Cactus/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| medicinal properties of cactus | 11/24/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have heard of Nopal, and cactus gradifolius being eaten for medicinal value. Do you know of any ... A: Huduva, This is really out of my area of expertise. But most cacti used "medicinally" are really ... | ||
| Watering Cacti in Winter which are grown under lights | 11/22/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have the following cacti which I am growing indoors under lights. 1, Sulcorebutia rauschii cv. ... A: Stan, They should dry out between waterings, but make sure that you are watering them thoroughly ... | ||
| Cacti | 11/18/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: How do cacti survive in the desert? A: Tom, It is their design. Low surface area, ability to store water, roots just below the surface to ... | ||
| Zygo Cactus | 11/17/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: Goodmorning Greg! I purchased a Zygo Cactus from Home Depot. It is full of buds, I guess you could ... A: Vee, I apologize for the delay in getting back to you. They should open prior to Christmas or may ... | ||
| Cactus Age and Identification | 11/17/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: .. please follow this link to a thread I have running on UBC Botanical Garden - Reasearch Centre, ... A: Ricci, I have no idea how old they may be, possibly 10 to 15 years old? Anyway, they look like a ... | ||
| small cactus growing sideways white sprouts | 11/16/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: My daughter got a free little cactus plant at the county fair this summer. It's doing just fine, but ... A: Lisa, Chances are they are branches, but because cactus require very bright light, they be growing ... | ||
| Cutting cactus plants | 11/15/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have cactus plants in an outdoor planter on the balcony of my apartment in a high-rise building. ... A: Gail, You can use pruning shears or a very sharp knife. Make sure you get someone to help you so ... | ||
| scaby cacti | 11/15/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I've been raising cactus of all types, medium size, for years but with some inevitably in time they ... A: Marta, About your rating of me. First of all I am a volunteer who has no formal training but has ... | ||
| americana agave cactus looks sick | 11/14/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have a large americana agave cactus in my front yard, that seems to be shriviling up at the stalk ... A: C, Actually it sounds like your plant may have fell victim to the Agave beetle. Actually the ... | ||
| cactus trimming | 11/12/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I recently purchased a home w/some 8 to 10 ft cactus plants that are growing through the screen that ... A: Bill, That would depend on whether or not they are cactus or Euphorbia (looks a lot like a cactus, ... | ||
| ocotillo | 11/11/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I purchased an ocotillo last spring and planted it. It sprouted new leaves abnd looked great. Now ... A: Joyce, Ocotillo's are supposed to loose their leaves in times of drought, so that is completely ... | ||
| Cactus question | 11/10/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: Greg, I sent you a question regarding my cactus. I am really not sure what type it is. It is either ... A: Shelley, I just answered your other question. If your plant is close to your house and you covered ... | ||
| Cutting back my Cactus | 11/10/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I live in New York and my Cactus grew about 3 feet this summer. It is now to big to bring in my ... A: Shelley, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. You can replant the piece that you cut off, ... | ||
| Planting Barrel cacti | 11/9/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: Do I need to plant Barrell Cacti in sand or is potting soil OK....they are going in pots and will ... A: Cate, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Actually a combination of the two would be best. ... | ||
| Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora | 11/7/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I was just wondering about a plant that I just purchased from Walmart. The label calls it a ... A: Vee, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Generally succulent plants require less water in ... | ||
| aloe black sticky substance | 11/7/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have an aloe plant indoors (not aloe vera, some other, light green type). It's been very happy for ... A: Nili, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Generally that black ooze indicates rot, which in ... | ||
| Chrismas Cactus | 11/5/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: What is the procedure (amount of light vs. dark) to get a christmas cactus to bloom? I have heard ... A: Vicky, Put your plant in a dark room or closet for a couple of weeks prior to Christmas, like now, ... | ||
| cactus in NH | 11/3/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: My father has a cactus in New Hampshire that has grown to be 20ft tall. He brings it in every winter ... A: Cindy, Whether or not it is a cactus or an Euphorbia (very similar to a cactus), it will not take a ... | ||
| aloe vera plants outdoors | 11/3/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: What started as a few aloe plants around my tank has spread into a huge area of aloe vera plants ... A: Estelle, I am not aware of anything that will kill them. But if they dry up and die, the get even ... | ||
| Growth of a saguaro Cactus. | 11/1/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I live in Del Rio Texas. About 1992 or 1993 I legally purchased a 3ft tall Saguaro Cactus in Tucson ... A: William, Saguaro's, as well as many other cacti can grow very quickly. The difference is that the ... | ||
