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Home , Cephalocereus senilis, Faucaria, Fenestraria, Kalanchoe tomentosa, Succulent plant

days are short. Even out of bloom, the should be unHghted at night. foliage is attractive. Provide extra humidity, as by misting Normal house temperatures suit occasionally or standing the pot on a , and it does not demand high tray of wet pebbles. Take care to avoid humidity. Keep it in sun. In summer, overwatering, the greatest cause of set the pot outdoors in light shade orchid mortality. Once a week is usu- where you will remember to water it. ally ample. Remove dead spikes, and shape When the is obviously growing, by pinching over-long . feed it monthly with mild liquid plant Water when the feels dry. Two or food. three times a year, feed it with a mild FOR FURTHER READING: house plant fertilizer. To get bloom the following winter, Snyder, Rachel. The Complete Book for keep kalanchoe at a bright window in Gardeners, D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., Princeton, N.J. 08540, 1964. a room unused at night, where no arti- ficial light reaches it. From late winter to Memorial Day you can buy HYDRANGEAS blooming in pots—pink through rose to tones of Those Fascinating blue, and sometimes white—huge trus- Cadi^ and Other ses of crisp flat atop compact green foliage. Unless you live in a Succulent Plants mild-winter climate, it is best to accept your pot hydrangea as a beautiful but short-lived product of the florist's skill. \JAÁACTi and other succulent plants Keep it as long as possible by copious originate in areas where water is only watering (twice daily) and setting it in occasionally available, and are there- a cool bright place. The florist created fore conditioned to deal with long the plant from stem cuttings rooted the periods of . They possess struc- year before, artificially "wintered" in tural modifications enabling them to storage, and forced into bloom in a store moisture for use in times of warm greenhouse. scarcity. If you have garden space in the shade Such adaptations may be similar in outdoors, set the plant out there, re- both groups (note that all cacti are moved from the pot, to enjoy its hand- succulents, but not all succulents are some foliage the rest of summer. cacti). Storage areas include thickened Where winters are mild, the plant , stems and coims. Leaves, which might succeed in your outdoor garden. transpire precious moisture, may be Set it in high shade, in humusy soil. eliminated altogether (with the stem Allow at least one square yard of taking over the process of photosyn- garden space for hydrangea. thesis), or the moisture in the leaves Specialty flower shops increasingly may be protected from evaporation by offer potted and blooming ORCHIDS. This a leathery surface, or covered with wiry trend will grow as more people learn or velvety hairs, thick spines or even how easy and durable many orchids are. with a powdery coating. New propagating methods have in- The very shape of many succulents creased the supply. A phalaenopsis hy- provides the same protection; globular brid or miniature cymbidium is a pot and columnar forms offer the least ex- plant of lasting value. It will come al- posed area to the drying effects of sun ready potted in suitable porous medium and wind. such as fir bark, and should need no Many times there are "look-alikes" in reworking for at least two years. the two groups. Certain cacti coming Give it a bright, cool window but from the New World closely resemble not intense sun. Since blooming may be counterparts in the of triggered by day length, its place Africa.

