Here is my late bloomer I found!🌵👍🏻
Cc pink pollen!

Has anyone on this group tried to hand pollinate their cactus?

Whitton is open and shipping, just in case you want Easter Cactus.

Speaking of Whitton, I am in love with this CC from them. It's pricey though, even for the 2", so I'm hesitant. Does anyone have this one, and if so, what's your experience with it?

Yes @IbisFla I have that one. I bought it from Whitton last October. It has not bloomed yet but it is growing like a little weed. I am keeping my fingers crossed it will bloom this year. I think I have it listed on my Plant list but I do not have a picture of it yet since it has not bloomed. You actually get what you pay for with Whitton. I highly recommend them.

Thanks, JB! I hadn't even thought about the flowers because I'm just so amazed by the leaf coloring As long as it grows well, then blooming on this one would be a bonus for me.

Be sure not to over water that baby. Also, I am only saying this because I have a tendency to over water some of these cactus, so I water from the bottom because they drink through their little bulbs of roots and those roots hold water, so you may think they are dry by touching (which I also do) the top but I do not trust that method all the time since the bottom can get root rot without the top showing it until they start to fall apart. This works for me. No one ever told me there is only one way to do things and I like to pass on information but with the comment that it may not be the way the book says, but it works for me.

Purplebloomcactus said:Here is my late bloomer I found!🌵👍🏻
Cc pink pollen!

That is a beautiful color. Is that actually the plant you have?

Thanksgiving Cactus still blooming on Good Friday, 2016. These plants are wonderful houseplants and certainly are Holiday Cactus....they sometimes get their Holidays mixed up depending on their environment.
S. Amazonis Brazil


S. Salvator Brazil (white) S. Ananpolis Brazil


S.Sambra Brazil


Hope you all have a Blessed Good Friday.

JB--I have sporadic blooms on some of my CC's. Two or three.
I am sure it has to do with location, location--light--care...etc.
I just do not have the right environment, such as a GH, a Sun Room, etc to make these thrive.
They are also getting old--and not looking so fresh any more.

I think back on the beautiful photos I took of all of them2-yrs. ago--but they have now been
3-4 years in the same pots. Not sure if re-potting would help. Rooting healthy sections may be best.
I was going to take cuttings of them all--but the lack of space and proper light just is not available.
I also procrastinated away weeks and months--and never did it.

Here are a couple blooms from a couple CC's you have given me. Sad looking as they are.....

Gita

1--Peaches and Cream
2--Twilight tangerine
3--Salmon--this really did not do anything this year!
4--one bloom at a time---my true Christmas cactus.

Gita, do you suppose the newer hybrids, I am talking 8 to 10 years old or maybe younger, have a shorter life span than the first hybrids that were developed? It seems those we got a few years ago, Twilight, and that group have a shorter span than others. I have no idea why these plants are all of a sudden looking sad. It isn't that we have not taken care of them, but I just can not figure out why they are dropping their segments and why they are shriviling up the way they are. Any thoughts?

I think I am going to begin to get online and see if I can find some new people to talk to and see what they say too. We should be able to come up with an answer. The professional growers are not going to tell us anything I would doubt.

JB--
I don't know the answer to your question re the older hybrids.

Just looking at the soil in my pots the only thhing i think of is that they may want to be
transplanted in better soil.
OR--I think my care of them is faulty. I really do not do much "caring" --besides watering.
And--I think I water my CC's at the wrong time and too much.
I will look at some of my plants and decide they need watering---then I end up watering everything....

At least all the cuttings that I have rooting under the lights are doing great.
Most of them are Easter cactus--even the pink ones from the one I bought last year.
I can't wait to see if the pink blooming ones were really pink--or if the ones I bought were
somehow 'doctored up" to lok pink.
I need to pot these up to a bit roomier pots---always a risky job. Maybe I should leave them alone?

The order of pictures and their descriptions may be messed up as I did some changing around....

1--my tray of rooted Easter Cactus babies-lots of warmth and lights here
2--The "birth" of a new Beefsteak Begonia plant--from a broken off leaf. I do many of these.
3-- Then--the Beefsteak will grow into something like THIS!
4--Here is a "juvenile" well on it's way...FYI---these begonias are some of the many offspring of
my original one which I already had in 2005. As are my old AW Begonias...(bottom right)
5--Like this picture--taken in 2005. Longevity rules--for sure!

