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Latest News
March 2007. Well, there is something to report. We've had our warmest winter here since records began 340 year's ago! I think I can say that it hasn't been a fair test of the plant's hardiness. The winter has however been 30% wetter than normal, so has to some extent tested tolerance of wet conditions. Despite the very free-draining nature of the mix it has not dried out at all over winter. We did get two snow falls - one in late January which had disappeared by the time I got back from work and one on the 7th February which stayed for a couple of days, hence the photos below. Although I didn't measure myself, lowest minimum temperatures were two nights (after the snow) at -6deg.C. These saw off the Aloe ciliata and Carpobrotus edulis (as expected) , although surprisingly it does seem at the moment as though both could recover from the base.
All of the cacti seem to be just fine so far (March 6th)
June 11th 2007
All cacti are growing away strongly. The Opuntias are just bursting with buds. The first one started flowering yesterday (June 10th). I will take and upload some up-to-date photos soon (Finally done November 11th 2007!). I was right about the Carpobrotus and Aloe ciliata - both have recovered and have produced vigorous basal shoots.
So zero losses in my first winter - at least a chance to enable the plants to establish well and to be ready for a "proper english winter" .
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July 2009
I am hoping to have some time shortly to make a few updates. The winter of 2008/2009 was very wet and cold here - the coldest for at least 10 years. I experienced some losses, but a lot of plants survived ok. Among the losses were Furcraea longaeva, Aloe aristata, Agave coarctata, Carpobrotus edulis, Lobivia sp. I'll have reports on my best 10 hardy plants and my worst 10 (Either deceased or very sad) .
March 2010
I've finally found some time to add a few updates. The winter 2009/2010 was even colder than last year - the coldest for 30 years and although the actual cold didn't kill many plants, the weight of the snow did break off quite a few opuntia pads.
General winter view 2009 / 2010. Aloe striatula view winter 2009 / 2010
Generally, with the last two cool, wet summers here in England, I am very disappointed with the overall growth of the opuntias. Since the initial burst in growth during the first season after planting, many opuntias have made little or no further growth - some maybe only one extra pad each year The succulents have grown very well, especially the Hesperaloe, Aloe striatula, Delosperma ashtonii and Yuccas.
General view July 2009
Delosperma ashtonii
Yuccas
Click here to see my top ten recommended hardy cacti/succelents
Click here to see which plants survived three winters, then died
