Leaning Tower of Cacti

[Chas]

Hi Ted,

This is Off Topic of the Off Topic. I am asking you because you are a citrus grower. Do you know the Pomelo? Is it grown in the States? The reason I am asking is that our family are pomelo fans. We call them grapefruit for adults. It makes a great snack and it can be eaten without making a mess. We used to be able to get it in the shops here in the UK most of the year. They came from either Israel or the Philippines; as one season ended the next one began. Then suddenly, all stopped - no more pomelo - anywhere. Nobody knew what had happened or when they where going to come back. That was two years ago. People talk about some kind of citrus virus, but not with any real authority. Do you know anything or have you heard anything? I miss my pomelo!

Regards

Chas

[thescot]

I have always found cacti to be very interesting plants, and I even raised and cared for a couple in years past. Thanks for a good picture and an interesting dicussion; didn't know how they propagated.

And as to the outfit, you look even sharper in that outfit than you usually do, and you usually look darned spiffy. Like above, I'd like to see another photo in the same spot next year in the same outfit.

[Bugbear]

Hi Ted,

This is Off Topic of the Off Topic. I am asking you because you are a citrus grower. Do you know the Pomelo? Is it grown in the States? The reason I am asking is that our family are pomelo fans. We call them grapefruit for adults. It makes a great snack and it can be eaten without making a mess. We used to be able to get it in the shops here in the UK most of the year. They came from either Israel or the Philippines; as one season ended the next one began. Then suddenly, all stopped - no more pomelo - anywhere. Nobody knew what had happened or when they where going to come back. That was two years ago. People talk about some kind of citrus virus, but not with any real authority. Do you know anything or have you heard anything? I miss my pomelo!

Regards

Chas

Yes, we grow Pomelos here in Arizona. The virus you are talking about attacks sour orange root stalks, but the Pomelo can be grown on other root stalks. I'm not sure why you are not able to get them anymore. The bug that carries the virus can't handle our summer heat, so we have not had a problem with it.

Hope you all start getting them again.

[Bugbear]

I have always found cacti to be very interesting plants, and I even raised and cared for a couple in years past. Thanks for a good picture and an interesting dicussion; didn't know how they propagated.

And as to the outfit, you look even sharper in that outfit than you usually do, and you usually look darned spiffy. Like above, I'd like to see another photo in the same spot next year in the same outfit.

Thank you.

Those are prickley pears called Indian Figs, and they don't have near as many spines as most. The prickly pears and several other cacti do propagate by falling over or parts breaking off. Many other cacti do not propagate that way. However, cactus seeds generally take a very long time to sprout, so it works out well.

It is easy to brush the small number of spines off of those prickly pears in the picture. And as I said before, if they had not changed the zoning codes, it would be pretty easy to keep a minature nanny goat fed with our wild bermuda grass, and cactus pads. In other words, convert the bermuda and cacti etc into goat milk.

[Bugbear]

I dug up the base stumps that were still in the ground; I had pushed them back upright after I cut off all but the bottom of their branches and the trunks. They are very heavy, and it took a bit of work to move them.

The ground where they were is loossened up from all the roots being wrenched up. I don't think it is ready to support tall cacti like that again. I might put a few berrel cacti and other types there as a raised rock garden. I have a fish hook cactus that needs to be moved before it gets too big, and that might be an interesting place for it.