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- = Drago Cactoid = -
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main cacti datura castor bean amorphophallus arisaema typhonium pinellia pseudodracontium pycnospatha tacca gloriosa supplies what's happening this season 2005 2004 2003 drago cactoid yahoogroup other resources my garden watchdog rating <contact ken via email> |
Early Winter: So far it's been rather cold here in Connecticut this Winter. Not an abundance of snowfall, although we've had more than enough for my taste. We've set a couple of new records for cold. I can just hope that we don't have anohter long, cold Spring like last year. The Amorphophallus need as much warmth as I can give them if they're going to produce big, healthy corms and offsets for growing the next year. I've rescued a few cacti from various places and potted them up nicely. I'll have them for sale at the April Show and Sale of the CC&SS. I've also propagated a few things, mostly epiphyllum hybrids and my Epiphyllum oxypettalum. I can't remember if I've written about the greenhouse. Right now it's mostly unused due to the fact that it's unheated. When I first bought this house the greenhouse was in disrepair. Dad and I replaced quite a few panes of glass to get it weather tight, and last Spring I had a mason do all the concrete repair. Further work on it has really just been waiting for the availability of money. In late December I received word from my Realtor that my former residence, which I've owned for over two years since I moved because nobody seemed to want to buy it, finally had a bona fide offer. It's January 18th as I write this, and the closing is next week some time. So, now that I'm not paying two mortgages any more, I ought to have a bit of money available for getting the greenhouse up and running. I hope to be able to use it next Winter, but it needs a lot of things before it will be ready for that. The 1K watt HID lighting system in the basement is costing about $50 a month to run, as best I can tell. I've been working on the web site on and off. I put the PayPal buttons on the Amorphophallus page a couple of nights ago, and updated the shipping notes. I'm happy to say that a few people have stumbled across the site and written to me, but best of all I've gotten a few orders. Amorphs die if they freeze, so I can't ship tubers in the Winter. That's something I don't understand about some sellers. If you look on eBay you'll see Amorphophallus listed all through the Winter - and mostly selling for too much money. But I feel bad for people who take shipment and whose tubers froze solid while in transit. They're going to get dead plants. Probably they'll start to rot within weeks of arrival at their door. Here's one more hint: if anyone every ships you an Amorphophallus in a plastic bag, refuse the shipment and get your money back (unless it's mesh, that's OK). I have one shipment ready and waiting for Spring and another guy is waiting for warmer weather to place his order - although I set aside his plants already. Another guy has been writing for advice and I hope to turn him into a customer next year. For those of you that don't have any Amorpophallus, you really have to try them. Start with A. konjac - very easy and reasonably common so therefore not expensive. Once you've grown that you'll want more species, I assure you. |