Saguaro

I had a serious problem with root rot from any waterlogging in winter on my Saguaro earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational. Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate architectural sculptural form that n…

Here are my notes from twelve months of growing Saguaro: Spring: offsetting and pup production in spring. This was the moment that confirmed the whole venture. I focused on watering sparingly and only in the active growing season during this period which set up the rest of the year. architectural …

I nearly gave up on Saguaro after three months of mediocre results. Then I focused properly on using pure mineral grit for drainage in the soil mix and within a few weeks the difference was dramatic. It now lives in a greenhouse or conservatory staging and has genuinely transformed that spot. remar…

Saguaro is a genuinely satisfying plant to grow, but I want to be upfront about one thing: spider mites in warm dry indoor conditions. I've dealt with it twice now and it takes consistent attention to manage. Beyond that, architectural sculptural form that needs no flowers to impress makes it one o…

I'd had Saguaro for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to protecting from frost below -5°C even for hardy varieties and the difference over the next two months was dramatic. architectural sculptural form that needs no flowers to impre…

I started with one Saguaro and now have four, all from propagation. The process is straightforward once you understand protecting from frost below -5°C even for hardy varieties — something I picked up from trial and error rather than any guide. I display them in a dry garden rockery or gravel bed w…

I've grown several varieties within the Saguaro family and have some observations to share. remarkable drought tolerance once established varies noticeably between them, more than catalogue descriptions suggest. The care fundamentals are shared — watering sparingly and only in the active growing sea…

After growing Saguaro for over a year here is what I'd tell a beginner. First: providing the sunniest window or outdoor position available is not optional — it's the foundation everything else depends on. Second: slow growth frustration for impatient growers will happen and you should know how to h…

My first attempt at Saguaro failed — spider mites in warm dry indoor conditions got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again. The second attempt, with proper attention to protecting from frost below -5°C even for hardy …

I planted Saguaro at entirely the wrong point in the growing calendar and spent the first few months wondering what I'd done wrong. root rot from any waterlogging in winter didn't help matters. Once I understood providing the sunniest window or outdoor position available things improved substantiall…