Monday, June 19

Cactus update 2017

My sons gave me this cactus as a Mother's day gift in 2008 I am guessing. It first bloomed in 2010 and I remember because we were in New Orleans when it happened. I do not know why that helped me remember but for some odd reason it did. When I received the gift it was in a tiny 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 container. You have seen those very small cacti in Wal-Mart, right? Well, that is what it was. As it grew I repotted it several times and that is no easy feat I can tell ya. This last time I chose a large but shallow terra cotta planter and that has been its home for at least 3 years now. When we still carried it in the motorhome (shower) it would get shaken pretty good and it became off center but since they are less than pleasant to mess with I left it that way. The last two winters at least it has stayed home in the house and Jason has watered it a couple times through the season.

The cactus developed a couple of offshoots making it look even more off kilter and one day I decided to see if I could take the larger offshoot and replant it with the idea if it worked okay but if not that was okay too. Leather gloves are needed for this and I have some. I cleared some rocks and dug a shallow hole in the soil beneath snapped off the biggest shoot and anchored the best I could in the hole putting the rocks back around it for support. It had a nice ring of buds on it when I did this about 3 weeks ago now.
Two days ago I noticed it was blooming splendiferously!! I do believe this baby is going to make it!


The arrow is pointing to where I removed the offshoot


Close-up

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