226 in many parts of the world to- day. The majority of other succulents ( ex- cluding , , , and a few others) are indigenous to Africa and a few scattered areas in the Eastern Hemisphere. Both cacti and other succulents are excellent subjects for the outdoor garden, greenhouse or window-sill as they can put up with a minimum of care, provided they have a requisite amount of sunlight and their condition of hardiness is respected. Cacti for the outdoor garden in areas incurring frost are more or less limited to the , but , and a few species of can also withstand frost in well-drained sandy , and in May and June will reward the grower with large satiny shimmering flowers of in- comparable beauty. If one is so lucky as to enjoy frost- free conditions such as those provided in parts of Florida, the southwestern A sedum for indoors. United States and California, then there are literally several hundred genera and thousands of species to choose from for How do we then differentiate be- an ornamental garden. tween cacti and other succulents? It is Colorful lawns can be created by the not always easy. Presence or absence use of members of the ice-plant family of leaves can be helpful; size and bril- (); charming borders can be liance of flowers also, but the real test fashioned of Echeveria, Sedum, Sem- comes by learning to recognize the pervivum, etc., all of which produce aréole. masses of flower. The aréole is possessed by cacti Pin-cushion plants () alone, and consists of cushion-like modi- can be combined with white-haired fication on the body of the cactus from columnar cacti () and which arise spines, hairs (and the golden-barrels ( grusonii) barbed hairs or spines of Opuntia), to design a delightful garden flowers, , and often the new filled with interesting and bizarre growth. shapes. The flowers of cacti are usually more Take care to provide the best ex- conspicuous and most often appear posure to the sun, a soil which is one- from aréoles near the top of the plant. half sharp sand and one-half rich loam In other succulents they are inclined or mold, and occasional water. It is to be less showy and more likely to emerge from between the leaves or from the base. In addition, with a very minor possi- AUTHOR Helen B. Fogg of Merion Sta- tion, Pa., is an active member of the ble exception (a form of ), all Cactus and Succulent Society of America. cacti are native to the Western Hemis- CO-AUTHOR John M. Fogg, Jr. is Director phere. It is sometimes hard to believe of the of the Barnes Founda- this because of the vast areas of escaped tion, at Merion Station.

227 not true that these desert plants want Clay pots, which allow , no water at all or that they enjoy im- require more watering. They are per- poverished soil. They merely put up haps more attractive, but harder to keep with poor conditions, but do their best clean and heavier to handle. blooming with more charitable treat- To the previously mentioned soil ment. mixture (sand, rotted leaf-mold, loam) Although most of us are not privi- many growers add a little bone meal, a leged to grow tender plants out of small amount of superphosphate and a doors, we still can make gardens of small amount of cow manure (these are cacti in summer by sinking the pots in optional). the ground to produce attractive effects, A few camphor crystals tend to dis- and at the same time give the plants courage the mealy-bug. The pot a summer vacation in the fresh air. should have a drainage hole which is For indoors the choice is almost limit- covered by broken crock. less. One may, according to one's fancy, Most succulents and many cacti can have cacti with such intriguing names be propagated from cuttings or offsets. as "Sand dollar" ( aste- Cacti should be allowed to dry about rias), "Bishop's cap" (A. mtjriostigma), 48 hours and succulents for half that "Old man" (Cephalocereus senilis), time or until a callous has formed. Dip "Old lady" (Mammillaria hahniana), the calloused end in a rooting hormone "Powder puff" (M. bocasana), "Peanut- and stand on the surface of a damp cactus" (Chamaecereus sylvestri), "Rain- sandy mixture, propped up with tooth- bow cactus" (Echinocereus dasyacan- picks or other suitable support until thus), "Boxing-glove" {Opuntia rooting has taken place. Cover the top mamilhta), "Bird's-nest" {Mammillaria of the soil with a quarter inch of sand. camptotricha), "Rat-tail" ( Aporocac- Do not water for at least a week. tus), "Silver-torch" { When and if mealy bugs are evident, straussii), and so forth. remove them with a fine camel's-hair The common names of succulents brush dipped in rubbing alcohol. other than cacti can also engage our Red spiders attack many succulents. fancy and as fully live up to the image An effective cure is a forceful spray of created. For example, there is the cold water or a weak solution of Volck "Plush-plant" {), Oil Spray. "Adam's needle" { filamen- It is well to know the place of origin tosa), "Airplant" {), of your plants, as most of them require "Baby'S'toes" ( rhopalo- resting periods. Those from South phylla), "Tiger-jaws" {), and Africa, for instance, rest during the many other names which summon up summer and require little water at that the image of the plant. time. Cacti, on the other hand, need a One can make a really fanciful and long dry resting period and should re- diverse collection. ceive no water from mid-October to To grow these plants into healthy mid-M arch. During these months they specimens and make them flower—any welcome a temperature down to 40'^ grower's supreme ambition—it is neces- to 45° F, but still prefer full sun. An sary to give them optimum conditions. exception should be made to this treat- Never make dish-gardens using both ment in the case of cacti originating cacti and other succulents, for their in the jungle, the so-called "leafy'* cacti such as , Rhipsalis^ and moisture requirements are not the same. Zygocactus. Cacti, except for the "leafy" types In this connection a hint as to the {Epiphyllum, Rhipsalis and others origi- flowering of "Christmas Cactus" is per- nating in the jungle), demand far less haps in order. Actually, there are two water than other succulents which are different genera going by this name. happier with a twice-a-week wetting. Zygocactus truncatus blooms about Either clay or plastic pots are usable. Thanksgiving Day and its leaves are

