Tag: types of cactus

Its been a BLOOMING AMAZING Summer for my Cacti

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Hi Guys,

I hope you have all had a wonderful 2024 growing Season with your Cacti and Succulents this year, I can’t believe that we are already into Autumn now and the growing season is almost coming to an end, I say it every year BUT I really do feel that this Summer has definitely gone faster than any other years Summer, but I think that may also have something to do with this Summer being the wettest, cloudiest and coolest and windiest Summer in Ireland that I can ever remember.

Despite the awful Summer in Ireland this year I am very happy to say that my Cacti have continued to bloom their beautiful flowers and this Summer has been one of the best for my cacti with their flowering.

My Parodia werneri in beautiful pink flower 2024.

I always love to take photos of my blooming Cacti every Summer and I love to share their beautiful flowers with you all in my Blogs and on my You Tube Channel.

I am often being asked how to get Cacti to bloom and it can depend on many different things, in general Cacti do appreciate a cool and dry overwintering period from late September until late March/ early April, In the Spring I like to give them a fertilising with a tomato feed used at half the strength that they recommend for tomatoes, I fertilise them with every 3rd watering I give them from April until late August.

The reason I like to use Tomato feed is because it is high in potassium which can encourage more buds and blooms, plenty of sunshine is a bonus for producing buds and blooms especially for Cacti that need a sunny day for them to fully open their flowers such as many of the Gymnocalycium and Astrophytum. Cacti such as Echinopsis and Epiphyllum and Cleistocacti will often still bloom in overcast weather and of course the night bloomers such as ‘Queen of the Night’ Selenicereus grandiflorus and Epiphyllum oxypetalum and Echinocereus gentryi don’t need the sun to come out at night, they do however appreciate sun during the days to encourage the buds to fully develop.

My Echinocereus gentryi var. cucumis is a night bloomer and the flowers close again midday the next day, this Cactus does still need a sunny position during the day to still produce the buds though.

If you feel a bit sad at the thought of waiting until next Spring until you see your Cacti bloom again then why not try growing the winter blooming Cacti too ? Schlumbergera Cacti more commonly known as Thanksgiving Cacti and Christmas Cacti are wonderful bloomers during the Winter and have long lasting exotic blooms that come in many colours of red, white, orange, pink, lilac, purple and even yellow and they also make wonderful house plants and are pretty easy to care for, these beauties will even flower in a north facing window meaning you can enjoy the beauty of their flowers inside your house at a time when all the other Cacti are having their Winter snooze.

My Schlumbergera buckleyi ‘Christmas Cactus’ These Cacti always help to brighten up the dark Winter months with their stunning blooms.

Here are some photos of my Cacti that have been blooming gorgeous over this Summer, I hope you enjoy the blooms and if you want to see a slideshow of all the blooms on my Cacti this Spring and Summer then do watch my video I have made for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on ‘My Cactus Blooms of Summer 2024‘

My Mammillaria hahniana in pretty pink flower 2024.

My Mammillaria bocasana in cream flower 2024

My Mammillaria ID Unknown in Pink Flower 2024.

My Parodia chrysacanthion in canary yellow flower 2024.

My Rebutia heliosa in Flower 2024.

My Stenocactus multicostatus in flower 2024.

My Aporocactus flagelliformis ‘Rats Tail Cactus’ in shocking pink flower 2024.

My Mammillaria ID Unknown in flower 2024.

My Rebutia ID unknown in beautiful bright orange flower 2024.

My Mammillaria ID unknown in flower 2024.

My Epiphyllum ID unknown in pink Flower 2024.

My Mammillaria longimamma in yellow flower 2024.

My 30 year old Lophophora williamsii in pale pink flower 2024.

My 30 year old Astrophytum ornatum in golden flower 2024.

My Echinocereus gentryi and Chamaelobivia ‘Wendy’ in flower 2024.

My Aporocactus mallisonii in Flower 2024.

My Thelocactus hexaendrophorus in twin flower 2024.

My Neoprteria paucicostata in pink flower 2024.

My Mammillaria camptotricha ‘dolichothele’ in flower 2024.

My Epiphyllum ID unknown in twin flower 2024.

My Mammillaria ‘Magic Baby’ in flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ‘baldianum’ in twin flower 2024.

My Neoporteria paucicostata re blooming again with multiple blooms 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ID Unknown in flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium baldianum in flower 2024.

