Growing Bigger
Approaching Winter Solstice and the lowest light levels of the year I did not expect to still be seeing such noticeable growth in a short time on all the cacti, and where I had repotted the largest of each species, even more stunning thickness and height in just three weeks. The warm Fall helped. It is at this size each species that I’ve grown from seed here really takes on its characteristic features and beauty with a stunning variety of spination, color and shape. I’m particularly enjoying the different hues of green, turquoise and blue in the wooly torch cacti that are the genus Pilosocereus. Some have grown so heavy in just a season that I’ll have to wear protective gear and move them on carts this time next year. The P. Leucocephalus Palmeri should have a white wool “Santa” hat by April. Almost all are now in Tents 1 and 2 for cold protection.
That Harrisia Fragrans fruit from a few posts back slowly stalled out at ripe and wasn’t getting any riper, so I plucked it and cleaned the seeds today, before the frost coming on Wednesday morning could claim it. Here it is cut in half, and also as seedlings in a tray dip rack. Yet again as an eighteen incher at repotting.
The mascot blue facheiro is now nearing nine feet and surrounded by a bamboo cage so that I can clip on a clear plastic tent for days when frost hits. I managed to snap a bird’s eye view of it from above the top looking down from the ladder. A spider on another cactus had the same idea.
jvfreeman
James V. Freeman is an established visual artist (oil painting) with a deep interest in natural history, plants and farming. He has had numerous solo shows, a solo museum show, an upcoming museum show and his work has been featured in many publications to date. He currently has a studio in Williston, Fl at the family farm and homestead, "Cactus Island", and as a farmer, specializes in growing columnar cacti of the Caribbean and Gulf countries as well as the aquatic Madegascar Lace Plant. James and his mom Sharon manage and develop the permaculture homestead.
5 Comments
Linda Bergman
Amazing! Jim, both you and your Mom have a green thumb!
James V Freeman
Thanks, Linda! Unfortunately not green enough to completely fend off an eight hour hard freeze. East pasture cacti all took bad growing tip burn despite wraps and tents, including the giant blue one. Royens tree cactus seems ok so far. Tents 1&2 were all ok and toasty warm with heaters these nights. Bananas were decimated but some food plants made it. Sucks.
Sharon Passero
Poor Jim was up today at 5:30 am today making a run into Archer to refill a gas can when the generator he uses to run the nursery heaters ran out of gas. Needed extra coffee this morning!
Craig Wustt
Hello, I was wondering if you have any Harrisia aboriginum and Harrisia fragrans available for sale? I’m super interested in growing these native Florida cacti
James V Freeman
Hi Craig, just sent you an email. Thank you for your request.