| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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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