| Cacti | 11/1/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: Is fire, flooding, drought, and freezing a concern to a cacti and how it lives? A: Eric, fire - Yes flooding - Yes drought - Only in very severe cases freezing - To most species of ... | ||
| Century Cactus- Dying after Pruing | 10/30/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: We have a wonderful rock garden full of century cactus in our yard in Austin Texas. We have about ... A: Caroline, I'm not sure if you are talking about cactus, Agave's or both. However, if you are ... | ||
| Grafting and accelerated aging | 10/29/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: Greg: I have been told that grafting a slow growing cactus to a fast growing cactus will accelerate ... A: Jeff, I do not know if that is true. However, most cacti live a while, so you'll still get a long ... | ||
| Removing barrel cactus | 10/28/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have several large barrel cacti in my front yard that I would like to remove. Is there an 'easy' ... A: Lisa, Not really. The easiest way is to put up a sign for free cacti and someone will remove them ... | ||
| CO2 chamber for enhancing Pelecyphora aselliformis health | 10/28/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: Can the health of Pelecyphora aselliformis be enhanced by growing it in a CO2 enriched chamber ... A: Jeff, I am not sure about that, however most cacti only transpire at night. If you are having ... | ||
| Paddle Plant | 10/27/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have my eye on a paddle plant/flapjack plant. It is at Walmart. It doesn't have any info on it. ... A: Vee, I not sure what a paddle plant/flapjack plant is, but most succulents require regular watering ... | ||
| Can ocotillos freeze | 10/24/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I am looking into adding some ocotillos into the landscaping at my home. One of the biggest ... A: Joseph, What I can find says yes, as long as you mean 22 degrees (which is 10 degrees below ... | ||
| My cacus is doing something silly...is it normal | 10/24/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have a cactus and I don't know what kind it is but I have had it for four years and it has doubled ... A: Jamie, Some cacti do grow very quickly, however the problem with your plant may be a lack of light. ... | ||
| starting catus cutting | 10/21/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: starting a cuttlng of a silver dollar or pear catus A: Doug, By silver dollar cactus I presume you are referring to a Astrophytum asterias. I don't ... | ||
| Succulents | 10/19/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: How dry should I allow my Succulents to get? The soil is all cracked up, as I am afraid to ... A: Vee, As long as the soil feels dry, your OK. Then soak the soil and let dry out. People get into ... | ||
| Totem pole cactus broken | 10/18/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I purchased a Totem Pole Cactus today and on the way hone it fell over and broke off. Can the ... A: Doug, Yes and yes. Let the broken piece "heal" (sit in a shaded area) for at least 2 weeks prior to ... | ||
| Saguaro Cactus | 10/17/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: Just outside my property fence is a 20 foot Suguaro Cactus. It was put there in 1994 by my HOA and ... A: Brian, If you are in the Phoenix, AZ area, you can call Arizona Cactus Sales in Chandler. They can ... | ||
| Milk cactus need pruning | 10/16/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have a 8'tall and about 8'wide milk cactus that I let grow wild for about 25 years. It is too big ... A: Edie, Just trim it like you would a bush or a small tree, just do not remobe more than 50% of it. ... | ||
| Transplanting a Saguaro | 10/15/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: What is the average life expectancy of a Saguaro, once it has been transplanted? A: Greg, Probably the same as a non transplanted one (with one exception, overwatering). There is no ... | ||
| Aloe Vera's pups Transplanted | 10/15/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: . Can you help me.? Today I just transplanted 3 separate small Aloe Vera Pup clump of shoots, from ... A: Steve, With Aloe's (as with most succulent plants), you must let the cutting (in this case, the ... | ||
| Cactus turning Brown after 13 years | 10/8/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I have a cactus and it is starting to turn brown/soft over a good portion of the base of it. From ... A: Tracy, At this point, the only way to save it is to cut off the non rotted part. If you want to do ... | ||
| yucca plant | 10/7/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I live on Vancouver Island just wanted to know if I need to cover my yucca plants from the snow and ... A: Kyle, That depends on the type of Yucca. Some are hardy and some are not. Chance are this if you ... | ||
| sedum burrito | 10/6/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I recently purchased a sedum burrito, is what the label says. It is growing like crazy. I noticed ... A: Vee, Generally, when they drop there "leaves", it is from under watering. Let the soil dry, but ... | ||
| Large Aloe Vera plant, having babies? | 10/6/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: I hope you can help me. I can't find the information I need. I have an Aloe Vera plant that is at ... A: Darlene, You can go ahead and trim off the "pups". You can try replanting them, but they must sit ... | ||
| CACTUS PIECES | 10/6/2007 | Greg Simpson |
| Q: MY HUSBAND FOUND A PIECE OF THE COMMON CACTUS OUTSIDE AND I WANTED TO KNOW THE PROPER WAY TO REPLANT ... A: Melissa, It should. If there were roots present, make sure that you water it. Let the soil dry ... | ||
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Greg Simpson
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions regarding planting, transplanting, care, propagating, identification and general information. The questions can be about cacti and other succulents from North and South America and Africa.
Experience
Collecting cactus and succulents since 1974.
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