I've got a monster of a cactus in a pot, 20 years old. No idea what it is.
Can anyone help? Searching online has been no help so far.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sy...mg/cactus1.jpg
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sy...mg/cactus2.jpg

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

"Martin wrote in message ...
I've got a monster of a cactus in a pot, 20 years old. No idea what it is.
Can anyone help? Searching online has been no help so far.


The long shot made me think of an Epyphyllum but close up it looks like an
Opuntia that has been starved of strong sunlight.
Look at the thread titled "Unknown plant" on the 25th to compare photos.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars
368 data units completed.

They are both opuntias but they need to be grown in full sunlight, they look
a bit like on of teh bush forming ones that go by the prickly pear name. In
the present light starved state exact identification is unlikely.

Bob

"Bob" wrote in message
...
They are both opuntias but they need to be grown in full sunlight, they
look
a bit like on of teh bush forming ones that go by the prickly pear name.
In
the present light starved state exact identification is unlikely.

Bob


Ah, explains why I was having trouple identifying it. I thought the closest
match was a prickly pear but it was skinnier. I never thought of cacti
getting leggy.

What's the best thing to do? It has responded well to cuting back hard, and
cuttings take very easily. Should I just do that and then place it somewhere
lighter?

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

"Bob" wrote in message
...
They are both opuntias but they need to be grown in full sunlight, they
look
a bit like on of teh bush forming ones that go by the prickly pear name.
In
the present light starved state exact identification is unlikely.

Bob


Ah, explains why I was having trouple identifying it. I thought the closest
match was a prickly pear but it was skinnier. I never thought of cacti
getting leggy.

What's the best thing to do? It has responded well to cuting back hard, and
cuttings take very easily. Should I just do that and then place it somewhere
lighter?

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
I've got a monster of a cactus in a pot, 20 years old. No idea what it is.
Can anyone help? Searching online has been no help so far.

Yes, these are a variety of Opuntia.However,without seeing any sort of
flower it is impossible to give a positive I.D.
Anthony Morris.

To be honest they need to be in a greenhouse or conservatory and grown in a
free draining compost. If you take rooted cuttings and give them lots of
light then the resulting plants will start to look like the real thing.
Don't over feed but tomato fertiliser once a month at half strength does
help.

My cacti are all grown in a soil based compost with a low fertiliser base
(JI no 1) with small polystryene balls and or grit mixed at a rate of
between 3:1 (3 compost 1 polystyrene) and 1:1 depending on the variety.
They all get tomato fertiliser once a month in summer and twice a year they
get half strength phostrogen. The plants dry almost dry out between
waterings and that include the tropical ones such as Melocactus.

Bob


Ah, explains why I was having trouple identifying it. I thought the
closest
match was a prickly pear but it was skinnier. I never thought of cacti
getting leggy.

What's the best thing to do? It has responded well to cuting back hard,
and
cuttings take very easily. Should I just do that and then place it
somewhere
lighter?

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
I've got a monster of a cactus in a pot, 20 years old. No idea what it is.
Can anyone help? Searching online has been no help so far.

Yes, these are a variety of Opuntia.However,without seeing any sort of
flower it is impossible to give a positive I.D.
Anthony Morris.

In article , Martin Sykes
writes

Ah, explains why I was having trouple identifying it. I thought the closest
match was a prickly pear but it was skinnier. I never thought of cacti
getting leggy.

What's the best thing to do? It has responded well to cuting back hard, and
cuttings take very easily. Should I just do that and then place it somewhere
lighter?

Take cuttings. The old brown bits on it will never rejuvenate so best
start again with a good bit. Then either keep it in a greenhouse or on a
S facing windowsill. It will appreciate being outside in a sunny spot
during the summer. Water it freely in the summer, keep it dry in the
winter, or give a bit of water now and gain if it's in a centrally
heated house, letting it dry out between waterings.

The fresh green colour looks like O brasiliensis, but this is very
tentative! If it is, the pads will be oval, about 2in by 1in, and only a
few mm thick. The older pads develop into round stems. It's a very
pretty delicate opuntia, but one which definitely loses its looks with
age!

Opuntias are relatively hardy cacti and will stand 1 or 2 degrees of
frost if bone dry. In the UK it's easier to bring them in in winter than
to keep them somewhere dry enough outside.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

To be honest they need to be in a greenhouse or conservatory and grown in a
free draining compost. If you take rooted cuttings and give them lots of
light then the resulting plants will start to look like the real thing.
Don't over feed but tomato fertiliser once a month at half strength does
help.

My cacti are all grown in a soil based compost with a low fertiliser base
(JI no 1) with small polystryene balls and or grit mixed at a rate of
between 3:1 (3 compost 1 polystyrene) and 1:1 depending on the variety.
They all get tomato fertiliser once a month in summer and twice a year they
get half strength phostrogen. The plants dry almost dry out between
waterings and that include the tropical ones such as Melocactus.

Bob


Ah, explains why I was having trouple identifying it. I thought the
closest
match was a prickly pear but it was skinnier. I never thought of cacti
getting leggy.

What's the best thing to do? It has responded well to cuting back hard,
and
cuttings take very easily. Should I just do that and then place it
somewhere
lighter?

In article , Martin Sykes
writes

Ah, explains why I was having trouple identifying it. I thought the closest
match was a prickly pear but it was skinnier. I never thought of cacti
getting leggy.

What's the best thing to do? It has responded well to cuting back hard, and
cuttings take very easily. Should I just do that and then place it somewhere
lighter?

Take cuttings. The old brown bits on it will never rejuvenate so best
start again with a good bit. Then either keep it in a greenhouse or on a
S facing windowsill. It will appreciate being outside in a sunny spot
during the summer. Water it freely in the summer, keep it dry in the
winter, or give a bit of water now and gain if it's in a centrally
heated house, letting it dry out between waterings.

The fresh green colour looks like O brasiliensis, but this is very
tentative! If it is, the pads will be oval, about 2in by 1in, and only a
few mm thick. The older pads develop into round stems. It's a very
pretty delicate opuntia, but one which definitely loses its looks with
age!

Opuntias are relatively hardy cacti and will stand 1 or 2 degrees of
frost if bone dry. In the UK it's easier to bring them in in winter than
to keep them somewhere dry enough outside.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

OK thanks all. I'll take cuttings and try them in the greenhouse this year.

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm

OK thanks all. I'll take cuttings and try them in the greenhouse this year.

--
Martin & Anna Sykes
( Remove x's when replying )
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm