I planted this lophophora williamsii about 8-10 years ago. It spent a few winters under grow lights and likely etiolated, but has been in fairly even strong, natural light for at least 5-6 years. It grows very little, and mostly up. A year ago I transplanted it into a much larger pot, and left only a little bit sticking up, hoping the rest would become roots and it would start to grow outwards. Instead, it pushed itself right up throught the dirt to stand tall again!

Anyone ever see a peyote like this? Any advice on how to make it grow like it should?

I give it cactus fertilizer every month or two, water it once a week or so, and once every month or two in the winters.

Cheers,

JBArk

Etiolated as frig
Put him in the sun and he will turn button again.
But not full sun they like a bit shade. Try to emulate it being under a brush or wall.

He's indoors, but by a rather large window, getting about an hour of direct sunlight and the rest of the day strong(ish) indirect, and has been under the same conditions for 5-6 years... he doesn't seem to want to 'un-etiolate'...

I could move him outside, bit only for the summer, but I'm not sure at this point it would make a difference - do you think it would?

Cheers,

JBArk

Edit: also, outdoors, I can't control water quantities - and it has been raining fiercely here!!

I'd say he'll appreciate more than one hour's sunlight a day. Try to introduce the sunlight gradually, though. You don't want to give him sunburn. Spray a cocktail umbrella with silicone?

Definitely give them more light. That's crazy the elongation. Don't fertilize or water very much. Too much water can cause elongation as well.. Only water during the growing months and fertilize sparingly with a cacti fertilizer low in nitrogen. Too much N can also cause elongation.

Come winter I prepare my cacti for dormancy and stop watering. Over the winter they may receive one watering in 6-7 months. They shrivel up pretty good. But come spring after their first watering they plump back up nicely and begin active growth.

When Temps are above freez9nt I begin hardening them of as soon as I can. Starting with an hour of direct sun light and working up over a few week period to having them receive about 8 hours of direct sunlight.

Below are some buttons. The larger ones are 5 years old. And the smaller ones are a year and a half old.



Seeing as your cacti is already 5 years old harden her off slowly as she's never seen full sun and will probably sun burn easily.

Skunk

Skunk - closer to 10 yrs old, believe it or not.

I have put it outside, in an area that will get shade most of the day. Eventually there is a spot where it will get 4-6 hrs a day, until september, when I need to bring it in. Again, being outside, the thing I won't be able to control is how much water it gets. And around here, this year especially, it has been very very wet....


Thanks,

JBArk

I'd find a better location of your worried about a lot of rain. Or when it rains move them to a dry location. I do this with all my cacti away from the porch. And this spring we have had more rain than sun unfortunately.

During the growing season water is needed sparingly, for older mature williamsii I water 1 (once) every week and a half/2 weeks and fertilize once a month from may-septemner then I cease and prepare for winter. Where they will be kept in a sunny window with cooler Temps.

They prefer a free draining mineral soil with no organic material. Although I brake this rule myself personally. Just a personal preference and the way I grow but in general do better in a mineral medium that doesn't hold water. The majority of a peyote mass is under ground and that roots quickly in mediums that retain a lot of water. This is less likely in a mineral medium.

Mine are located on a back deck that has shelter from rain thanks to a window cantilever that juts out 2-3 feet. I find they don't mind cooler Temps and once hardens off. So when Temps stay about 5°C at nights they are out for the spring and till fall b4 frost comes.

I can't believe they are that old. Just insane. Have any pictures that show size perspective?

SkunK

Presumably 'rots' rather than 'roots'?

So, this mineral soil, that would be largely limestone I guess?

I think I've killed a Gymnocalycium by potting it on into lime-rich compost. Can anyone give advice on which cacti are lime intolerant?

Well... problem solved in the worst possible way...
I put it outside and the squirrels got to it.

I am hoping it will pup, and I will let tge other bit scar up and then try and root it...



JBArk

Now you have 2 peyotes...

and one really high squirrel

Well, the anti-squirrel cage should provide a bit of screening from the sun.

I'm really sorry, but also...

That's harsh. That many years only to be cut short but a squirrel. Dam thank god for Pittys that keep my yard pest free.

Best of luck. If you have any tricos might be a good grafting time....

Skunk

Hopefully the stump should sprout several new heads - and if the 'cutting' survives to root, well, every cloud has a silver lining.

Yeah, i am drying the stump and the "cutting" (full of teeth marks though), and we'll see what survives. Maybe it'll grow outwards now!!

I'll post here with updates.

Cheers,

JBArk

Update: PUPS!!!

Take that ya damn squirrels!!

I am still drying the top stub which is considerably damaged. As soon as I find some decent cactus soil, I'll try and root it. Or should I root in water first...?

JBArk

The cutting your squirrel made, looks like it already had two small roots. Root it in soil rather than water.

The cacti potting mixes are usually the cheapest because its just the stuff they keep but can't turn into more expensive more specialized potting mixture. A lot of bark the cacti mixes normally have.

I have my cacti on a deck by my kitchen door, and our local possum crew are so demanding of food, that they take bites out of, even the cacti far pricklier than mescaline containing cacti. We just leave food out for the possums, otherwise the whole vegetable garden downstairs would be all eaten in a night. Very adept at manipulating humans are possums, and no shame at all, right up on the bench in the kitchen, pooping and peeing and fighting back if we don't let them eat.

Wow, squirrels and possums! I can't brlieve Possums will eat right through spikes!! They must have no nerves in their faces...

The squirrels that ate my peyote are the same ones that got into my house last winter and chewed through the PVC plumbing
In the ceiling... TWICE!!! Ceiling and wood floor damage in 2 rooms, plus it rotted the subfloor in the kitchen so we have to tear it up... and tear out all the cabinets in the process!! Luckily insurance covered everything except the source of the problem ($200 to the plumber), because they caused $25,000 damage...!!!

But now I will have a totally new kitchen, so in some ways I am grateful to the lil buggers!!

Cheers,

JBArk

The possums bite into smaller cacti with loads of softer spines, and then dig it up, or pull it out by the base, and eat the base. My San Pedro took a lot of bites before the possums gave up, and started to get given carrots outside away from the kitchen.