My Epiphyllum ‘Pegasus’ in shocking pink flower 2024.

My Epiphyllum ‘Ackermannii’ in red flower 2024.

My Copiapoa in golden yellow flower 2024.

My Epiphyllum ‘Mrs G Bheam’ in pastel pink flower 2024.

My Parodia ottonis in triple flower 2024.

My Pilosocereus pachyclaudus in Flower 2024.

My Echinopsis eyeresii in flower 2024.

My Epiphyllum ‘Madeline’ in twin flower 2024.

My Echinopsis oxygona in flower 2024.

My Rebutia ID unknown in canary yellow flower 2024.

My Parodia ID Unknown in golden flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ‘saglionis’ in quadruple flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium saglionis in quadruple Flower 2024.

My Trichocereus scopulicola in flower 2024.

My Astrophytum capricorne x senilis in stunning flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ID Unknown in flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ID Unknown in Flower 2024.

My Chamaecereus ‘Rose Quartz’ in pink flower 2024.

My Echinopsis ID Unknown in big white flower 2024.

My Epiphyllum ‘Fantasy’ in deep pink Flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ID unknown in flower 2024.

My Parodia warasii in flower 2024.

My Astrophytum myriostigma ‘nudum’ in golden flower 2024.

My Astrophytum ornatum in flower 2024.

My Echinopsis ID unknown in twin flower 2024.

My Trichocereus grandiflorus ‘Red Star’ in STUNNING red bouquet of flowers 2024.

My Echinopsis sudenudata in quadruple flower 2024.

My 7ft tall Trichocereus pachanoi in flower 2024.

My Lophophora williamsii in twin flower 2024.

My Cleistocactus colademononsis ‘Monkey’s Tail’ in flower 2024.

My Parodia magnifica in twin flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ID Unknown in flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium mihanovichii ‘variegata’ in pink flower 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ‘Root Beer’ in pale pink Flower 2024.

My Parodia/Notocactus lenighausii in flower 2024.

My Strombocactus disciformis flowering for the first time 2024.

My Gymnocalycium ‘root Beer’ in beautiful Flower 2024.

My Clesitocactus winterii ‘Golden Rat’s Tail’ in flower 2024.

I hope you enjoyed the beautiful blooms and if you want to know ‘How to get your Cacti to Flower’ then check out my video I have made for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on ‘How to get Cacti to flower’ and you can watch this video below:

Thanks so much for reading Guys and wishing you all a fantastic Plant Powered Autumn/Fall.

A WARNING TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS PLEASE BE AWARE

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WARNING TO ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS. PLEASE BE AWARE OF A SCAMMER THAT IS USING MY NAME LYN KIMBERLEY TO SCAM PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK BY SELLING PLANTS ON FACEBOOK GROUPS AND BY DIRECT MESSAGING THEM. THIS SCAMMER IS POSING AS ME AND RIPPING PEOPLE OFF BY ASKING THEM IF THEY WANT TO BUY PLANTS AND POSTING ON FACEBOOK PLANT GROUPS AS ME SCAMMING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR MONEY. THIS SCAMMER HAS CLONED MY PROFILE AND IS ALSO SENDING FRIEND REQUESTS TO MY FOLLOWERS. I DON’T SELL ANY PLANTS MYSELF AND I NEVER HAVE. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT BUY ANY PLANTS ON FACEBOOK FROM THIS SCAMMER WHO IS PRETENDING TO BE ME AS THEY HAVE CLONED MY PROFILE, AND DO NOT ACCEPT ANY FRIEND REQUESTS FROM ANYONE WHO SAYS THEY ARE LYN KIMBERLEY, I DONT SEND FRIEND REQUESTS. ???? ???? THIS IS CAUSING ME A GREAT DEAL OF DISTRESS AT THE THOUGHT OF MY FOLLOWERS BEING SCAMMED AND THINKING ITS ME SCAMMING THEM IS REALLY UPSETTING ME. PLEASE DO NOT BUY ANY PLANTS OR ACCEPT ANY FRIEND REQUESTS FROM ANYONE WHO SAYS THEY ARE ME.

Here is a video below where I talk in more detail about this, PLEASE watch this video to be aware.

PLEASE watch this video to be aware, Thank you everyone for all your continued support and Happy Growing.

