NEWS OF THE CHINLE CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY MAY 2017 VOL. 9 NO. 5

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1 Succulent Morsels NEWS OF THE CHINLE CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY MAY 2017 VOL. 9 NO. 5 To promote knowledge, enjoyment, cultivation, and conservation of cacti and other succulent plants among its members, other individuals and organizations throughout West-Central Colorado May Program: OUR NEXT ADVENTURE: MAY FIELD TRIP TO VERNAL and FANTASY CANYON Just to remind members that there is a field trip to Vernal, UT, the weekend of May 19-21, The itinerary includes rock art, cacti and geology. The number of participants is large with some starting on Friday for all three days and others starting on Saturday for a two-day version. The two separate departure schedules were reviewed at the April meeting. Each vehicle was provided with a departure reminder sheet for the first day. For questions or additional information, please call Don Campbell ( ) or Ken Weissenburger ( ). Participants leaving on Friday, May 19 will meet beginning at 7:30am and depart at 8:00am from the parking lot of the Colorado Welcome Center in Fruita. This group will drive to Vernal and then points southwest to see rare cacti (Sclerocactus brevispinus, the Pariette cactus) and other cacti, succulents, and geologic sites. The two-day trippers will be leaving on Saturday, May 20. In this case, meeting beginning at 7:30am and departing at 8:00am on Saturday from the parking lot of the Colorado Welcome Center in Fruita. The Saturday group will join the Friday group at the South Orientation Site of Canyon Pintado to see rock art. The combined group will continue for a Lunch and Learn at the Rangely Outdoor Museum, and a Pediocactus hunt on gravel terraces above the Green River. Sunday includes stops at Fantasy Canyon, a search for Sclerocactus wetlandicus, and an exploration of gilsonite veins and mining near Bonanza, UT. CHECK LIST Car poolers cannot leave cars overnight at the Welcome Center, so arrange a pickup from home. Have a full gas tank before starting each day Bring your lunch(es), drinks and snacks for each day Vehicles should provide an ice chest for food & drinks Participants should have sun screen, hats, and water (little to no shade is available outside the vehicles) Camera gear Stout walking shoes or boots & clothing appropriate for the season and weather forecast. Walking sticks if needed for negotiating uneven terrain.

2 CC&SS PHOTO CONTEST! The Hunt, began January 1 st 2017 and will run until October 31 st, meaning that you can submit only photos taken during this time. Submit one photograph in as many categories as you like, those being: o Animal(s) o People o Indoor Plant(s) o Plant(s) in a Natural Habitat o Plant(s) in Developed Landscape o Event o Humor o Scenery o Close-Up Detail o Open Previous wining photos have run the gamut from the sublime.. RULES Photos taken between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2017 One entry per category per member Submit unframed prints, 5 x 7 or smaller Include member s Name and the Category on back of each photo Have a Title for your photo on the front. Have fun with these! Submit prints to Don Campbell by Oct. 31 st. Judging, adhering to the highest possible standards of anonymity and fairness, will be done by Club members at the November meeting Be creative & use your imagination! To the faintly ridiculous!2

3 SPRING FLOWERS IN DON S GARDEN! Don has created a delightful, colorful garden in his front yard, and it is rewarding him with spring flowers, shown below. Following are closeups of some of the beauties in the garden. 1. Aloinanthus x opera 2. Chasmatophyllum 3. Sclerocactus glaucus on left & S. mesae-verdae on right. Both cacti are on endangered list 4. Aloiniopsis spathulata No.1. No.3. No.2. No.4. Don s Garden!3

4 GARDENING WITH COLD-HARDY CACTI, SUCCULENTS AND OTHER XERIC PLANTS April s meeting featured Don Campbell and Lois Davidson discussing tips on gardening outdoor cacti and succulents. They also had a large display of the various types of tools used by Cactophiles!. Here are a few shots of the members at the meeting, taken by Bill Hassell. In his presentation, Don noted important ideas for planting and maintaining a cactus and succulent garden. He included some beautiful photos of cactus flowers as well as impressive gardens.here are a few of his pearls. = Locate your garden where there is sufficient sunlight (at least 4-6 hours a day of strong light). = Prepare the soil to assure good drainage luckily most cacti & other succulents tolerate poor soil so long as it provides good drainage. = It is helpful to have a source of water nearby as cacti & other succulents DO require periodic watering. = Avoid locating your garden near trees that produce shade and encroaching root systems, = Arrange your plants so they are easy access for pruning, watering, and care. Provide safe walkways. = Choose your plants with safety in mind, i.e., avoid very prickly plants along a walkway where visitors (or you) might get stuck on a cactus. = Consider the natural growth of the plant and allow space for that or prune back that sprawling opuntia to keep it under control. Same idea applies to succulents such as sedums, etc., that spread quickly and cover up your smaller plants. = Consider ornamentation in the garden such as drift wood, rocks, or sculpture. For many other hints about cacti & succulent gardening, come to one of the club s Garden Parties, and get advice from experienced members of the Society. We will continue to have Garden Parties in May even though our Regular Meeting of the Chinle C&S will not be held. The May Garden Parties are on May 6th and May 17th.!4

