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Sunday, January 22, 2017

MULTIPLICATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Once in a while something good comes out of an accident in the garden. About 8 years ago I stepped backwards right onto a single lace cactus, Echinocereus reichenbachii, smashing it into the ground. Imagine how sick I was at the time. Never fear. Cactus are tough. It divided itself into 3.


Then this mamillaria. Workmen knocked the pot off the wall smashing the top off the cactus. I dried off the broken top and repotted it and left the broken one to heal. That broken one has healed over and has now made a whole new family.


An unwary boot trampled this agave into the ground. It, too, has produced a new family. I am not sure this one is a good thing.


I have often wondered what makes the barrel cactus suddenly start producing multiples on top of itself. Like this one I saw in Arizona. It is quite obvious that the top of the plant has been subjected to some damage in the past. It has made a new top and lots of babies around the sides.


Cactus can take a lot of abuse but sometimes an accident turns out to be a happy event.


6 comments:

  1. Now, those are methods of propagation I've never considered! I hope your trip home was smooth. The weather in SoCal got a LOT worse today - even the freeways are flooding.

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  2. I'm always amazed at just how tough plants can be--especially those reared in Nature. I know that the seeds I start are never as hardy as those that have self sown.
    I don't know how it is that a barrel cactus can be "cute" , but those new shoots are!
    Have a great week

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  3. Pruning by foot -- love it! :)

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  4. I really like the template for your blog.....and I love your blog! I'm wanting to change the look of my blog and wondered if you would mind sharing which template this is? https://laneystexasgarden.blogspot.com/
    Thanks!!!!
    Elaine

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  5. Very interesting! Some plants are just much tougher than we give them credit for, happily.

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  6. Yay for plants regenerating so fortuitously!

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