Cacti - More than just prickles!!

As anyone who spends their spare time working on their dub would know. It helps to have a hobby away from dubs that keeps us all sane!
For me, I spend my other spare time in my garden growing cacti. Easy to maintain, don't have to prune, water, fertailize etc. Just avoid the prickles when weeding and you can't go wrong.
I also live in sunny Melbourne, so you don't need to be close to the desert to have a healthy garden. The only downside is that most of these plants are over 20 years old and in a couple of instances, this is one of the few times they have flowered. You had better get planting if you want results like this (with the way water restrictions are heading, this seems like the best way to go anyhow).
I have been fortunate enough to have some really nice flowers growing on my plants this year and thought I'd cheer you all up and share some pics with you. Enjoy.

This plant is 18 years old and this is the first time it's flowered.


This plant is 26 years old and has only flowered 2 other times (last year and 3 years earlier).




I brought this plant about 2 years ago in memory of my grandmother who died a few days earlier. It's flowered every year since.


I have some more cacti covered in buds awaiting to bloom, I'll post some more pics soon...

- Adam

Slow buggers aren't they?

One thing owning a VW teaches you is patience.
And a high pain threshold!!

- Adam

thats beautiful, the last one. ive always thought they were cool, that and i never knew that they could be grown away from the dester, see you learn every day

We have some really nice ones too, should try and get some photos up also!

Ash x

That first pic, my last rental property had heaps of them planted outside the front window, would have to be about the same age and it was flowering 2-3 times a year. There were bees everywhere, and I live in Melbourne too. THe old place was in Clayton Sth. Love the cacti. I also love succulents, got any of those?

I hope you don't have any prickly pears. They're bad👎

Notch Nut wrote:.... I also live in sunny Melbourne....

sunnier than an arctic winter :P

megalania wrote:I hope you don't have any prickly pears. They're bad👎

Yep. I have them growing along my fence line as a hedge. Keeps the burglars honest! The fruit aint bad either if you are into that kinda thing.
I also have heaps of succulents but most are newly planted so no flowers yet, just the one in the pic.
I have a cacti similar to a pricly pear (same family of cacti) with about 60 buds ready to flower. I'll post a pic when it does cos it's got really vibrant yellow flowers and should look amazing in full flower. Stay tuned.:alien
- Adam

I love and grow Cacti too here in sunny Melb! :P

Two I recently adopted:



Two I have had for 2 years that I grew from seeds:



And this one was my Nana's. When I was given it over 10 years ago it was about 30cm high and only had two parts, as well as being already 25 years old. I felt sorry for it being in a tiny pot so I repotted it into a larger one and the thing almost died! So I put it back into a small pot and not only does it now have three parts, it's almost a metre in height. :duh


I have other ones too grown from seed, but I've no idea what types they are. Succulents and cacti are awesome! 😀

[ Edited on 2/11/2006 by Pretty_Blue_Bug ]

I have had this one for 18 years it is in Hydroponics.
I do forget to feed it for a few months at a time (it does't mind)
cheers Matthew

[ Edited on 2-11-2006 by matthew74 ]

[ Edited on 2-11-2006 by matthew74 ]

Mines about to flower as well.........It's just over 30 years old and flowers at the beginning of each wet season.Will get some pictures when the flowers open up,probably Friday/Saturday night😀

Nice work.

I brought back a very special cactus from Mexico about 15 years ago.
Lets just say quite a few people got to enjoy it before it stopped producing new bulbs.

When i was little.. staying at my dad's place.. there was a little cactus like the one pictured above positioned next to the alarm clock.

NOT a good idea!! 🙁

I love Cacti too....
I have two Aloe plants in small pots....one of them has a huge flower spike right now 🙂

Glad to see I am not alone with my gardening fettish.
There's some really awsome pics with more to come.
Matt do you have any Peyote left?

I think we should start hounding the government for some $$$$ rebates for all the water we save!
- Adam

does anyone get into eating catus fruit ie prickly pear or also known as the fig of india i love them also been partial to the lophophora williamsii vartitals looking for a cutting if anyone can help me out.

I have a bit of a green thumb too , i have 6 diffrent sorts of Chilli and a black russian tomato plant.

Hey Chris is that Payoti (spelling)???

A cutting from a cactus my dad planted 45 years ago in Adelaide.... flowers every year, the original is 4m tall.....

jeez, all these cactis people... I dunno whether to smile or be scared!

Be scared.... be very scared.... 🤘

Notch Nut wrote:There's some really awsome pics with more to come.

Bring them on!

Notch Nut wrote:Matt do you have any Peyote left?

Let's just say it was over-harvested. It's on a resticted import list now too :-(
I think it was when I brought it in too, but as it was declared as peyotl, they may have missed it. However after quarantine only 2 of the 3 were returned.

VWCOOL wrote:jeez, all these cactis people... I dunno whether to smile or be scared!

Just don't jump the fence or you're in for a painful landing!😂
- Adam

Took these pics today and yesterday. I don't think the one near my back door is going to flower all at once after all. :cry
Heres a few pics to tease.....




More flowers just sprouted on this one.

- Adam

lil dub wrote:hey wow... we need to start a sub group of "vw-dubbers who garden"... and we try to claim we arent hippies in here!!!!!!

😂 I don't own a kombi so fall short on the hippy aspect of dub ownership.

- Adam