Cactus gardening

[Athanasius]

Since I live on the side of a mountain, with rocky clay soil very alkaline, I have to haul in any soil needed to grow anything. This year our "monsoon" weather came late, and I only got a couple of tomatoes (Siberian variety) and one crook necked squash (I don't even like squash that much, but I'll eat it). No zucchini at all. We are over 6,000 ft. high here (we have two homes, one in Grant County, NM, and one in Luna County NM - and in Luna Co. we are about 4400 ft. high - better gardening).

However, I can grow any cactus you want, especially in Luna Co. Up here in Grant I have cholla, several varieties of other cactus, and native grasses and sage. I also grow a bunch of cooking herbs under my peach tree (for shade).

I ordered one variety of spinless cactus from Arizona and it's growing quite well up here on the mountain, but even better down in the desert in Luna County. Out in the desert, I found a variety of cactus that is from Mexico and not native here. Some of the illegals must have brought over the seeds inadvertently on their shoes. I planted it, and it's doing well.

I have Bird of Paradise bushes (yellow and red variety) growing up here in Grant County.......eveybody covets them. In Luna County, the darn things grow like weeds and my husband pulls them out.

Now, if I can figure how to keep the javelinas away, I'll be okay.

[raderag]

Some of the illegals must have brought over the seeds inadvertently on their shoes. I planted it, and it's doing well.

Deer, rabbit, and birds can cross legally. Maybe they were the culprit.

[Tallen]

Ath, doesn't the cactus that you grow in your garden poke your lips when you eat them? :yum:


BTW, I love the area of the country you live in. When I visit the desert areas of the country I want to move there. Like Nevada to. I also love Wyoming, beautiful part of the country.

[Tallen]

Deer, rabbit, and birds can cross legally. Maybe they were the culprit.

Why aren't they already there then, because they been crossing for centuries.

It has to be global warming. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_34.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYYYUS)






http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb113&pp=ZSYYYYYYYYUS (http://smiley.smileycentral.com/download/index.jhtml?partner=ZSzeb113_ZSYYYYYYYYUS&utm_id=7921)

[raderag]

Why aren't they already there then, because they been crossing for centuries.

It has to be global warming. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_34.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYYYUS)








Yah, and humans having been walking around there for long at all. :)

[Tallen]

Yah, and humans having been walking around there for long at all. :)

That's conclusive then... global warming for sure. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_18_1.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYYYUS)






http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb098&pp=ZSYYYYYYYYUS (http://smiley.smileycentral.com/download/index.jhtml?partner=ZSzeb098_ZSYYYYYYYYUS&utm_id=7926)

[raderag]

That's conclusive then... global warming for sure.



Or a vast right wind conspiracy.

[Athanasius]

Ath, doesn't the cactus that you grow in your garden poke your lips when you eat them? :yum:


BTW, I love the area of the country you live in. When I visit the desert areas of the country I want to move there. Like Nevada to. I also love Wyoming, beautiful part of the country.

Actually I don't eat them - send them as gifts to hypercharismatics over on CARM!!!

This part of the country is very beautiful, that's for sure. Really beats the northeast. However, the one thing I miss is the ocean. The most beautiful part of New Mexico is Catron County (they still have a law in force saying you have to carry a gun). The Mogollon mountains are fantastic. However, the government is reintroducing the Mexican gray wolf into Catron County (that's the next county above us - not very far away), and now Catron County has this problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vCpEa9pDgU

A lot of the ranchers have had horses and livestock killed by wolves. It's a little scarey. We don't have any by us, yet - but I've heard they've been spotted in Grant County. Since we do have javelina, can the wolves be far behind? They like to eat the piggies!

[Tallen]

Wolves have constitutional rights to, you know.

Seriously though, that is a bit scarry. Especially around a school yard.

[vja4Him]

That was an interesting video. Looks like beautiful country!! I would love to live there too ...


Actually I don't eat them - send them as gifts to hypercharismatics over on CARM!!!

