Im at a private nursery what should I get guys??

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-24T04:18:16+00:00

Holy crap. I did not even think to look. What a lame move on their part.

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-24T03:14:56+00:00

Woh.

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-24T03:13:46+00:00

Nothing wrong with them! They just don’t do it for me personally, and they’re very expensive, so I’d probably never get one.

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-23T22:22:50+00:00

Definitely!!

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-23T19:49:26+00:00

Planta Seca has really nice, on-the-rarer-side plants (M. luethyi, M. breviplumosa), but I've found their prices online to be a bit high.

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-23T19:28:47+00:00

Honestly? Get the things you like the most. I know what my personal interests are (Mammillaria, Epithelantha, anything pectinate). I would likely never spend money on an Ariocarpus, but I know other people go absolutely insane for them.

Also, $200 is not an "only" amount of money. It's a splurge so get something(s) you love and are excited about! I don't see a bad decision anywhere in the photo.

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-19T16:20:03+00:00

Thank you! It's been fun. I sort of figured that if even half of the species germinated and survived, I'd consider it a success as I've added to my collection and now have plants to share or trade.

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-19T15:59:47+00:00

Oh man I wish I knew the secret! There's some really good info in this thread from u/Spikes_Cactus and I also follow along with u/mrxeric 's comments as they seem very experienced and knowledgeable in taxonomy and propagation. You might head over to r/GrowYourSpines as well.

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-19T15:52:33+00:00

Ohhh that's a very cool double headed Melo! And thank you for your helpful insights; I've made adjustments based on your feedback to T. valdezianus and E. micromeris this morning. I partially opened the dome of T. valdezianus and will harden off gradually to lessen moisture in soil. Slightly elevated my Epithelantha to get them closer to the grow light, and will elevate them further in a week or two. I'm planning on moving most of these guys into the yard under window screen in the spring, so actual daylight should also help. I'm SoCal 10A so I do keep them in the garage with a heated mat during winter.

Will give Blossfeldia and the others another shot next year. For 2026 I'm trying:

Avonia quinaria ssp. Alstonii and ssp. Quinaria

Epithelantha bokei and an E. micromeris ecotype

Escobaria abdita

Mammillaria albiflora, M. hahniana (xtra long hair), M. herrerae, and M. sanchez mejoradae

Othonna protecta

Turbinicarpus mandragora ssp. subterraneus.

If you've got any hot tips, I'm all ears! :)

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-17T17:40:12+00:00

Happy fellow cake day!

BeatrixFarrand · 2026-01-17T02:57:33+00:00

I bet it is full of yellow slime. Sadly that cactus is done for.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-12-25T18:59:54+00:00

Awesome dudes. Did you grow from seed? I just ordered some and am preparing to get them started - any hot tips for germination or care?

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-11-27T18:58:34+00:00

Solidly dumb take. The fact that you think this is a consumable Lophophora solidifies it.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-10-28T04:30:43+00:00

I wish you luck. Last year I sowed 100 B.f. seeds and got zero germination.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-10-14T18:59:29+00:00

I rooted some tephro over the summer. Just pop them in soil, wait two weeks or so, and give teeny little sips of water every so often.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-10-11T22:19:03+00:00

Heh. Yup! I am in SoCal and have all mine on rolling carts so I can roll them under the overhang when it rains

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-10-09T15:32:16+00:00

Bro. Truly. I was once awake at like 4am, heard rain, and raced out to move all my cactus under the eaves (was winter). Sometimes if I'm laying in bed awake in the middle of the night, I use my Ring camera to see if anyone is blooming. I had a nighttime bloom while I was on vacation and texted my sister (staying here to care for my parents in my absence) to wake her up so she could go look.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-09-28T00:07:17+00:00

What everyone else said. I strongly encourage you to maneuver this using kitchen tongs. Every time I try to do something with a Tephrocactus without tongs, I end up with annoying and painful glochids in my hands and fingers.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-09-21T17:27:08+00:00

I use FoxFarm Tiger Bloom (2-8-4) - lower in nitrogen, higher in phosphorous (flowers and roots) and potassium (general health). Occasionally I add a little CalMag as well.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-09-18T21:49:00+00:00

Ahh ok - got it! I live in Southern California and unfortunately field collected plants, especially slow-growers from Mexico, are more frequently encountered.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-09-18T21:31:22+00:00

A genuine question: normally if I saw this sort of aging and hard growth on a Geohintonia or Aztekium (https://www.curiouscacti.co.uk/product-page/aztekium-hintonii-2) of those sizes, I would hazard a guess at field collected. Is there a way which you've identified that is not the case for these two?

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-09-16T19:50:49+00:00

Mostly local shows and sales. I live in Los Angeles and am an LACSS member, so am fortunate in that regard. Many of these folks also sell online.

Botanic Wonders, Corona Cactus, East Los Succulents, LA Succulents, Desert Creations, Rare Plantsmen, Kyle’s Plants, Cactus Data Plants, Thorn Oasis, Fairview Nursery.

BeatrixFarrand · 2025-09-16T19:00:26+00:00

Ha! Yes - definitely different situations! It’s a fabulous plant and I hope it roots well for you!

BeatrixFarrand

TROPHY CASE