u/Tazza107

​🪴 Here are a few pictures that put in a video showing the different stages this Fockea edulis has gone through from 2019 to 2026. The first picture shows when she was potted up for the first time after spending a couple of years in her original pot. Since that first repotting, she remained in that same pot for 12 years. I tell you, when I finally removed her, the bottom of the pot was being pushed out by her massive tuberous taproots—she didn't have any room left to grow! I wish I had taken some pictures back then to give you an idea of what it looked like.

​🪴 I was humming and haring about whether to raise the caudex. It didn't really bother me back then, even though raising them was a huge craze, but it definitely appeals to me more now.

​🪴 That was when I bit the bullet and decided to raise the caudex on both of my Fockeas. I just had to be careful to keep them protected from the harsh summer heat during the hottest part of the day.

​🪴 A few years went by, and she eventually developed that nice corky exterior, but I didn't notice much expansion on the caudex. That’s when I came up with the idea to extend the sides of the pot with a collar. It gives the Fockea the false impression that it's still underground, hopefully encouraging the caudex to keep growing. That brings us to today, two years later. She’s just had a haircut, and her vine has grown twice as long over those two years!

​🪴 I'm really looking forward to the day I get to remove the collar and see what she looks like under there after all this time.

​🪴 So there you have it—a bit of history on this Fockea edulis that I've been growing for the last 21 years.

​🪴 Tell me what you think about the collar idea, and would you try something like that on your Fockea edulis?

As always, ​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

🌵 Just to let you know that I assumed that this cactus was Parodia ottonis subsp horstii, but in actual fact, it's a Parodia penicillata because of the spines and rib formation. It's sometimes hard to get the right information, especially way back whe. I started to really get into cacti and succulents in 2005, I assumed that the tag was right and never really doubled-check the species, as i didn't have the internet back then.

🌵 Now, with most of the information at yours fingertips its not hard to cross-check plants and to see which species they are, but not all information is correct, as you can see, I got it wrong. 🤣

🌵 Since cactus and succulents are getting to be a more fashionable hobby, especially after covid. But even before then, there were quite a number of people into these magnificent plants. These plants have been growing in cultivation for decades, and a lot of species have been cross-pollinate to get some magnificent hybrids, where, as a lot of growers are trying to get the perfect flower. So now it's even harder to work out the species than it is to work out the genus if you get my drift.

🌵 This Parodia penicillata has been in my collection for 21yrs, and this is the first yr that it has flowered right through winter, as I've always thought they only flower during late spring through summer. Well, that proved my theory wrong. So, with the right conditions, some of these cacti can flower right winter. Which is a new thing for me.

🌵 The great thing about this is that a pecies of my cactus collection made me feel good through our miserable winter. Do get me wrong, but I did have other succulents that did provide some colour, but it's totally different when you have a cactus doing this. 😊👍🏻

🌵All in all, this Parodia penicillata just blows me away with its growth and all its offsets it has. I can't wait till the majority of the offsets start flowering, as I just gave them a quarter dose 0-0-41-17, which is Sulphate of Potash, to give the cactus that extra boost to push out more blooms

🌵 Here is some information that I sourced from the net about Parodia penicillata:

🌵 Parodia penicillata is a high-altitude cactus native to the rocky, steep mountain slopes of Salta in northern Argentina, where it thrives in fast-draining, gravelly soils under bright, indirect sunlight and intense atmospheric UV exposure. First formally described in the mid-20th century, its species name translates to "brush-like," describing the fine, dense cluster of spines that crown the top of its stem. While it starts out spherical, it eventually grows into a taller column up to 50 centimetres high, producing vibrant orange to red funnel-shaped flowers during summer. In cultivation, it does best in a mineral-heavy substrate with good air circulation and regular spring-to-summer watering, requiring a cold, dry winter dormancy to protect its root system and trigger a reliable flowering cycle.

🌵 By the way the information that I personally give out is the partially from my own experience from growing my collection for over 2 decadeds, and information that I've sourced from the net. The main thing is realy your conditions where your are, as this can make a big difference. So pick and choose the information that you need for your Zone. The Zone where i live is Zone 9a to 10a (with minimum winter temperatures typically staying around -1°C to 4°C / 30°F to 40°F, depending on microclimates and proximity to the bay).