5 FEW APRIL SHOWERS MAKES FOR TOUGH GARDENING! The Chinle gardeners had some challenges at the April 8th. The irrigation systems hadn t been activated, and the ground was particularly dry. Gardeners that day were Don Campbell, Lois Davidson, Lisa Hamilton, Janet & Bill Hassell, Leslie Hughes, Deb Mallory, Mark Mauceri, and Kate Weissenburger. We toughed it out and left the WCBG looking a lot better when we left. Photo captions: Top left, Kate W. shows her unique cactus carrier. Upper right, Don C. and Lois D. hack away at an overgrown cholla. Middle: Leslie H. wields a mighty shovel, and (R) Bill H. and Mark M. work on yuccas and sedum. Bottom left, Don Campbell surgically removes deceased or diseased pads.!5

6 GARDENERS FARE BETTER AT THE CSU GARDEN The recent rains made weed pulling a lot easier on Saturday, April 22, at the CSU Garden. But the rains also encouraged the weeds to leap up in abundance. Weed pullers this were Loren Benoit (freshly back from Peru & S. America), Don Campbell (freshly back from the Vernal reconnoiter trip with Ken Weissenburger), Janet & Bill Hassell (just there!) and Deb Mallory (letting Glenn do the Earth Day Science March while she pulled weeds). Don tried to get us to come back after lunch to finish up, but somehow everyone had other plans for this Saturday afternoon! The next garden parties are scheduled for May 6th at the Western Colorado Botanical Garden and May 17th back at the CSU Extension Garden. The gardening parties in May will still, start at 9 am. However, from June through August, our starting times will change to 8 am, to compensate for the heat. As noted above, despite not having a regular meeting of the Chinle C&SS in May, we will still have gardening parties.!6

7 CSU & CHINLE HOSTED RIVER CITY SINGLES On Monday, April 17th, Walt Scheer and Janet Hassell gave a guided tour of the CSU Extension Xeric Garden. for the River City Singles group. This a group of single Grand Junction residents who get together weekly and also schedule field trips or other activities twice a month. This month, they visited the Chinle gardens at CSU and were very impressed by the amount, variety and arrangement of the plants. Janet gave a short talk describing the history of the garden, and the mission and work of the Chinle C&SS. COKE BOTTLE CACTUS?.OR JUST ETOLIATION!! After receiving a Cactus Help call a few weeks ago, I (Janet Hassell) made a house call to determine what was causing this cactus to grow in such an unusual and interesting way. Seeing where the owner had placed the plant (near a shaded, east window) during the winter and on a shaded pergola during the summer, it was pretty evident that the plant was desperately looking for a few more rays of sunlight than it was used to getting. We talked about snipping off the pups and potting them or just leave them on for an interesting effect. Same with the skinny growth on top and perhaps consider beheading the plant and planting it after it calloused off. I wished them (and the coke bottle) good luck!!!7

