially with the copperhead encounters I've had. One of which was a surprise meeting in my greenhouse. The last encounter was just gross, I found a little one wrapped around the wire on the backyard fence. Using the hoe, I mashed and mangled his body against the wire, and the sight was not pretty. But one of my rules of survival is: never leave poisonous stuff alive!

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TomatoNut95 wrote:Those are beautiful! Ha-ha, yeah that's one BIG reason I don't get cactus, I'd rather not go to the trouble of putting on a suit of armor wrapped in bubble wrap to repot a cactus!

Another thing was, doesn't cactus attract snakes? I don't do snakes, especially with the copperhead encounters I've had. One of which was a surprise meeting in my greenhouse. The last encounter was just gross, I found a little one wrapped around the wire on the backyard fence. Using the hoe, I mashed and mangled his body against the wire, and the sight was not pretty. But one of my rules of survival is: never leave poisonous stuff alive!
I have never heard that cactus attract snakes. Snakes like to find places to hide. Snakes come out after dark then hide all day. A pile of dead tree limbs, pile of rock, is a good place for a snake to hide. I have a pile of dead tree limbs in the back yard that needs to be moved so I can burn it or haul it away but I am afraid to go near it. Now that it is cold the brush pile is probably safe snakes can not move when temperature is below 50 degrees. In Arizona desert is a very hard place for snakes to hide they cover them self up with sand & scorpions do too. If you sleep on the ground don't be surprised to wake up with a snake sleeping next to you trying to keep warm.

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I became a whole lot more terrified of snakes after that incident near my blackberry patch a couple of years ago. I went out to my patch to pick, and out in the tall grass of the pasture, I saw a shiny black snake facing away from me. I thought it was a harmless rat snake and continued walking. The snake suddenly whipped around and flopped around my feet. Thankfully I was wearing my boots, and out of sheer terror, I jumped up and down gasping. I'm sure the snake got stomped on, because it gave up and slithered away as fast as it could. I continued my picking, and was still shaking when I got back to the house. I never saw the snake again. I had no idea if the snake was actually a rat snake or not, it could've been a cottonmouth for all I know. I never got a good look at his eyes. Since then I carry my gun or a hoe with me as a weapon to go berry picking.

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@Gary350, thanks for responding with details about when the cacti bloom. I learned something new :-()

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I went on a nice walk this afternoon in the crisp, cool air and found the few patches of 'wild' cactus. I believe they ones my grandmother had thrown out from her cactus bed that was before my time. I think they've done pretty good to have lived all these years, and sometimes bloom. Do you recognize the variety? Isn't it prickly pear? I think the flowers are yellow.

If I were to cut off one of those pads and stuck it in a little dirt(even with a little rooting hormone)...would it root and grow?
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TomatoNut95 wrote:I went on a nice walk this afternoon in the crisp, cool air and found the few patches of 'wild' cactus. I believe they ones my grandmother had thrown out from her cactus bed that was before my time. I think they've done pretty good to have lived all these years, and sometimes bloom. Do you recognize the variety? Isn't it prickly pear? I think the flowers are yellow.

If I were to cut off one of those pads and stuck it in a little dirt(even with a little rooting hormone)...would it root and grow?

It is hard to know what type prickly pear you have. First cactus is thick tear drop shape adult pad with no needles. Seconds long leggy looking pad with long needles needs fertilizer. Looks like 2 different types of prickly pear to me. Get tree limb cutters or any cutters to cut off a pad segment from each cactus. Use food grabbers to hold pad in flower pot while filling it with soil. Mix 70% sand with 30% soil, hold a pad up right in a flower pot then fill it with enough soil to cover the whole pad with the very tip edge of the pad showing flush on the soil surface. Put a pad in each flower pot keep them inside the house where it is about 70+ degrees in a sunny window if you can. Give cactus small amount of water with small amount of fertilizer 2 times per week 1/4 cup water is probably enough. 10-4-4 fertilizer is good. In about 1 month pads should have roots. Few more weeks pads will start to grow a new pad. Prickly pear is a fast grower good, food, water, sun, 75 degrees, they can grow a new pad every month. You can probably have a good strong thick adult pad by Feb or March and maybe blossoms by April or May. Cactus sprouts roots best about 70 to 80 degrees. Give new pads about 4 to 5 hrs of full sun every day. See what color flowers you get. Transplant to yard east side of house where they only get morning sun or under a shade tree or near a fence that makes full shade from 11am to dark.
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Great! I'll attempt that when I get my hands on some sand. Stores aren't carrying soil this time of year, or I'd go buy a bag of Miracle Gro Cactus soil. I do believe the flowers I've seen these 'wild' cactus bloom are yellow. I'd have to hunt through old photos to make sure.

