| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| Rapidly | 12/4/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have a blue agave that is about 1 year old, I planted it outside early June 2008, it gets lots of ...
A: At this point, you should not water your agave. Like cacti, agaves should not be watered during the ...
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| Christmas cactus | 12/4/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have a huge Christmas cactus that sets many,many buds every year but when they open they are ...
A: There may be several reasons for this. One, you may be over watering. Is the soil always moist? ...
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| Problem with cactus | 12/4/2008 | Joan |
Q: Joan, I have a 10 year old cactus (not sure what type) that grows leaves on the top and is almost 3 ...
A: Deciding to cut down the dying parts depends on the structure of your cactus. If it has multiple ...
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| Problem with cactus | 12/4/2008 | Joan |
Q: Joan, I have a 10 year old cactus (not sure what type) that grows leaves on the top and is almost 3 ...
A: Have you overwatered it recently? It might be too cold, or it isn't getting enough sunlight. It ...
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| cacti | 12/2/2008 | Joan |
Q: Is there a species of prickly pear that exhibits heliotropism? That is when the pads turn to or ...
A: Almost all prickly pear, and other cacti, exhibit heliotropism. Especially in prickly pears, the ...
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| Christmas Cactus | 11/30/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have several 'Christmas Cactus' (mother and several cuttings) which have very narrow leaves, much ...
A: The leaves of the Christmas cactus plants vary somewhat from one cultivar to another. These may vary ...
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| Broken Haworthia attenuata (?) | 11/28/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have a very small Haworthia attenuata (I believe) that has been dropped and had the root snapped. ...
A: You might have to re-root your plant, as the current roots will rot and grow bacteria. Make a ...
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| saguaro cactus | 11/26/2008 | Joan |
Q: ..a small arm of my saguaro broke off and is lying on the ground. I realize I need to investigate ...
A: What you decide depends on the size of the saguaro arm and location. If it is on dirt, and the arm ...
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| exposing succulents to cold air? | 11/24/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have a pair of healthy adult succulents (a 3-foot sansevieria and a 2-foot ponytail palm). I'm ...
A: If the transportation time is short, than it probably won't do any damage. If kept in longer ...
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| Dying Mexican Fence Post - RAPIDLY | 11/22/2008 | Joan |
Q: Our Mexican gardener told us, about 6 months ago, that this cactus had been attacked by a type of ...
A: If the cactus is dying, you might have a chance to save the new bud. The bud may grow where it is ...
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| Brain Cactus is sick - please help! | 11/20/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have a 5 year old brain cactus cutting from a very large brain cactus from Florida. It was doing ...
A: I'm delighted to hear from you. I'm also delighted that you removed the bad stuff. The only thing ...
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| Pale green spots | 11/20/2008 | Joan |
Q: It's me again. The growth on my moon cactus is pale green (which you say is normal so thats okay), ...
A: So it probably was the light that caused it. I don't think the spots will recover completely. What I ...
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| Christmas castus | 11/19/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have 5 year old Christmas Cati I love. Yesterday I water the plant and was shocked to see the ...
A: It appears to be that your cactus has edema, an environmental condition that is caused do to ...
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| Pale green spots | 11/19/2008 | Joan |
Q: It's me again. The growth on my moon cactus is pale green (which you say is normal so thats okay), ...
A: It wasn't the heat that caused discoloration. It was because the cactus wasn't adapted to it. I was ...
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| Pale green spots | 11/19/2008 | Joan |
Q: It's me again. The growth on my moon cactus is pale green (which you say is normal so thats okay), ...
A: It looks like those spots were burned in someway. You mentioned you use artificial light, right? If ...
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| cactus liiks funny | 11/18/2008 | Joan |
Q: some parts are turning brown and dying and it looks like it has exposed green parts, i'm not an ...
A: If there aren't nay bugs, then it was probably accidently damaged. It will heal, so don't worry ...
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| Crown of Thorns | 11/18/2008 | Joan |
Q: My Crown of Thorns has always been an outside plant in the ground and then in a pot. We have moved ...
A: I believe this is a succulent shrub, not a cactus. So they wont tolerate repottings or replacements ...
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| Brain Cactus is sick - please help! | 11/18/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have a 5 year old brain cactus cutting from a very large brain cactus from Florida. It was doing ...
A: Due to all that repottings and cuttings, you were probably motivated to do the mistake that everyone ...
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| Brown spots | 11/18/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have had a cactus now for about 5 months or so and it seems to be having some very nice growth. ...
A: If the pale green is only on the new growth, it is totally normal. If there are patches of them ...