Spring has arrived and the growing season is here

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Hi Guys,

Spring has arrived at last YAY! and the growing season is finally here and I have been keeping busy with all the exciting jobs to do with all of my cacti and succulents at this time of year.

Spring has arrived & the growing season is here
So happy Spring has finally arrived and that means its time for the Cacti & Succulents to start waking up.

Spring is finally here and I hope that your cacti and succulents have come through the winter safe and sound, its sometimes inevitable that however much we try to look after our plants we can still lose plants over the winter months, I am so relieved that I have only had a couple of plant losses this winter, but last winter I lost quite a few cacti as did many growers due to the extended and very cold winter of 2022/23, thankfully in Ireland and UK we have had a fairly mild winter this year compared to last year.

My Cacti made it through the Winter in my new polytunnel safe and sound.

Spring really is an exciting time of year for us cacti and succulent growers, my cacti and succulents have been patiently waiting for the longer and warmer days to arrive.

New growth appearing on my Opuntia subulata monstrose, the pink fleshy thin leaves appear first before turning to green and then falling off as the cactus ages.

Although its still a bit early for most of my plants to come into bud just yet, I have still been checking on the plants for any signs of buds, and I am very happy to see buds are starting to grow already on a couple of my Gymnocalycium cacti and my Chamacereus ‘Peanut Cacti’ and my Epiphyllum cacti are all growing buds too, I know that once I give them all their very first watering of the year the plants will start to develop buds and then over the following weeks they burst into flower.

Buds are starting to appear on my Gymnocalycium Cacti ( March 2024 )

My Chamacereus Cacti ‘Peanut Cacti. are starting to grow buds, once I give these their first watering the ‘peanut stems’ will plump up and burst into flower.

My Epiphyllum Cacti are coming into bud, these leafy epiphytic cacti produce the most incredible of large showy flowers in Spring and Summer.

I still haven’t watered the majority of my plants yet though, and this is because I live in Belfast N.Ireland, and in March and April its still quite chilly during the daytime and the nights can still be frosty, its not until mid April that the weather really starts to warm up for Spring here, and this is why I hold back on watering my collection until around mid April depending on the weather and the temperature, its not unusual for it to snow in April in UK and Ireland haha, and last Spring (2023 ) it was unseasonably very cold until late May and I had to hold back on watering my collection in the polytunnel until much later than normal, fingers crossed though April will be normal temperatures, and that means with the first watering I give them in mid April I will be able to give them all just a light watering ( pre watering ) first to moisten the soil and wake up their root systems, I give just enough water so the soil dries within a day or two, I then leave it a week or two and thats when I give them their first proper watering.

But If you have your cacti and succulents indoors in a heated room or sunny warm window its safe to go ahead and give them a watering now though, I have to hold back until mid April as my plants are in a polytunnel that is heated at 5c/41F just enough to keep them frost free and protected from very low temperatures, If I was to water too early and we get a cold and wet couple of weeks then it means the plants could sit in moist soil that does not dry out as fast in cold damp weather, I want to start to wake them up with watering when I know the day temperatures are at least in the 15c /60F range.

I have however had to give one of my Mammillarias that was VERY thirsty a light pre watering as I know this particular Mammillaria a Mammillaria camptotricha would be safe to water now, and I thought this would be a perfect example to show just how much water I give the plants for the very first time after the Winter, and if you want to see how much water to give your plants after winter then check out this video I made for my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on ‘How much water should you give your Cactus after Winter ? and you can watch this video below:

I have been keeping busy repotting plants in preparation for the growing season, and I make sure I check almost daily for any signs of insect pests or diseases on the plants, I also will be busy writing up plant labels and re arranging some plants in the polytunnel to make space so that when its warm enough I will be able to move all the non cold hardy cacti and Euphorbias that I currently have overwintering in my grow room back into the Polytunnel and yard for the Spring and Summer months.

Some of my Echeverias and other Succulents are growing flower spikes.

I have a lot of work to do on a lot of my Succulents this Spring too, pruning, and tidying them up from dead leaves, I am happy to say I have noticed flower spikes starting to grow on some of my Echeverias too, I will be filming an upcoming video very soon on all the Spring jobs I will be doing with all of my Cacti and Succulents on my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon, so do stay tuned.

If you want to know more about how to grow Cacti and Succulents then do watch my You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon and do please Subscribe I would love you to follow me on my Prickly adventures.

Happy Growing Season everyone and here is to a blooming AMAZING Spring and Summer 2024.