Collecting Never Stops - A National Collection of Succulents and more
Part of the greenhouse collection in mid winter
Nothing beats the joy of a stunning cactus or succulent bursting into flower. Their ability to overcome our neglect and still perform is incredible. Recently a friend told me he didn't like the cactus his wife had, so he put it in the garden but it has refused to give up producing annual displays of flowers
Cheridopsis plants in the Spring showing final flowers and the beautiful red leaves
I started collecting winter growing succulents and South African bulbs as I was looking for something that would fill the winter months with interest. I have a limited range of cacti that give spectacular moments in the spring and summer.
My main collection is Cheiridopsis, a little known Genus outside of collectors. It is part of what are collectively known as Mesembs which includes the better known Lithops ("Living Stones") which grow and flower from spring to autumn and a wide range of often small but delightful flowers
My Cheiridopsis are now officially a national collection through the plant heritage society. Like most collectors there is always something else to get or swap with others.
My collection has expanded to include Conophytums, Lithops and numerous smaller genus.
Stapelia producing its unusual flowers in the Spring
Conophytum flowers in early autumn appearing a few week after the first watering
I still delight in the first flowers from the winter growers. They wait expectantly for the first splash of water which I usually give them around 1st August when the night temperatures have started to drop a little. This year the first Conophytum was already flowering in 3 days, others will quickly follow.
To grow these successfully they do need to be kept above freezing. If grown in a greenhouse, it is vital to avoid them being cold and wet which is a recipe for a quick death.
Cheiridopsis join the flower parade from October and have an unusual ability for the buds to sit and wait until the days lengthen after Christmas. The sight of the flowers is one to behold.
Cheiridopsis peculiaris lives up to its name
Cheiridopsis acuminata is one of the largest flowering types
Cheiridopsis have a range of colours but yellow is the most prominent
Other winter growers include Stomatium which will fill the greenhouse with various sweet scents during the dark evenings giving a great reason to pop out and take a look around.
While they are all quite easy to grow they need a little attention all year around to get the best out of them. There is lots of information from the various cactus societies on how to succeed.
Stomatium alborosum is a unique white flowering species which fills the greenhouse with a sweet scent in the evenings.
Cactus are generally much easier as long as you keep them dry over winter and don't over water in the summer. Basic care will reward you with some lovely flowers
I have grown many Mesembs from seed, particularly Cheiridopsis and Lithops. The germination of Cheiridopsis can be very fast with the first green specks visible in a few days. I cover them with a clear plastic bag and spray them daily for the first few weeks. I then remove the plastic cover and continue to give them a light spray each day. Its fun seeing them grow and the resulting plants have interesting forms and flowers.
If you want to try something new the Cactus Collectors Flowering Mix is seed collected from the large range of seed owned by Ralph Martin, a local enthusiast, and the Lithops mix are from the Lithops National Collection.