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| Brown spots | 11/17/2008 | Joan |
Q: I have had a cactus now for about 5 months or so and it seems to be having some very nice growth. ...
A: The brown spots are parts of the cactus that have been healed from a damage (such as scratches). ...
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| cactus liiks funny | 11/16/2008 | Joan |
Q: some parts are turning brown and dying and it looks like it has exposed green parts, i'm not an ...
A: It is probably the brown bark-looking substance that grows on a damaged part of a cactus when the ...
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| Nopales cactus in salem, or/winter care | 11/8/2008 | Joan |
Q: I purchased a nopales type cactus (edible/Mexican)and it was small in the spring and now it's grown ...
A: You are referring to the prickly pear cactus (opuntia). It is best if you leave your cactus outside ...
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| mexican fence post | 11/7/2008 | Joan |
Q: what is the botanical name of the mexican fence post? thank you Al
A: You are probably referring to the Pachycereus marginatus (scientific name). The official botanical ...
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| can't find the name of a blooming cactus? | 11/6/2008 | Joan |
Q: We purchased a plant this summer and can not identify what it is. It has thorns/barbs on its stem ...
A: If your cacti resembles the cactus in the photo I attached, It is a Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, ...
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| Euphorbia Trigona | 11/5/2008 | Joan |
Q: I need your help. Over the last 3-4 weeks the 8 foot plant I have had for over the last 20 years ...
A: I see what the problem is. You disturbed it too much when you repotted your plant in spring. Since ...
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| Euphorbia Trigona | 11/5/2008 | Joan |
Q: I need your help. Over the last 3-4 weeks the 8 foot plant I have had for over the last 20 years ...
A: It looks like your cacti is lacking light. Has it been "gloomy" ever since you obtained the plant? I ...
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| mexican fencepost-pachycereus marginatus | 1/14/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have about 5 stems about 4-8 foot tall and during a recent storm (wind) one stem about 4 foot ...
A: Richard, How should I replant it? After the break heals, replant in the soil about 5 inches deep. ...
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| Sick Mexican Fence Post | 1/12/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I planted a Mexican fence post cactus in the fall. There are three different posts that are infected ...
A: Rebecca, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. It is probably not a disease. It is more ...
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| Flowering Jade Plant | 1/11/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: My jade (which is over 30 years old) blooms every winter. However the flower stalks seem to attract ...
A: Laurel, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. They sound like fungus gnats to me. If that is ...
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| Help! | 1/10/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I believe I may have killed my husband's cactus but was wondering if there was a way to save it. I ...
A: Jenny, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Chances are the roots are damaged if the plant ...
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| false agave | 1/9/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: i have a variegated false agave, sorry i don't know the correct name. i think it might have a ...
A: Aron, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. If it is possible, please send me a photo of the ...
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| Wilted succulent and alpine garden | 1/8/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: Hope you can help. I've brought my wonderful succulent and alpine garden in for the winter and it ...
A: Claire, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Typically when a succulent wilts suddenly it is ...
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| broken yucca branch | 1/7/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: Greg, I too have a yucca plant that is about 5 feet tall with three branches.One of the branches ...
A: Larry, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Actually, yet it should branch from below the ...
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| new to planting outside. | 1/7/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I've loved cacti since a child, but I need some beginner's info. as far as types of plants and when ...
A: Marci, Here are some sites that might help: ...
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| Succulent emergency | 1/5/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a succulent that I got when it was tiny and it has since grown much larger. I moved about a ...
A: Sara, Very sorry for taking so long to get back to you (forgot to set my vacation notice). Is this ...
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| Sagurao | 1/5/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: We have a very large saguaro (about 12 feet) and it has started rotting from the bottom about 3-4 ...
A: Katie, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, forgot to set my vacation message. Has it become ...
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| Rotting Cactus treatment | 1/4/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I have a small Echinopsis lageniformis (about 1 inch high) that has been shrivelling over the past ...
A: James, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, forgot to set my vacation message. Something ...
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| Cactus apples | 1/4/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: How to thin out a over grown cactus plant it hangs over the walk way
A: Dan, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, forgot to set my vacation message. Anyway, you can ...
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| Saquaro rotting at base | 1/3/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: We have a very large Saguaro in our back yard. We've noticed that there was a hole on one side, ...
A: Roy, Very sorry for taking so long to get back to you (forgot to set my vacation notice). First, ...
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| Transplanting aloe pups | 1/2/2008 | Greg Simpson |
Q: I read your response about transplanting aloe pups, where you'd suggested waiting until the pups ...
A: Deb, Very sorry for taking so long to get back to you (forgot to set my vacation notice). Keep them ...
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