Hi everyone:

I tried searching archives first but with no luck.

My cacti lean AWAY from the window in the house. Most windows face south
but it is pretty shaded by a city maple. If it was only one, I wouldn't ask
about it but I have lost a few that started out this way. I recently lost
a saguaro that just went mushy and died ( yes, I have saguaros that I
started from seed).

I am most concerned about my oldest saguaro which is almost ten years old
( it is only about 6 inches tall). I am wondering that maybe they need
deeper pots but other people I know have larger cacti, smaller pots and less
or the same light conditions. Depending on the season, I water anywhere
from every two weeks to monthly and fertilize lightly maybe twice a year at
the most. I thought about putting them outside this year but it didn't
happen and its too late to start now anyway.

I have about 10 different types and I don't know the names. Pretty basic
stuff mostly( except the saguaros. Can you tell I'm proud of them? :-).
I'll learn the names some day.

Thanks
Sally ( in Zone 5a or b depending on which map you look at)

Check out the cactus mall for virtually everything and anything relating to
cactus & succulents.

http://www.cactus-mall.com/

Maybe your plants are getting sunburned?

Saguaro make awful houseplants. They are much too slow growing and too
temperamental for growing indoors.

There are hundreds of others that are much better suited to your conditions.

If you were really proud of them, you would have learned their proper names
long ago.


"Sallyrat&Sweetie" wrote in message
.. .
Hi everyone:

I tried searching archives first but with no luck.

My cacti lean AWAY from the window in the house. Most windows face south
but it is pretty shaded by a city maple. If it was only one, I wouldn't
ask about it but I have lost a few that started out this way. I recently
lost a saguaro that just went mushy and died ( yes, I have saguaros that I
started from seed).

I am most concerned about my oldest saguaro which is almost ten years old
( it is only about 6 inches tall). I am wondering that maybe they need
deeper pots but other people I know have larger cacti, smaller pots and
less or the same light conditions. Depending on the season, I water
anywhere from every two weeks to monthly and fertilize lightly maybe twice
a year at the most. I thought about putting them outside this year but it
didn't happen and its too late to start now anyway.

I have about 10 different types and I don't know the names. Pretty basic
stuff mostly( except the saguaros. Can you tell I'm proud of them? :-).
I'll learn the names some day.

Thanks
Sally ( in Zone 5a or b depending on which map you look at)

Thank you for the link.

The saguaros were the only intentional acquisition. The rest of them just
landed at my place through various means.


"Cereus-validus......." wrote in message
...
Check out the cactus mall for virtually everything and anything relating
to cactus & succulents.

http://www.cactus-mall.com/

Maybe your plants are getting sunburned?

Saguaro make awful houseplants. They are much too slow growing and too
temperamental for growing indoors.

There are hundreds of others that are much better suited to your
conditions.

If you were really proud of them, you would have learned their proper
names long ago.


"Sallyrat&Sweetie" wrote in message
.. .
Hi everyone:

I tried searching archives first but with no luck.

My cacti lean AWAY from the window in the house. Most windows face south
but it is pretty shaded by a city maple. If it was only one, I wouldn't
ask about it but I have lost a few that started out this way. I
recently lost a saguaro that just went mushy and died ( yes, I have
saguaros that I started from seed).

I am most concerned about my oldest saguaro which is almost ten years old
( it is only about 6 inches tall). I am wondering that maybe they need
deeper pots but other people I know have larger cacti, smaller pots and
less or the same light conditions. Depending on the season, I water
anywhere from every two weeks to monthly and fertilize lightly maybe
twice a year at the most. I thought about putting them outside this year
but it didn't happen and its too late to start now anyway.

I have about 10 different types and I don't know the names. Pretty basic
stuff mostly( except the saguaros. Can you tell I'm proud of them? :-).
I'll learn the names some day.

Thanks
Sally ( in Zone 5a or b depending on which map you look at)

Cereus-validus....... wrote:
Check out the cactus mall for virtually everything and anything
relating to cactus & succulents.

http://www.cactus-mall.com/

Maybe your plants are getting sunburned?

Saguaro make awful houseplants. They are much too slow growing and too
temperamental for growing indoors.

There are hundreds of others that are much better suited to your
conditions.
If you were really proud of them, you would have learned their proper
names long ago.


"Sallyrat&Sweetie" wrote in message
.. .
snip

I am most concerned about my oldest saguaro which is almost ten
years old ( it is only about 6 inches tall). I am wondering that
maybe they need deeper pots but other people I know have larger
cacti, smaller pots and less or the same light conditions. Depending on
the season, I water anywhere from every two weeks to
monthly and fertilize lightly maybe twice a year at the most. I
thought about putting them outside this year but it didn't happen
and its too late to start now anyway.
I too grow suguaro's from seed. My baby is 12 inches tall and is 11 years
old. I must say they do not grow well indoors. They are a full sun plant. I
take mine outside every spring and inside every fall. WHen its inside, I cut
back drastically on the water (once a month) and sit the pot on insulating
styrofoam (prevent cold roots). The goal is to let it go semidormant because
there is not enough indoor light. I have it in a 10inc by 10inch pot. During
the summer I water daily and fertilize weekly. It doesnt really need
watering daily but its mixed in with a bunch of others that do. ITs not too
late to take yours outdoors. It will love you for it. Make sure you
aclimatize it first. maybe 2 weeks in a more shade than sun spot (I put mine
behind a window screen). THey sun burn easily.