🌵 Hope this information helps you with your cactus and succulents.👍🏻

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

​🪴 Here’s a trick I use for growing my Fockea edulis. I acquired this small specimen back in 2005, and watching it develop over the last 21 years has been incredibly rewarding.

​🪴 A few years ago, I decided to raise the caudex to showcase its textured bark structure. However, exposing a Fockea caudex to air slows its growth compared to keeping it underground. To solve this, I added an extended metal collar around the top of the pot. I filled this upper section with a very coarse, high-mineral substrate—combining pine bark, scoria, and pea gravel. This surrounds the trunk to keep it dark and moist while ensuring maximum airflow. I also periodically disturb this top layer, so any new sucker roots don't take hold, focusing growth deep down in the pot where it's needed.

​🪴 A couple of years ago, I gave the vine canopy a severe hard prune, and after a year, it bounced back with extreme vigour. Pruning the canopy in late winter or early spring stops the plant from pushing all its energy into long vines and redirects those nutrients down into expanding the caudex base and root system.

​🪴 When pruning, it is critical to leave at least two inches of stem stub above the main caudex, as cutting too close can trigger stem dieback or allow rot to enter the main body. You can use sulfur or cinnamon to seal cut stems, as both help prevent pathogens from infecting the wound.

​🪴 When it is time to remove the collar, it just slides off, allowing me to easily remove the layer of filler down to the original top-dressing soil line.

​🪴 The collar tricks the caudex into thinking it is still deep underground. This encourages the plant to focus on caudex growth and prevents root disturbance that could cause rot—all without needing to repot until it truly outgrows the container. It's a neat trick to fatten up the caudex and a great technique for beginners growing Fockea or any species that needs to have its caudex buried!

​🪴 At the end of the day, your Fockea edulis caudex is already raised. 😊👍🏻

​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

​49-Day Update on My Euphorbia schoenlandii Seedling. 🌱

🌱 ​I sowed these Euphorbia schoenlandii seeds on the 19th of June 2026, and here is how they are looking 49 days later. Out of the batch, I’ve only lost 4 seedlings so far, so the survival rate has been fantastic.

🌱 They’re coming along remarkably well—showing deep, healthy green colouration and thick, sturdy stems with absolutely no signs of etiolation. Their growth strategy has been fairly straightforward: on overcast or rainy days, they stay protected indoors, but whenever the sun is out, they go straight outside to soak up as much direct light as possible.

🌱 ​Since we’re right at the tail end of winter here, the current sunshine is clear but lacks that intense, scorching heat. It’s turned out to be the absolute sweet spot for seedlings at this stage, letting them build up solid growth without any risk of burning.

🌱 I’m really happy with their overall size and vigour so far. As the weather starts to shift and spring brings warmer days, that extra heat should give these little fellas the exact boost they need to really take off.

🌱 I'm keeping these in their shared pot for another yr, so they build up the strength needed for individual potting. To my Northern Hemisphere friends heading into autumn, stay tuned—us Southern Hemisphere growers are just about to kick off spring!

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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Time to fatten up! You can clearly see the fresh growth splitting through the fissures as these Dioscorea elephantipes caudexes bulk up for the winter active season.

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Here is one of my Euphorbia mammillaris f. variegata plants, aka "Corn Cob." It became so top-heavy that I had to support the main stem and use a rock to weigh down the pot; without it, the pot would have tipped right over and snapped the plant.

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I purchased this Euphorbia mammillaris f. variegata in 2005 from a collector who was selling off his collection. I happened to arrive late, so most of his better specimens had already been sold. All that was left were trays of odds and ends—a heap of different species like Echinocereus, Copiapoa, Gymnocalycium, Echinopsis, Euphorbia, Mammillaria, and many unnamed others. He was selling them at a reduced price in 2.5" (6.5 cm) pots. Since it was the end of the day and he wanted to clear out as much as possible, he made me a deal I couldn't refuse for 7 trays, each holding 20 pots. I've lost a few over the years, but the majority are still in my collection and a heck of a lot bigger now. That purchase is actually where the majority of my current plants came from.