228 flat joints characterized by claw-like nal the organ of the American Cactus projections. bridgesii and Succulent Society. blooms about Christmas time and its Books on cacti and other succulents joints are more rounded at the tips and are legion. The beginner will find, espe- possess no claws. cially for house plants, much informa- They both bloom best if left outdoors tion in a series of four volumes by in summer under slightly filtered light Edger and Brian Lamb, Blandford until there is danger of frost, then Press, London. There is also a Pocket brought in to a sunny windowsill but Encyclopedia of Cactus by the same where there is no artificial light at night. authors. All their books are abundantly Water should be withheld during Oc- illustrated and contain culture hints. tober, but otherwise these flat "leafy" To be recommended highly—Cacti cacti of jungle origin need water regu- and Their Cultivation by Martin, Chap- larly, up to several times a week—that man and Auger, Winchester Press, New is, far more than the globular or col- York, and Cacti and Succulents by umnar shapes will tolerate. Walther Haage, E.P. Dutton & Co., With correct treatment they will pro- New York. duce, at their chosen time, two-inch For all succulents other than cacti, irregularly-shaped flowers in shades of the most complete coverage is found in fuchsia-pink, salmon-red, or pale pink- A Handbook of Succulent Plants by ish-white at the tip of the final joint of Herman Jacobsen, 3 volumes, Bland- each stem. ford Press, 16 West Central St., Lon- Where does the beginner find plants don, W.C.I. for his starting collection? Today suc- The above books and a number of culents of all kinds are readily available others may be obtained from the Abbey in most five-and-ten cent stores and in Press, Box 167, Reseda, Ca. 91335. commercial greenhouses everywhere. may be purchased from most Most experienced collectors of cacti and commercial nurseries. succulents find it more satisfactory, however, to order direct from growers, notably those of Arizona, Texas and Joining Societies California. Mention will be made of only a few of these, though they abound One may learn much by joining one in number and are to be found adver- of our many cactus and succulent so- tised in journals. cieties, which meet in various large Hardy outdoor plants may be ordered cities to exchange plants and informa- from Karr Kactus, 1822 Poplar, Lincoln tion, arrange shows of succulent plants, Park, Box 87, Route 7, Canon City and give the members the chance to Col. 81212. For the more tender type show ofl^ their blooming plants. may be recommended: Abbey Garden, For under proper conditions these 1593 Las Canoas Road, Santa Barbara, plants do bloom! The blossoms of many Ca. 93105. Kirkpatrick's, 17785 de cacti compare favorably with orchids. Anza St., Barstow, Ca. 93311. Grigsby While the flowers of most other succu- Cactus, 2354 Bella Vista Dr., Vista, Ca. lents are smaller and less conspicuous, This list could be multiplied many they make up in mass effect, and have times, did space permit. The advantage the advantage of blooming in winter. The beginner is advised to supply of ordering from these extremely repu- himself with those plants that bloom table sources lies in knowing that your most readily, for example such genera plant will almost certainly arrive in as Rebutía, , Echinop- good condition and properly named. sis, , and Kalanchoe. Reference has been made to journals Even if the windowsill cactus proves devoted to the subject of succulents. to be a shy bloomer, the interesting One such, published monthly ($7.50 a form, texture, covering and color will year) is the Cactus and Succulent Jour- make it an outstanding asset.

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