This part of the country is very beautiful, that's for sure. Really beats the northeast. However, the one thing I miss is the ocean. The most beautiful part of New Mexico is Catron County (they still have a law in force saying you have to carry a gun). The Mogollon mountains are fantastic. However, the government is reintroducing the Mexican gray wolf into Catron County (that's the next county above us - not very far away), and now Catron County has this problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vCpEa9pDgU
A lot of the ranchers have had horses and livestock killed by wolves. It's a little scarey. We don't have any by us, yet - but I've heard they've been spotted in Grant County. Since we do have javelina, can the wolves be far behind? They like to eat the piggies!

[vja4Him]

Do you grow succulents too? I have a nice collection of cacti and succulents. Last fall and winter, the wind and rain blew many of my plants over, and lots of my plants broke apart. I took the pieces and put them in pots, and now I have dozens of new plants!! Some are already growing many shoots already.

Do you have any bunny ears cacti? I really like those, and now have I think about seven. I need to make more starters ....


Since I live on the side of a mountain, with rocky clay soil very alkaline, I have to haul in any soil needed to grow anything. This year our "monsoon" weather came late, and I only got a couple of tomatoes (Siberian variety) and one crook necked squash (I don't even like squash that much, but I'll eat it). No zucchini at all. We are over 6,000 ft. high here (we have two homes, one in Grant County, NM, and one in Luna County NM - and in Luna Co. we are about 4400 ft. high - better gardening).

However, I can grow any cactus you want, especially in Luna Co. Up here in Grant I have cholla, several varieties of other cactus, and native grasses and sage. I also grow a bunch of cooking herbs under my peach tree (for shade).

I ordered one variety of spinless cactus from Arizona and it's growing quite well up here on the mountain, but even better down in the desert in Luna County. Out in the desert, I found a variety of cactus that is from Mexico and not native here. Some of the illegals must have brought over the seeds inadvertently on their shoes. I planted it, and it's doing well.

I have Bird of Paradise bushes (yellow and red variety) growing up here in Grant County.......eveybody covets them. In Luna County, the darn things grow like weeds and my husband pulls them out.

Now, if I can figure how to keep the javelinas away, I'll be okay.

[Athanasius]

Do you grow succulents too? I have a nice collection of cacti and succulents. Last fall and winter, the wind and rain blew many of my plants over, and lots of my plants broke apart. I took the pieces and put them in pots, and now I have dozens of new plants!! Some are already growing many shoots already.

Do you have any bunny ears cacti? I really like those, and now have I think about seven. I need to make more starters ....

No, it gets too cold here in the winter. They die.

[Athanasius]

That was an interesting video. Looks like beautiful country!! I would love to live there too ...

It's very beautiful here, and the traffic is zilch compared with back east. Not much in the way of work, however. Since I worked for the government, I was okay. My husband had his own business for a while, but works for someone else now. He'll be retiring soon, and then we'll really get a chance to roam through this wild, beautiful, state.

[vja4Him]

Try growing succulents and cacti inside. I have two shelves next to a large window with lots of cacti and succulents. Also have some hanging plants, including a beautiful velvet plant, which desparately needs to be transplanted.


No, it gets too cold here in the winter. They die.

[Athanasius]

Try growing succulents and cacti inside. I have two shelves next to a large window with lots of cacti and succulents. Also have some hanging plants, including a beautiful velvet plant, which desparately needs to be transplanted.

I have some aloe vera growing inside and a couple of other plants, including a really old hanging plant. But, I'm really one for outside gardening. I'm just not disciplined enough to take care of a bunch of inside plants.

[vja4Him]

Aloe plants are growing all over the valley!! Seems like they are growing wild in many places, and some of them are very large. It's amazing that they survive the winters outside .... I lost my beautiful, hunge, jade plant my aunt gave me because we had an unusually cold winter, with ice (only happens about once or twice every ten yeras.


I have some aloe vera growing inside and a couple of other plants, including a really old hanging plant. But, I'm really one for outside gardening. I'm just not disciplined enough to take care of a bunch of inside plants.