Bottom left are my 3 cuttings I took last fall of Tropical Milkweed. One is blooming away.
It too has been under my lights since fall.

Your plants always look so great. I too bought a pink EC named Savannah. I hope it blooms. We will see. Did you see they cleaned out the forums in Sandbox finally. I wonder if Trish saw your post suggesting it is time. I am so glad. I thought of you when they did it. This is the first time since I have been here that I remember them doing it. Great!

JB--
I did visit the "Sandbox" on your suggestion. But--I did not know the people, and, also because I was on a a mission to
resurrect the old "Poetry on the Pile" Thread on DG.. It was started by "soferdig" in 2006.

That was an amazing Thread--with so many serious poets taking part as well as some not so serious.
So--I checked out the "Poems" thread under the "Sandbox". I just did not get to the right site--
as all I got was a site with 3 entries--which, I found, was NOT true! Went to the right one...and there they all were...
etc...etc...

I succeeded in finding "The Poetry on the Pile" and have posted the links to all 3 parts. I believe they are in the
"I'd line to post a Poem I wrote.".... ("The Garden Wakes"...)--under "Ask a question".
This led to continuing discussions and questions and, I believe, the links are posted under the above.

I re-read all of them!!! so much nostalgia!!! Such wonderful poems and such deep prose by Soferdig and another Guy--
and Me and my silly little limericks, tying to keep it from going, under. I would find it-and post more ditties--
and ask others to do the same. A few MAF members tried--but it just died of emptiness....

How many of you ex-DG'er remember this Thread? It was on DG under the "Organic Gardening" Forum.
You can search for it under that--and the Thread called--"Poetry on the Pile"... It took me to Part #1.

This Thread really "spoke to me". I love "deep" stuff....(like stepping in a really well composted pile)
I believe any of us can write a poem. All you need is the first line--the rest will just flow....

Poems and Prose and limericks --anything written by us--is a window to our Soul. The things we do not
always open up to--the way we look at things--like life, pain, suffering, happiness or lack of.
like it was a big secret--in a written form--is all there for the taking.
Just read it without judgement...open your mind and see the depth and the beauty of that person's Soul.
Words that would never come out of their mouth--willingly flow on paper--because no one is listening.
It is a silent conversation--just between YOU and the Universe.

SO? Just write a Poem--to anyone--anything--or just to yourself....or like me--to my Garden.

Gita

ATP is basically a plant site and the Sandbox is where the other topics usually show up. So if you are looking for something that is the place to look. I am glad you found poems. That is just now one of my "things". Good luck and I hope you find some of your old friends. There is also a sight where people from DG have gathered in the sandbox. You may want to copy and paste your post on there.
The thread "Mutiny at DG" in Sandbox forum

Have fun and have a nice day.

JB--
I found the "Mutiny" Thread way in the beginning....at that time--I read all the posts.
Posted the link for other DG'ers to see.

By now it is all "old hat"....Letting bygones be bygones. I am "apolitical". Do not want to get
into issues and complaints and bitching.... It does not change anything.

I still check DG every day. Not much there--but I do look. Like--Viburnum posts there--with his
keen wisdom and understanding if issues. I am more comfortable with the familiar....

Gita

I have not checked in for awhile, I thought you may find some of your old friends on there or I would not have suggested it. I know you are not interested in the complaints any longer. I do miss the database there since I had so many things listed in it and I was so used to the format. But, if you hang long enough you get used to it and I am here hanging on.

I just bought an orchid cactus last week. No name as usual since it came from a slip a lady gave to my neighbor who has the Farmers Market. She had these pink small flowered one that I just loved and decided since I get a discount, I would buy it.

I am so excited as it is looking really great.

Looks like a pretty one. JB. Hope it thrives for you for years to come.

Gita

Update on Epi and Easter Cactus ...so pretty.

JB--

Your Easter cactus are to die for!!!!!!!!!!!! So magnificent!

Mine are not yet doing anything--as they all have been struggling, as you well know.
I do have one of the pink Easter cactus cuttings that has a nice bud on it.
I am happy--as I thought that the pink EC I bought a couple years ago may be dyed.

Your Epi is pretty. Do you have a name?

I really thought after this week we would, finally, have spring. NOPE! 39* tonight... :thumbs down:
Lets hope this is the last cold night. I checked out the 10 day forecast--and it looked good.

Hoping everything grows well for you! Hugs, Gita

My Camellia is starting to bloom!!! So is my Kwanzan Cherry trees