8 Growing Agaves Reprinted from the March 22 issue of The Backyard Gardener, with permission of Jeff Schalau, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County Agaves are attractive desert succulents that are also known as century plants. They get this name from the mistaken belief that they only flower after 100 years. In reality, the flowering cycle usually takes closer to 10 to 20 years. They produce the magnificent flowers on long stalks which attract bats, birds, and insects that also act as pollinators. To watch the agave flowering is truly amazing. The stalk begins to bolt skyward from the rosette and soon looks like an asparagus stalk. This happens so fast, you can literally watch it grow (or so it seems). Once they reach full height (up to 20 feet), the flowers open, produce fruit, seedpods open, then individual plants fade and die. The dead flower stalks are also attractive and can remain standing for one or two years. Agaves have fleshy, strap-shaped leaves with spiny or smooth margins. They form basal clumps, and on the spiny species, the exposed leaf surfaces are imprinted with the texture of the spines. Several showy species from Mexico are commonly planted in low desert landscapes. Our local native species are excellent choices for native and low water-use landscapes although you may have to search them out at specialty nurseries or botanical gardens. Agaves are in the lily family and are closely related to yucca, beargrass, and desert spoon. One Agave species, called the "shin dagger," actually looks quite a bit like a yucca. Many species of agave reproduce vegetatively as well as from seed. The vegetative "pups" appear at the base of the mother plant. Other agave species produce bulbils (plantlets) on their flowering stalks. The bulbils and pups can be removed with a sharp, clean knife and planted in a well-drained, sandy soil medium. The wounds should be allowed to dry and scab over for several days before planting and the soil medium should be watered infrequently to avoid rot.!8

9 Agaves have also given indigenous peoples food, beverage, and fiber for thousands of years. The pit-roasted heart of the agave was an important food source to Native Americans and the rock-lined roasting pits can be found near Agave stands in the local area. Sisal comes from a Mexican species. Pulque is an intoxicating beverage made from the fermented juice of the hearts of certain agave species. Further distillation yields tequila and mescal. I've heard that mescal produces a unique euphoria. All I know is that it is an acquired taste. Most of the large agaves (rosettes 5-7 ft high and 8-12 ft across) found in landscape plantings of the low desert areas are Agave americana. These have a gray-green leaf blade, but A. americana Marginata has creamy yellow leaf margins. Both of these are very common, but will get freeze damage when temperatures dip into the teens (degrees F). These are suitable for most areas of the Verde Valley, but the freeze damage is persistent and unattractive. Also keep in mind the large size of this plant and avoid planting it near paths, sidewalks, and other areas where it could injure passersby. (If you travel to Arizona, Jeff says that) Our local species are Agave parryi and Agave chrysantha. They are found in the mountains between 4,000 and 8,000 feet. Some nice stands can be seen along 89A on the slopes both above and below Jerome. Agave parryi is the hardiest agave and has a large, tight, cabbage-like rosette. A larger, more robust cousin to our local agave is Agave parryi var. Huachucensis. It is a native of southern Arizona and Sonora. Agave palmeri has a narrower leaf and more delicate flower stalk. Agave utahensis is the northernmost species and has a tall, but more compact flower stalk. He further cautions to Remember, these plants are protected in the wild. If you are transporting them, be prepared to show your Arizona Department of Agriculture collecting permit and have your tags attached to the plants. Otherwise, you may receive a citation. Thanks, to Jeff for this interesting article, and also to Judy Kennedy, Chinle member, who brought it to our attention to share with members. Content Questions/Comments: jschalau@ag.arizona.edu Arizona Cooperative Extension - Yavapai County Veronica ground cover shows its spring bloom at the CSU garden, April 17, 2017.!9

10 Spring is Here at the CSU Extension Garden!!!!10

11 ON THE LIGHTER SIDE The oldest computer can be traced back to Adam and Eve. Surprise!, Surprise! It was an Apple. But with extremely limited memory. Just 1 byte. Then everything crashed. CALENDAR OF EVENTS: May 2017 to Dec 2017 May 1 May 6 May 11 May 17 May June 3 June 7 June 5 June 8 June 17 July 3 July 8 July 13 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell s home Saturday, 9 am, at the WC Botanical Gardens NO REGULAR MEETING - IS REPLACED BY MAY FIELD TRIP Wednesday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden Field Trip to Vernal, Fantasy Canyon, Bonanza, & Gilsonite areas. Extra tour day on Friday, May 19, for those who wish to come a day early, for rare plants in the Parietti Wetlands. CSU Extension Open House - Celebrating 20 years Saturday, June 3. Looking for volunteers to host at the garden - NOTE CHANGE OF DATE Wednesday, 8 am at the WC Botanical Gardens - NOTE EARLIER START Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell s home Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: How To s for Indoor plants Presenter: Don Campbell Saturday, 8 am, at the CSU Extension Garden Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell s Home Wednesday, 8 am, at the WC Botanical Gardens Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm CSU Extension Garden - NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE Program: Making Hypertufa Pots - Susan Honae, instructor!11