​Back then, this Euphorbia mammillaris f. variegata was only 6" (15 cm) tall, and now it stands at 20" (51 cm). You can also see that a few Parodia mammulosa have grown alongside it and need to be removed in the near future. 🤩

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They are very slow-growing because the high amount of white pigmentation and lack of chlorophyll reduce their ability to photosynthesize. I'm not entirely happy with its current shape. If I had known how it was going to grow, I would have pinched the main growth point years ago to encourage branching rather than the tall look it has now.

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I've since taken a few branches off my other Euphorbia mammillaris f. variegata to test that exact technique with great success. I'll just need to pinch the growth points on those new branches in a couple of years so they branch out further and create a much fuller plant.

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I'll put a pic of the branches at the end where I have pinched the main growth point, so you can see what I mean.

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Do you have the same problem with your E. mammillaris f. variegata growing leggy, or is yours totally different?

​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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At 21 years old, this Fockea edulis features a wonderfully developed, tuberculated caudex with intertwining aerial roots and vigorous vine growth.

​Overview & Growth: Native to South Africa, Fockea edulis is a semi-deciduous caudiciform vine prized for its swollen, woody base (caudex) and rough, warty bark. In the wild, the caudex stays mostly subterranean to store water but raised specimens in culture form striking, bonsai-like specimens. 😊👍🏻

Optimal Growing Conditions Light:

● ​Light: Bright indirect light with morning sun; shelter from intense afternoon heat.

● ​Substrate: Fast-draining, gritty mix (pumice, scoria, coarse sand) with low organic matter.

● ​Watering: Spring/Summer: Water thoroughly when fully dry.

● ​Winter: Keep nearly dry; give light sips only if kept warm.

● ​Temperature: Best at 18–28°C. Can take short dips to 2–5°C if bone dry, but keep frost-free.

● ​Pruning: Trim or trellis fast-growing vines to maintain shape and promote denser top growth.

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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​I’ve been growing this Lobivia backebergii for the last 20 years, and it has turned into a massive, tightly packed mound of heads.

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​Native to the high-altitude Andean regions of Bolivia and Peru, these plants are built to handle high UV and sharp temperature swings. I mimic those rugged conditions by growing it outdoors in full sun, where it takes the full force of summer heat and cold winter nights. That intense light and natural weather exposure keep the spination dense, the growth compact, and the green deep and rich.

​It stays in a gritty, free-draining mix with a strict winter dry spell to trigger spring blooms. It's been an incredibly rewarding project watching this specimen fill out over two decades.

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I'm looking forwato seeing it flower this summer.

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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Thought I’d share this specimen with the group today. I’ve had this Euphorbia flanaganii in my collection for 21 years now.

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​Over the decades, the central caudex has thickened up into a solid pedestal as old lower arms retired, and the crown is currently pushing out a dense head of new growth and cyathia.

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​It’s easily one of the most rewarding species to watch develop over the long haul. How long have you been growing your oldest Medusa-head, and how is its caudex shaping up?

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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A hybrid that self seeded. Euphorbia enopla x polygona or Euphorbia polygona x enopla! 🤔

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It shows traits of both plants at the end of the day, its stunning specimens.

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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This hybrid (Euphorbia enopla × polygona) grew on its own 6 years ago. You can definitely see traits from both plants, which makes sense since I have multiple varieties of E. enopla and E. polygona growing in my backyard. They share close genetic traits, making them easy to cross-pollinate—especially when they flower at the same time!

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The chunkiness of polygona really shows in this hybrid—so much so that maybe I should swap the species order in the name! Either way, it’s a stunning cross. We'll have to wait and see how tall it gets and if it takes on the shorter, cylindrical structure of polygona. It’s already showing signs of branching out—hopefully directly from the existing arms! Time will tell, and I can't wait to see it flower.

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​What do you think of this hybrid? 🤔

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Please leave a comment—it would be great to hear your thoughts on this Euphorbia enopla × polygona cross! 🙂

​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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I've had this Opuntia for about four years, and it's doing great! I can't say the same for the parent plant in my front garden, though. It must not like the soil there, as it has stayed quite small.