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TomatoNut95 wrote:Great! I'll attempt that when I get my hands on some sand. Stores aren't carrying soil this time of year, or I'd go buy a bag of Miracle Gro Cactus soil. I do believe the flowers I've seen these 'wild' cactus bloom are yellow. I'd have to hunt through old photos to make sure.
Lowe's & Home Depot both have sand it 50 lb bags. I am going to buy 2 bags to have on hand. This spring I am going to grow herbs the correct way in the correct soil, correct amount of full sun & shade. I'm not sure what to do about irrigation for only herb plants.

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I work in an office and plants there tend to die quite often. Due to the dry air partly. And they tend to be neglected. I often see half dead potted plants sitting in cubicle windows.
I think that cactus would do well in my office environment. The pictures posted here inspired me to try some growing cacti at work.

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@Gary, the only sand I've seen my Lowes carry is landscaping sand that said not for use in gardens. I was so mad. However, I'll check out Home Depot when I get the chance! Thanks!

@HoneyBerry, I tend to kill houseplants pretty quickly, even cactus. However I have a Haworthia that has somehow survived for a couple of years now in a large sunny window. It even has a 'pup' on it! Also, if you've ever heard of Tillsandias(air plants) you could try those to. No dirt required, just rainwater, and a well lit room. :)

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TomatoNut95 wrote:@Gary, the only sand I've seen my Lowes carry is landscaping sand that said not for use in gardens. I was so mad. However, I'll check out Home Depot when I get the chance! Thanks!

@HoneyBerry, I tend to kill houseplants pretty quickly, even cactus. However I have a Haworthia that has somehow survived for a couple of years now in a large sunny window. It even has a 'pup' on it! Also, if you've ever heard of Tillsandias(air plants) you could try those to. No dirt required, just rainwater, and a well lit room. :)
Look for child play sand $6. There is also sand for mixing cement $2. Sand to mix morter = brick cement. They all work. These sands are all found in building material area with bags of cement. Last time I bought a bag of cement sand it was $2.

I have no clue why landscape sand won't work maybe it contains weed killer.

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@TomatoNut: For sure, air plants would be fun to try at work.
I should post some pictures of the barely-alive house plants that I see sitting in the cubical windows at work. It would be a good laugh for all you gardeners.

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@Gary, I have heard that children's play sand has been sterilized for safety, and is not usable for gardening.

@Honeyberry, LOL, believe me, I know what half-dead houseplants look like, I've killed many in my lifetime. I cannot keep a plant in my office because it doesn't have a window. I plan on getting an artificial tillisandia for my desk, I just hope my co-worker's toddler doesn't run off with it.

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I don’t think that’s true? How is it supposed to be “sterilized” that makes it unsuitable? Some kind of chemicals? But you know little kids might put them in their mouths.

One reason not to use play sand for potting mix is that it is often “soft” sand - rounded corners — tumbled or beach sand etc. which is not AS good as “sharp” sand — broken sharp corners, edges — which is the typical all-purpose, paving, mason’s sand. The sharp sand is better for drainage because they do not interlock like smooth rounded sand would (and can become balled up with clay etc.)

But that said, I feel safer using play sand for the garden, which is intended for children to play in and is usually at least pre-washed and screened for safety, and I do. I think if you don’t have anything else, it would be better than not using them?

Really hardware and masonry, paving co. sources are the best value, though you can get aquarium gravel and lizard sand at pet shops, and little bags of sand in craft stores, too. Sometimes they sell sand in home decor stores as well, but it’s hard to reconcile 40-50 Lbs for about $3-$5 to some ridiculous price for a little bag of sand.


...I wonder if desert sand is soft sand or sharp sand? It seems to me that it would be soft sand?

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I believe one of my gardening books is where I read not to use play sand because it has been sterilized. (but with what and by how it didn't explain) but hey, thanks a lot @applestar for making me really curious on that....I need to do some internet research on the matter. If play sand is truly not sertilized with chemicals, I'll start buying it by the truck load, 'cause I need WAY more than a little bag of craft or pet sand, LOL! :)

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applestar wrote:I don’t think that’s true? How is it supposed to be “sterilized” that makes it unsuitable? Some kind of chemicals? But you know little kids might put them in their mouths.

