Cactus Chatter Event Schedule

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1 Cactus Chatter Newsletter of the Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society June-July, 2014 Our June 22 meeting will be a build your own pot workshop and will be held at the meeting room of the complex where Juanita Smith lives beginning at 4 pm. Directions: coming west on highway 26, take the Cedar Hills turnoff; go left at the signal and go under highway 26 and continue past the first signal. Turn right into the first driveway (will read "905 Cedar Hts. ). Stay to your right, turning right at the stop sign and then left into the upper parking area. Juanita's VW will be parked just past the main entrance office. Park anywhere but not in covered spaces. Enter the main office doors and go down the stairs to the right. The room will be on the left past the laundry room; it will have a sign. Inside this issue: 2014 Event Schedule June 22 4:00 pm Make your own Pot Workshop At the community center where Jaunita Smith lives. July Show and Sale at Portland Nursery at 5050 SE Stark Street August 17 tentative September October 19 November 16 tentative December 14 tentative Picnic at at the home of Laura Watson Powerpoint presentation by Luther Sturtevant. (tentative) Succulent Wreaths and Vertical Gardens Details to be announced Fun and Games for Succulentophiles Details to be announced Holiday Party Details to be announced Not the recommended method when repottinhg cacti! Editor s Notes 2 Summer Show and Sale 3 Cactus of the Month 3 Succulent of the Month 3 Show Flyer 4 Show Flyer 5 Photo Gallery 6 Cactus Chatter Page 1

2 Cactus Chatter Notes from the Editor The grafting workshop at the home of Aurelien Carnoy was very successful. A lot of people had a great time. It was also a nice surprise to meet Aurelien s mother who was visiting from France. This month again features a workshop, this time focusing on creating a simple clay pot for that special plant. This will be hosted by Juanita Smith, who is herself an accomplished potter. I hope you will be able to attend. (Come dressed appropriately.) Last month I mentioned the need for a new librarian. Guess what? We have one, though the transfer of books hasn t taken place yet. Marion Held will be our new Librarian. Our grateful thanks to you Marion. Lynn-Marie and I are busy preparing plants to show and sell at the show and sale in July. And we re happy that Debra and James of Northwest Cactus will also be there with their plants. We ve missed them a lot at the meetings recently, but it s not because of a lack of interest. Thanks to all of you and especially to Laura Watson for continuing in the often thankless job of treasurer and for opening her house for meetings several times this year and to Marion Held for beginning the process of developing a facebook presence for the club and offering her home for meetings. We also welcome new member Scott Schechter. Enjoy your plants! Luther The Cactus Chatter is published six times a year and is copyright 2014 by the Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society. Printed at 7009 N. Fiske Ave., Portland, Oregon Articles may be reprinted in other non-profit newsletters, but in all other cases, please request permission [ karakat@spiritone.com ] before copying. A copy of any reprinted articles would be appreciated. Thanks. Photos are public domain or copyright Luther Sturtevant unless otherwise noted. Letters to the editor are most welcome, as are articles by our members. It doesn t have to be complex. A simple story of your experiences with succulent plants perhaps what first got you hooked. Give it a try. I think you ll like it. The purpose of the Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society is to promote cooperation among those interested in the cultivation, study and preservation of cacti and other succulent plants. The following link comes to us The Point, the newsletter of the Cascade Cactus & Succulent Society: uc-botanical-garden-readies-for-rarespectacular-puya-raimondii-flowering/ For those who don t have access to the internet (or don t want to type in the long address), it s an article about the flowering of the endangered Puya raimondii, a flowering plant not-so-modestly known as the Queen of the Andes, the largest bromeliad species in the world. The picture to the right was taken by Pepe Roque in Chile and shared on the internet through the creative commons. Cactus Chatter Page 2

3 Annual Show and Sale July The annual show and sale is scheduled for July at the Portland Nursery, 5050 SE Stark St. in (where else?) Portland. If you're interested and selling and/or showing some succulent plants, please call me (Luther) at We also will need volunteers, especially during the following times: Thursday evening, from 4 pm on, to help with setup and lugging the heavy plants; Saturday, especially from 10 am to 3 pm. when sales can get brisk; and Sunday, from 3 pm on, helping move plants, take down tables, and do general cleanup. Volunteers are needed during all sale times to be representatives of the club, sharing pamphlets and information. Nametags will be available and you will be asked to wear one. I ve included copies of the two flyers for this year s event. (Send me an (karakat@spiritone.com) or call ( ) and let me know which one you like the best!) Thanks. Cactus of the Month: Rebutia albipilosa F. Ritter 1963 Please note: This is no longer the accepted scientific name for this plant. The current concensus places it in Rebutia fiebrigii, a broadly drawn species with a fair amount of diversity of form. For example, we have a pendant form which we grow, which is very different. This plant is sometimes refered to with the common name White Haired Crown Cactus, and like most rebutias, it is quite easy to grow. However, it is a bit more sensitive to overwatering and should be kept dry during the winter. A bit more pumice in the potting mix is also helpful. In general, rebutias are from the eastern Andes of Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. They have been popular amoung collectors because of their ease of flowering and their relatively small size. At various times, the genus has been split by botanists into smaller groupings and one still sees these genera used, especially on the internet: Aylostera, Spegazzinia, Mediolobivia, Weingartia, Digitorebutia, & Sulcorebutia. A picture is included in the gallery. Succulent of the Month: Bowiea volubilis Often called the Climbing Onion or the Sea Onion, Bowiea volubilis is a succulent bulb which is native to southern Africa, and should be in everyone s collection. Cultivation and Propagation: This plant truly thrives on neglect. An old favourite that s easy to grow and puts on a fanciful display but it took years to acclimate; this is not a plant for the impatient gardener. It likes well drained, organic soil (e.g. use a mixture for cactus + normal potting soil) and regular watering during the active growing season. Let the soil become rather dry before watering again Stop gradually watering when the stalk dries out after blooming, in summer or else the bulbs may rot. Start watering when the stalk starts growing again in late winter. ) It can be planted undergrounds, with a thin soil layer on it, or just leave it on the ground, it will root anyway, and the chances of getting rot are smaller this way rather than planted undergrounds (although it grows slower). Protect from heat in summer. Light shade to full sun, keep bulb shaded. Pests and Diseases: Mealy bugs seem to be a problem, especially in older specimens that have formed a clump of bulbs. They hide in the residue of the old, dry, dead bulb scales. Propagation: Seeds, detach offsets when repotting, but can also be reproduced by dividing the bulbs. In fact any small (or large) fragment of a nice green bulb scale will sprout little baby bulbs if allowed to callus on the edges when simply placed on a bright windowsill. Just leave them until they have pulled all the nourishment they can from the "mother" bulb scale which will then dry up, then remove them and pot up. Warning: Most authors write that the bulb is highly poisonous, from root to top, but H. Jacobsen claims it can be eaten. "Bowiea volubilis" Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License Nov Jun </ Encyclopedia/BULBS/Family/Hyacinthaceae/11066/Bowiea_volubilis> Cactus Chatter Page 3

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6 The Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society First Class Luther Sturtevant, Editor 7009 N. Fiske Ave. Portland, OR Next Next Meeting Meeting June June 22, 22, 44 pm pm Directions Directions inside. inside. Program: Program: Pottery Pottery workshop workshop Euphorbia buplurifolia X Graptoveria opalina Rebutia albipilosa Cactus Chatter Page 6 Echinofosselocactus flower Echinocereus scheeri subsp. gentryi