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​Opuntia basilaris × phaeacanthus

​A drought-tolerant hybrid combining the low-spreading, spineless beavertail habit of Opuntiavbasilaris with the robustness and colouration of Opuntia phaeacanthus (Tulip Prickly Pear).

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​Key Characteristics

​Growth & Form: Low-spreading, dense, clumping habit.

●​Pads (Cladodes): Flattened, wedge- or fan-shaped; blue-green to dark green. Typically spineless or with sparse light spines, but covered in tiny barbed glochids (skin irritants).

●​Flowers: 5–7 cm across vivid colours ranging from bright magenta/pink to yellow/orange, often combining parent tones.

●​Fruit: Small, spineless/nearly spineless, turning brownish-tan when dry.

​Care & Cultivation

●​Sunlight: Full sun (light afternoon shade in extreme heat).

​Soil: Fast-draining, mineral-based cactus mix (avoid heavy clay).

●​Watering: Moderate in spring/summer; dry out completely between waterings; suspend in winter.

●​Hardiness: Tolerates high heat and mild frost once mature (USDA Zones 8a–10b).

●​Propagation: Stem segments/cladode cuttings (fastest) or seed.

​Uses & Notes

​Excellent for collectors, rock gardens, and xeriscaping.

​Caution: Always handle with gloves due to fine glochids.

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

Flowers galore!! 😊👍🏻

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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This is Euphorbia loricata (native to the Western Cape of South Africa).

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Please leave a comment, as it would be great to hear your point of view on Euphorbia loricata. 🙂

Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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Here, you can have a look in my greenhouse and see some of my plants that I keep out of the elements.

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The greenhouse is chock-a-block, as I have pot on top of pot.

​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

🪴🪴​Here is my Euphorbia neriifolia var. cristata, which I acquired in 2005. In its standard (non-crested) form, Euphorbia neriifolia is native to India and thrives in warm, arid to semi-arid tropical environments.

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It grows best in:

​Soil: A highly gritty, inorganic, and free-draining mix (such as coarse sand, pumice, and gravel mixed with minimal organic soil). They tolerate mineral-poor and alkaline soils well, provided water drains rapidly to prevent root rot.

​Temperature: Warm growing conditions between 20°C and 35°C (68°F–95°F). Being frost-sensitive tropical succulents, they require a dry winter rest period with temperatures kept strictly above 10°C (50°F).

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This plant is one of three I acquired from a well-known grower as cuttings from his mature mother plant. I really wish I had taken pictures of his original plant to show you all—it was about 60cm (2') tall and 74cm (2.5') in diameter back then, and parts of it were variegated I'd love to know where that mother plant is today. It would be awesome if one of my plants started showing signs of variegation like that.

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It won't be long before I need to repot these, as they've been in these pots for quite some time.

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Please leave a comment—I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with Euphorbia neriifolia var. cristata! 🙂

​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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It’s late winter, which means Haemanthus coccineus is showing off its magnificent strappy leaves! These winter-growing bulbs are incredible—some of my parent plants are over 20 years old!

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​In this video, you're looking at hundreds of plants, including over a hundred seedlings I propagated in autumn. They even love being crowded in a pot! My collection ranges from 24-year-old giants down to just a few months old (including 15, 13, 10, 8, 6, 3, 2, and 1-year-olds), and 99% were grown by me from my own seed stock!

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Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🪴🪴🌷🪴🌷

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This is a female Euphorbia obesa which was acquired in 2005 when it was only 1" (25mm) in diameter. Two decades of growth have turned this Euphorbia obesa into a massive specimen.

​I never thought I could grow one this size and keep it for this long, but with a bit of time and patience, we have finally gotten there. Hopefully, I can keep it alive for another decade. 🤞🏻

​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵

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This is a female Euphorbia obesa which was acquired in 2005 when it was only 1" (25mm) in diameter. Two decades of growth have turned this Euphorbia obesa into a massive specimen.

​I never thought I could grow one this size and keep it for this long, but with a bit of time and patience, we have finally gotten there. Hopefully, I can keep it alive for another decade or so. 🤞🏻

​Happy Gardening! 😊 👋🏻👋🏻 🌵🪴🌵