The Ferocious and the Fleshy-Part 2
| 23 February 2010
Meanwhile in 1788 the Governor of NSW, Captain Arthur Phillip, thought it was a good idea to bring the Prickly Pear or ‘Evil Cactus’, from South America to Australia.
Why? Well the Prickly Pear has a parasite, the cochineal insect, from which a fabric dye is obtained. Huge on the Canary Islands at the time. You could almost see the dollar signs explode from his small mind (along with rabbits, cane toads)! This ferocious cactus survived, thrived and spread like a virus where as the cochineal insect didn’t.
I’d like to report that he felt like a dick, destroyed his failed crop and cut his losses, but alas it seemed the words ‘responsibility’ and ‘consequences’ were not part of his vocabulary.
By 1925, 60 million acres of land had been infested-DOH!
From this experience it would be reasonable to say the Cacti and succulents propagate fairly easily and are very economical because of this.
Here’s how.
OFFSETS-young plants form at the base of the ‘mother’ plant or the flower stems and can be carefully removed and potted into a damp, sandy mix.
DIVISION-clump forming plants can be divided and as above, potted in to a damp, sandy mix.
LEAF & STEM CUTTINGS-you can use whole leaves or stems or sections. It’s important to let them dry out for a week (so the wound can callous) before potting them and remember which way’s up if using sections.
All of the above should be kept in a shady position until well rooted so to speak.
POTTING MIX
Alrighty good drainage is the key here. If you grow on a small scale it’s easy enough to get a good mix from the nursery. If you’re a little obsessed and have loads, mix your own.
1/3 potting mix-general grade or compost minus any twigs and lumpy bits.
1/3 horticultural grade course sand
1/3 perlite or scoria
POSITION
Good light is essential but not all cacti and succulents enjoy intense hot sun. It all depends on the species.
You’ll know if your plant’s in the wrong position by signs of stress such as discolouration-washed out, yellowing or even an orange tinge appearing. These can also be signs of pest infestation or water issues-you be the judge!
PESTS
As tough and unapproachable as some are, the ferocious and the fleshy still have their enemies.
Aphids, scale, snails, slugs, mite and mealy bugs all like to have a go so if you plant’s looking ‘off colour’, one of the above could be setting up house-no good.
Clensal-will deal with the aphids and mite.
Eco Pest Oil-a paraffin based insecticide, will deal with scale and mealy bug. Use sparingly and not in hot weather to avoid damage to the foliage.
Definitely avoid petroleum based white oil as it disintegrates the foliage.
As for snails and slugs, hand removal is generally affective but if you’re dealing with in a large area, use a non-toxic snail bait such as Multicrop ‘Multigaurd’.
And so concludes ‘The Ferocious and the Fleshy’ part 2.
So many stories so little time!
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