I wonder if desert sand is soft sand or sharp sand? It seems to me that it would be soft sand?
Soil in Phoenix area along the salt river is fine sand as fine as kitchen flour. For 1000s of years before Roosevelt Dam was built the desert near Phoenix flooded from snow melt in the mountains for many miles to the south of salt river. The desert is many feet deep in very soft powder type sand. If you pour 5 gallons of water on this soil the top 1/4" surface soaks up water then seals off tight no more water soaks in the rest of the water runs down hill for a long way maybe 200 ft before it is finally gone.

85 miles south of Phoenix desert sand is slightly smaller than BBs like you shoot in a BB gun. Tiny round sand balls looks almost like tiny golf balls round with a ruff surface. If you pour a 5 gallon bucket of water on this sand it is gone as fast as the water hits the soil. When the desert use to flood from snow melt it kept cactus alive but now 99% of the cactus is died.
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According to my internet research, 'play' sand is composed of ocean or beach sand. One person was commenting on the salt content in the sand, and was saying the sand could be washed out. Sounds like a lot of trouble to me, but I wonder if there is actually enough salt in the sand to cause salt burn in the plants?

One of my favorite movies has a desert scene in it, and every time that scene comes up, I'm like, 'I need that sand!'. Lol!

But I then I was doing some thinking...are you not supposed to mix sand if you have concrete clay? I think I read somewhere that 'sand + clay = a big concrete mess'. The reason I want the sand is to amend my raised bed. It's as hard as a rock when dry, and wet and goopey when wet. And in places I can only go a few inches or less before hitting the concrete trash with my shovel. I SO HATE my soil!! I wish I could just blow it up!

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TomatoNut95 wrote:According to my internet research, 'play' sand is composed of ocean or beach sand. One person was commenting on the salt content in the sand, and was saying the sand could be washed out. Sounds like a lot of trouble to me, but I wonder if there is actually enough salt in the sand to cause salt burn in the plants?
Every time we go to the beach I take 8 or 10 empty milk jugs to bring home beach sand. I have never though about beach sand having salt on it but I am sure it does. One year I put 10 gallons of beach sand in a carrot bed mixed with about 40% garden soil. I planted carrot seeds and we had a wonderful crop of carrots. I never even considered salt would be in the carrot bed first rain probably washed salt away. Rock does not soak up water or salt probably such a small amount it never hurt anything. We are going to the beach again Dec 21 to 27 I already have 8 empty milk jugs for sand. When we were in Michigan this summer I started to get beach sand but poured it out. Michigan is full of toxic causing cancer poison most of wife's high school graduating class died of cancer by age 50. Flint Michigan is in the news all the time. It may have been Date Line TV show 2 years ago told about a company that makes bottle water. Company head quarters is in Colorado, label on water bottle says Colorado but water comes from Michigan. When we go to Michigan we take our own water. Pure Michigan should be called Toxic Poison Michigan. Michigan sure is nice we love to go camping there. We still have a few relatives in Michigan most have moved away others have plans to move. Bad news last week very good friends husband & wife both have cancer they live in Cadillac Michigan Colorado has very strict water rights laws it is illegal to have a rain barrel.

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Oh no, what a shame for your friends. I am so sorry to hear that. :cry: So many things cause cancer it's sad. If it's not cancer it's salmonella or e.coli. For years my town has been told not to not to drink the faucet water. Thankfully I don't live in town; I have a filter system in the kitchen sink, but still use bottled drinking water to cook with sometimes. The office where I work- the water there is black, and smells like sewer. I don't know what's more santitary after using the bathroom....NOT washing my hands, or washing them in black poop water. But I keep hand wipes and a small bottle of rubbing alcohol in my backpackpurse. I wonder what one may mutate into after drinking too much of that water... :shock:


I am sure beach would contain some amounts of sea salt. It may depend on the type of crop planted in beach sand on whether or not it is more susceptible to salt burn. For example, asparagus is a salt tolerate crop that can be grown near beach area. I wonder if @imafan may know anything about beach sand? Incidently, Lowes has bags of KolorScape Pavers sand. Thing is it doesn't say if it's suitable for gardening purposes. Just a cancer warning. :x

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Well, anything that contains silica dust (sand) would have cancer warning on it. If it contains asbestos, I think that has to be specified..

