isanbirder
Surin Dinosaur
I've been interested in cacti since I was a boy... I suppose because of their apparent self-sufficiency.... and always had a few in the house. Now that I live in Isan, I have a good terrace outside my house on which to grow them, and find it surprisingly easy. As much sun as possible, good drainage, and occasional water in the dry season, and you're there. I think they'll also need repotting annually, as the rain tends to wash the soil through the holes in the bottom of the pots.
There are two specialist shops in Chiangmai; the one I go to charges 10-15B. for a pot containing one small plant. I always prefer to buy the plants small, as the fun lies in seeing them grow, and one hopes, flower. In fact they seem to like the climate and flower well here.
This morning, when examining the plants after a Chiangmai trip, I found one of the Mamillaria (smallish globular plants with bright flowers), which had formed bright red seed pods after its last flowering, had shed the pods, and was now surrounded with dozens of tiny seedlings. To anyone who has, like I have, tried to grow them from seed in England, this was rather exciting.
There are two specialist shops in Chiangmai; the one I go to charges 10-15B. for a pot containing one small plant. I always prefer to buy the plants small, as the fun lies in seeing them grow, and one hopes, flower. In fact they seem to like the climate and flower well here.
This morning, when examining the plants after a Chiangmai trip, I found one of the Mamillaria (smallish globular plants with bright flowers), which had formed bright red seed pods after its last flowering, had shed the pods, and was now surrounded with dozens of tiny seedlings. To anyone who has, like I have, tried to grow them from seed in England, this was rather exciting.
