Cringleford and Eaton Horticultural Society Meeting 12th January 2010
Barry Gayton of the British Cactus and Succulent Society gave us a fascinating talk on these plants accompanied by beautiful slides of flowering cacti.  He started growing cacti at the age of seven when he bought a packet of seeds from Woolworths in Wymondham.  From the age of 8 to 12 ½ he supplied them with plants and saved enough to buy his first greenhouse, which he still uses.  He now lives in Brandon where he has 1 ½ acres of garden and glass houses, full of many species of plants, the majority grown from seeds or cuttings. He has several species of magnolia and 400 auricula. For 16 years he was Radio Norfolk's gardener and he now broadcasts on a Sunday programme for Cambridge radio station.
Grasses are the group of plants with the largest number of species, but cacti and succulents come second with about 50,000.  Cacti are found only in N and S America, while other cacti look-alike species and succulents (eg some Euphorbia) grow in other parts of the world. A number of cacti flower after 3 years, others take 50 and a few need 200 years.  Cacti in general survive down to a temperature of 8ºC while succulents must be kept above 10ºC.
Sowing and aftercare
Sow in March. Seeds take up to 3 weeks to germinate, though some like the Opuntia may take 3 years.  Sow them in good seed compost with added grit and cover the seed with grit to reduce green algae.  Keep at 60-64ºC.  Note that temperatures above 80ºC will kill all seeds - a temperature that can be reached o a sunny windowsill.
Do not water between October and March as this inhibits flowering. The exceptions are epiphytes like Christmas cactus which grow in a warm damp climate and need a temperature no lower than 45ºC.
Repot every 2-3 years.  Use tomato type feed before flowering, only twice with a three week gap between feeds.  Water every fortnight.  If watering into a saucer, throw away the excess after 2 hours.
Popular flowerering cacti
Echincereus - many colours.  Often have a central green stigma.
Rebutia - from the Argentine/Bolivian border.  Flower from the base of the plant and cover it with flowers.  3-4 week flowering period.
Leuchtenbergia - many long papery spines.
Echinopsis - Bolivian. Some of the most popular plants.
Chamaecereus - peanut cactus
Mammalaria - from California and Utah
Hollygate Cactus Garden
30,000 species of plants from dry climates all over the world. On a rainy day you can shelter in glass houses covering10,000 sq ft, all full of cacti and succulents.
Address: Ashington, West Sussex, RH203BB
Tel. 01903892930

Next meeting
February 9th at 7.30pm at Cringleford Church Hall when Oaul Corfield will talk to us about Anglia in Bloom.  All welcome. Visitors £2