I was given several optunia(?) chunks, as well as several other things, and I'm so not a cactus person (yet!) that I haven't done anything with them yet...I have to find to right pot and the right location, because they're outside plants, but can't be in too much rain (check Seattle's weather for the past few days!) So I guess I'll put them in perlite until I can decide, cause they're just in the plastic pot that I put them in when I got them Amazingly they look great still!

Greg Opuntia does not mind moisture. One of the few that grows/thrives during the Monsoons season when its roots are standing in water. Six inch pot should be enough for those shriveled up by now prunes. More shriveled, better performance.
Regards,
Arif.

Should I wait for more shriveling then, because surprisingly they're not shriveled at all!!! But thanks I guess I will pot them up!!

Naw, just stick 'em somehwere. They'll be fine as long as they don't freeze. They do get *lovely* flowers, BTW.

Okay, that's not an opuntia. Grrrr....

Nor is that! Shoot!

Those are pretty though!! I think the flowers on mine will be yellow

They will only flower if they are outside and no further watering.
Regards,
Arif.

If I can keep them outdoors, then I will try some again...Seattle gets too wet and cold though I think, if I could figure out a way to keep things in the sun yet sheltered from the rain, then I'd be having several of these plants which tempt the zone rating for my area!!

Greg, how wet is wet? Problem is that these things require this seasons acidic rain. Acidic water has its own micro nutrients and it dissolves the nutrients in the soil. Rest of the year ignore them, just let them have rain water. Put a bucket outside to catch rain water if you still are worried.
Regards,
Arif.

I may to that, since wet is Very wet!! It may not be measured in volume, but we can get weeks of moisture at a time, sometimes its like living in a cloud, where there is misty rain all day/night for several days in a row!
Catching rainwater isn't a bad idea...I can possibly place some on the roof, must look into that!

Got a spare aquarium lying around, overturn it and make it into a mini hot house. Start a new trend, buy old for mini hot houses.
Regards,
Arif.

I also just rescued a flapjack from the clearance about to die rack from Lowes and will be going this weekend to see if I can find any other succulents that might need to be saved. Not sure exactly what these plants need as far as watering and sun though but thanks to my new forum buddies I believe I just might be able to keep my new plant friends at home alive and thriving!!

KAMasud said: Got a spare aquarium lying around, overturn it and make it into a mini hot house. Start a new trend, buy old for mini hot houses.
Regards,
Arif.

KAMasud....I just bought an aquarium like 2 weeks ago and bought new daylight bulbs for it and have my seedlings in there currently. I thought it would be a great little greenhouse!!!

I don't grow many succulents and the ones I do have are potted outside on the deck, but I love using old Aquariums for other plants.

Plantladylin those are great! I haven't put any dirt in mine. I've just been using them as a light source for my smaller potted plants and just setting them in the tank under the lights.

Thanks Jookieblue! I've heard that some people use aquariums with lights for starting seeds too ... I guess the heat and humidity helps speed up germination.

Hm - great minds think alike .... I bought two large aquariums from a neighbor a couple of weeks ago, but I'm going to put my orchids in those.

Wow, ya'll - I helped unpack a few truckloads of succulents today for the local botanical garden biannual plant sale. It was wonderful and horrible - aMAZing plants, yet I couldn't have any of them! Well, yet, lol. But they had some of your Flapjacks, only (and I'm not kidding) they were scarlet red with some orange. And the leaves grew straight up. Gorgeous.

And for you Kalanchoe fans, they had these tree Kalanchoes. Evidently they grow about 8' tall. The common name was 'Jurassic Kale'. Very aptly named. here's a pic, not very representative, but... http://www.flickr.com/photos/f...

Sheryl how pretty!! Love it! Jookie, they like warmth! And indirect sunlight, and I keep mine on the dry side! Great find!