Be sure NOT to get polymeric sand.

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Gary350 wrote:
applestar wrote:I don’t think that’s true? How is it supposed to be “sterilized” that makes it unsuitable? Some kind of chemicals? But you know little kids might put them in their mouths.

I wonder if desert sand is soft sand or sharp sand? It seems to me that it would be soft sand?
Soil in Phoenix area along the salt river is fine sand as fine as kitchen flour. For 1000s of years before Roosevelt Dam was built the desert near Phoenix flooded from snow melt in the mountains for many miles to the south of salt river. The desert is many feet deep in very soft powder type sand. If you pour 5 gallons of water on this soil the top 1/4" surface soaks up water then seals off tight no more water soaks in the rest of the water runs down hill for a long way maybe 200 ft before it is finally gone.

85 miles south of Phoenix desert sand is slightly smaller than BBs like you shoot in a BB gun. Tiny round sand balls looks almost like tiny golf balls round with a ruff surface. If you pour a 5 gallon bucket of water on this sand it is gone as fast as the water hits the soil. When the desert use to flood from snow melt it kept cactus alive but now 99% of the cactus is died.
....you reminded me that sand can be so different from place to place based on what they were originally ground up from. When my brother was subletting while at university, the owner of the apartment had a huge and wonderful sand collection on his wall — individual labeled samples of sand from various places all over the world, mounted and framed.

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I too know someone who collected sand from all over the world. She had about 10 different sand samples at the time. When my Aussie friend went back to Australia for a visit, she asked him if he could bring back some sand. He thought it was a strange request but he was a good sport and went along with it. He brought back sand samples from several different Australian beaches. Each sample was different from in color and courseness. This was over 10 years ago. The sand collection surely is much bigger by now.

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I think I may do better digging up sandy dirt from someone else's garden than buying something. I do have a few gardening friends with lovely soft dirt, I'd just feel a little embarrassed about asking, 'hey, can I buy some dirt?'.

Incidently, would it really not be a good idea to put sand with clay?

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I feel like we had this discussion before?

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LOL, yep! :lol: True, this is @Gary's cactus thread not a sand thread, so I'll stop. :wink:

@Gary, can you tell me anything about the succulent Lithops? Mimicry plant...whatever. They're my favorite succulent, thing is I can't keep one alive long...as well as any other succulent or cactus. Just like Aloe Vera. I'd like an Aloe Vera in case I burn myself like I did making that chicken and broccoli casserole. I used to have a couple in the house, and one had an offshoot that I cut off and it started growing on its own, but eventually they all rotted.

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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

TomatoNut95 wrote:LOL, yep! :lol: True, this is @Gary's cactus thread not a sand thread, so I'll stop. :wink:

@Gary, can you tell me anything about the succulent Lithops? Mimicry plant...whatever. They're my favorite succulent, thing is I can't keep one alive long...as well as any other succulent or cactus. Just like Aloe Vera. I'd like an Aloe Vera in case I burn myself like I did making that chicken and broccoli casserole. I used to have a couple in the house, and one had an offshoot that I cut off and it started growing on its own, but eventually they all rotted.
I know nothing about succulent other than they need full shade outside all day. They need even moisture plant them in the yard not in pots. They need water. I grew some in AZ for a while in full shade they did good in 115 degree weather. While I was gone several weeks to Idaho they all died no one was there to water the pots. I don't like to water plants, I don't like to water my garden.

I had 2 different type Aloe Vera in AZ both were about 3 ft tall they make 100s of babies from rhizome roots. They do good in cold weather for a week or so each time, Phoenix cold weather is about 25 to 28 at night last 2 weeks of Feb, 65 to 70 during day. It got down to 21 degree when I was there my aloe plants all survived including about 500 babies. Grow then in full shade in the yard sun makes them turn brown.

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TomatoNut95
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Location: Texas Zone 8

Ha-ha, no I don't like watering my garden either, especially when it's 100 degrees out there and wasps are on the rampage. I have to keep my guard up while busy watering parched plants in a hard-as-rock bed. But no water, no produce!

Then if succulents don't like being in pots I wonder how other people's succulents in pots do good. There is no place in my yard that gets complete shade from sunup to sundown.



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