The only problem I have is getting the seedlings thru their first winter.
THe mortality rate is horrible. 1 in 10 live.

I have about 10 different types and I don't know the names. Pretty
basic stuff mostly( except the saguaros. Can you tell I'm proud of
them? :-). I'll learn the names some day.

I've got a few others too that I don't know the names either. One is over 30
years old and is 5 ft tall. Still in a 10 inch by 10 inch pot. My biggest
problem is carrying him out for the summer. I have to wear very heavy
leather gloves. and then put another pair of leathers gloves in my palm (3
layers of leather covering the palms) before I can cradle the cactus on my
hand. even than something will poke thru. I wish they made cactus proof
gloves.


Thanks
Sally ( in Zone 5a or b depending on which map you look at)

"Jmagerl" wrote
I've got a few others too that I don't know the names either. One is over
30 years old and is 5 ft tall. Still in a 10 inch by 10 inch pot. My
biggest problem is carrying him out for the summer. I have to wear very
heavy leather gloves. and then put another pair of leathers gloves in my
palm (3 layers of leather covering the palms) before I can cradle the
cactus on my hand. even than something will poke thru. I wish they made
cactus proof gloves.

I used to have a huge cactus that I would move outside, too. Here's a trick
I learned: take several layers of newspaper, open them up and then fold
them lengthwise into a multi-layered ribbon of newsprint. I'd hook a loop
of the newsprint around the cactus and hold the overflow paper in my gloved
hands (rather than put my hands directly on the cactus) I usually held two
or three of them and had someone else navigate the pot. No more puncture
wounds.

Fragile "Joseph" Warrior wrote:
"Jmagerl" wrote
I've got a few others too that I don't know the names either. One is
over 30 years old and is 5 ft tall. Still in a 10 inch by 10 inch
pot. My biggest problem is carrying him out for the summer. I have
to wear very heavy leather gloves. and then put another pair of
leathers gloves in my palm (3 layers of leather covering the palms)
before I can cradle the cactus on my hand. even than something will
poke thru. I wish they made cactus proof gloves.

I used to have a huge cactus that I would move outside, too. Here's a
trick I learned: take several layers of newspaper, open them up and
then fold them lengthwise into a multi-layered ribbon of newsprint. I'd
hook a loop of the newsprint around the cactus and hold the
overflow paper in my gloved hands (rather than put my hands directly
on the cactus) I usually held two or three of them and had someone
else navigate the pot. No more puncture wounds.

I liked your solution but than it hit me, Doah! I have a leather fire wood
carrier. I can cradle the cactus in that just like you were doing with the
newspaper. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks. Maybe I will try to take them outside for what's left of the summer

When DH first planted the seeds, there was a bad mortality rate but we
hadn't lost any for going on ten years. Now, all of a sudden, they are
starting to go again. I repotted a few and they seem to be better but maybe
I need to repot the rest in larger pots. What is the best time of year to
do that?

Also, one of the others I was mentioning leaning used to be a round cacti
( it has elongated in the past year or so). I think it may be an
astrophytum ( yes, I looked it up in the Cactus Mall) but none of the
pictures are quite right. This cactus has pretty much the whole round part
out of the soil and a small single root attachment . I tried planting it
deeper a few years ago but it worked its way out again. I'm afraid of
burying it deeper until I know what it is and that I'm safe doing so. I'll
try and get a picture to post in the next couple of days.

Sally



I too grow suguaro's from seed. My baby is 12 inches tall and is 11 years
old. I must say they do not grow well indoors. They are a full sun plant.
I take mine outside every spring and inside every fall. WHen its inside, I
cut back drastically on the water (once a month) and sit the pot on
insulating styrofoam (prevent cold roots). The goal is to let it go
semidormant because there is not enough indoor light. I have it in a 10inc
by 10inch pot. During the summer I water daily and fertilize weekly. It
doesnt really need watering daily but its mixed in with a bunch of others
that do. ITs not too late to take yours outdoors. It will love you for it.
Make sure you aclimatize it first. maybe 2 weeks in a more shade than sun
spot (I put mine behind a window screen). THey sun burn easily.

The only problem I have is getting the seedlings thru their first winter.
THe mortality rate is horrible. 1 in 10 live.

I have about 10 different types and I don't know the names. Pretty
basic stuff mostly( except the saguaros. Can you tell I'm proud of
them? :-). I'll learn the names some day.

I've got a few others too that I don't know the names either. One is over
30 years old and is 5 ft tall. Still in a 10 inch by 10 inch pot. My
biggest problem is carrying him out for the summer. I have to wear very
heavy leather gloves. and then put another pair of leathers gloves in my
palm (3 layers of leather covering the palms) before I can cradle the
cactus on my hand. even than something will poke thru. I wish they made
cactus proof gloves.


Thanks
Sally ( in Zone 5a or b depending on which map you look at)