Watch Out for Mealy Bugs
By mid to late winter the mealy bugs have decided to descend in full force on plants in the greenhouse. Lack of air circulation seems to be the prime factor with these pesky little bugs because this is when I always have the most trouble with them, when they...
Keeping Your Cactus Warm
When I started this, we had had below freezing weather for too many days in a row. I lost count, but suffice it say I have worn my long underwear under my jeans to stay warm in and out of the house. I probably don’t need them in the house, but it saves having to...
When It Finally Rains, It Pours
Or, “How to Drown Your Cactus!’' Keep in mind that we have been in a severe drought for, what, about six years? But today, June 18, the bottom fell out of a cloud, not once, but twice, serving up a quintessential example of the classic gully-washer/turd floater...
Cactus and Rain
Cactus, being drought-tolerant plants, don’t like rain, right? Select ones may not, but it has been my experience that while cactus and succulents certainly survive without water, they thrive with it. In moderate amounts, of course. Give them a good rain shower...
Watering Outside Cactus in the Winter
Texas, along with many other states, has been in a drought for the last few years, so many I have lost count, and this winter was especially dry. And even though cactus and succulents are supposed to live in dry, arid conditions, mine took a deadly hit from this...
Don’t Be Afraid to Prune Your Jade Tree
Crassula ovata, commonly referred to as a jade tree, is one of the more popular and easily grown succulents. If it is given the right growing conditions. With enough sunlight and correct watering and trimming, crassula ovata will grow into a lovely plant shaped like a...
Rooting Succulents
Have a succulent you really like and want another one or two just like it? Seeds are an option, but I don’t seem to have much luck with that method. Instead, I rely on cuttings and rooting leaves. I googled the subject of rooting succulents and came up with all kinds...
Plastic vs. Wire Hangers for Hanging Pots
Trailing succulents are good choices for hanging baskets. Their fleshy growth stands up well in high winds, and the fact that they are succulents means they don’t wilt if they miss a watering. That’s the good news. The bad news is that if they thrive, over time they...
Weeds and Cactus- A Few Things I Forgot
As I was finishing my weeding for the day, some things came up that I should have mentioned in the last post about weeding the garden. So let me add to the list of helpful hints. I have found that if the ground is wet, or damp from rain or human watering, the weeds...
Weeds and Cactus
I was told once that the reason my cactus garden looks good is that I keep it free of weeds. Well, isn’t that a given? That the weeds should come out? Then I thought about it and realized that in fact too many cactus gardens don’t get weeded. I think that’s another...
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