VOLUME 14 :: January—October, 1952 Illustrations shown in ...

22 THE CACTUS AND SUCCULENT January, 1952
REPORTS OF MEETINGS
November 6th, 1951 : Mr. A. Boarder—How to avoid flower failures
I do not pretend to know all the answers, but only my own observations over many years and if you get results
you must be on the right track. People make statements in print and, thereafter, everyone who writes on the
subject repeats them. For instance, that our plants will flower only when pot-bound. Very few of my plants
are pot-bound and they flower freely. My plant of Mammillaria bocasana had one hundred and fifty flowers at one
time during this summer. Another thing that is wrong, is that if they have a good roasting in sunshine one year,
they will flower better the following year. This year's seedling of Mammillaria rettigiana is budding for flower
and that's not from what it has received the previous year.
Mammillaria rhodantha is late flowering on this year's growth. If no new growth, no flower buds in the centre.
My Mammillaria spinosissima has two rings of dried seed pods. The higher ones are from this year's flowers. Some
will not flower on old wood, but on the current year's growth and others on the growth of the previous year.
This little plant (Mr. Boarder displayed it) has flowered and produced a seed pod. It is probably self fertile. It
has hooked spines. It will be interesting to see what happens. Some Mams, flower between every tubercle.
Astrophytums flower at every areole, but only on new growth. Notocactus flower in a ring on new growth. Lobivias
flower on last year's wood. Rebutias flower low down and in the following year on newer wood. The best flowers
of Stapelias are on new growth. Epiphyllums will flower on last year's growth ; naturally, they grow in steamy,
clammy conditions. Mammillaria woodsii flowers on this year's growth. Echinopsis will flower in a room with a
small amount of sunshine, but with more sunshine there will be more flowers. Better growth—better flowers,
therefore, keep them growing.
There is an old saying that they should have a long winter's rest and that they should be exposed to scorching
sun, but I do not find these maxims confirmed. Sun does make a difference I agree ; Lithops buds may show colour
and the sun will bring the flowers out. Pleiospilos and Lithops will hang fire waiting for the sun. I give no shade to
my plants except for the first six months of their life. My greenhouse is open all through the summer weather.
During the winter's rest I cannot quite see why I should not occasionally give my plants a careful watering
as if they are dry too long, the tiny fibrous roots die.
It is ridiculous to keep a plant in a pot for three years or more, as a lot of dead roots accumulate and get packed
tight and root bug comes, sucks and damages the root and the plant dies. Some will not want larger pots, but will
appreciate fresh soil. When re-potting, renew with fresh soil. If potting-on in August when the pot is outgrown,
just lift out carefully and place in a larger pot, gently placing fresh soil around it—it will make better growth.
We cannot imitate the conditions in which the plants are found, so it is a wonder we flower as many as we do
when one considers the vast distances apart where they grow, representing many differences in temperature
and condition ; we assemble and flower them in one small greenhouse.
If you want to try old cow manure—all right, but it is one thing to use it in open ground, but entirely another
to use it in a small pot. With spent mushroom compost, quite a lot of the fire and goodness has gone from it, but
it is good clean stuff, although it may clog. It is good for mixing with the soil for Epiphyllums, but be on your guard
for fungus.
I have been told I blow my plants up with a pump, so now I blow flowers on them. However, I am satisfied.
There are one hundred and twenty-four genera of cacti with many of which I have been successful. Cereus have
flowered in four years from seed. Other succulents will flower the same year from seed, if they have something
good to grow in, such as, two parts loam, one part peat, one part sharp sand ; add |- 02. limestone, £ oz. sulphate
of potash, li oz. hoof and horn grist and l| oz. superphosphate per bushel and you can add something rough like
broken brick, with a little charcoal for mature plants. Hoof and horn grist is a good long and short term fertiliser.
When I say loam, I mean loam with grass stacked down ; do not throw the grass away when breaking up loam
from Kettering.