12 July 19 August 5 August 7 August 19 August 26 September 5 September 9 September 14 September 20 October 2 October 7 October 12 October 21 November 6 November 9 DECEMBER 14 Wednesday, 8 am, at the CSU Extension Garden Saturday, WC Botanical Gardens, 8 am Chinle Board Dinner Saturday, CSU Extension Gardens, 8 am Field Trip to Crumps Greenhouse, Buena Vista (Replaces regular August meeting of the Chinle C&SS) Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell s Home Saturday, WC Botanical Gardens, 9 am - NOTE CHANGE OF START TIME Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: Grafting techniques Wednesday, CSU Extension Gardens, 9 am Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell s Home Saturday, WCBG, 9 am - LAST OF THE SEASON AT WCBG Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm - Program: TBA Saturday, CSU, 9 am - LAST OF THE SEASON AT CSU Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell s Home Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: PHOTO CONTEST PROGRAM ANNUAL DINNER MEETING Bookcliff Country Club 2017 Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society Board President: Janet Hassell Vice President: Kate Weissenburger Secretary: Deb Mallory Treasurer: Lisa Hamilton Garden Activities Coordinator: Lois Davidson Member at Large: Walt Scheer Newsletter Editor: Janet Hassell Program Committee: Shari Skeie MeetUp: Lisa Hamilton Web Site: Kate Weissenburger Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society usually meets the 2 nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Meetings are held in the Unitarian Universalist Church 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO. Guests are always welcome. Chinle Mailing Address: Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society, PO Box 233, Grand Junction, CO CHINLE C&SS WEBSITE:

13 Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society Minutes of the Regular Meeting, April 13, 2017 The meeting was called to order by President Janet Hassell at 6:30PM. New members and guests were welcomed and invited to introduce themselves. The program for this evening was presented by Don Campbell, who presented an informative program on the basics for growing an outdoor cactus and succulent garden. He presented an abundance of information on planning and building the garden area, site considerations with regard to light and water availability, plant choices and where to purchase them, how to manage pests, weeds, and other general maintenance. In addition, Lois Davidson brought some plant cuttings and was available during the break period to talk individually with gardeners and demonstrate the proper planting procedures, using the cuttings as an example. We enjoyed a break with snacks provided by Tom Burrows, and then held the plant raffle drawing. After the refreshment break, the meeting resumed with the evening s business, including: 1) Janet Hassell gave a brief financial report and pointed out that there is currently about $7500 in the combined accounts. In relation to the continued gradual downward trend in our bank accounts, Janet proposed that the Club start charging a nominal fee for field trips. It was generally felt that this would not create a huge obstacle, and Janet also mentioned that since it is a new idea, we will not charge for the May field trip to Vernal. This proposal will be discussed further in the future. 2) Janet gave a quick report on our current application to become a 501(c)(3) organization which would allow any donation to be declared as a tax exemption on the donor s tax return. The process to switch from our current designation of 501(c)(5) would be somewhat long and cumbersome, and the Board is exploring ways to accomplish the change. Lisa Hamilton has written to several other nonprofit cactus clubs to find out what methods they used to accomplish the 501(c)(3) status. The Board will provide an update, when more information is obtained. 4) Lois Davidson gave an update to the upcoming gardening calendar. Our next garden parties are Saturday, April 22 at CSU, and Saturday, May 6 at WCBG. Lois will not be available to host the next two gatherings, and Janet had volunteered to be garden host for April 22. Lois requested a volunteer to take care of the May 6 gathering, and Deb Mallory agreed to do this. There is also going to be an open house at the CSU extension garden area on Saturday June 3. CSU has requested that we have someone from our group on hand to show people through our garden and point out the important plants. Don Campbell has agreed to do this, and additional volunteers are needed. A sign-up sheet was provided for anyone interested in participating. 5) There was an update on the May field trip to Vernal, provided by Ken Weissenburger. Ken requested that everyone going please provide cell phone numbers. He also passed out an information sheet with instructions on where to meet, and basic rules of the trip. Ken mentioned that the group will attempt to coordinate one dinner together, for all interested. 6) A brief description of the Photo Contest was given, and instruction sheets were distributed. 7) Don mentioned that Rose Nordenburg is wanting to give away a very large barrel cactus. Any interested parties should contact Rose directly, and be able to go get the plant. 8) There was mention that the national Cactus and Succulent Society of America is holding its annual convention in Scottsdale from July 26-30, if anyone is interested. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 PM. Respectfully Deb Mallory!13