As I have said in many past posts, my original cactus collection of over 200 species is now down to 5 plants. This has been a result of bugs (primarily) like mites. They did much better out in Southern Oregon. This picture shows the two most likely to bloom in any year. The Parodia mairanana (left) stays more-or-less in bloom all summer long. The Mammillaria (right) hasn't bloomed for 3 years but has gotten much taller. They get the cast off water from orchid watering (MSU mix at 125ppm Nitrogen in RO water). As long as the sun shines, they get weekly waterings and sit in full sun (if the sun is shining).
The remaining three plants in my collection will most likly not ever bloom for me. One is a Lobivia that would be brilliant red if it would bloom. It is a really slow grower, but poking along. Another is called a "horse crippler" Echinocactus that is grown primarily for the decorative spines (another slow grower) and the last one is a Pachycereus pringlei that I have had for nearly 40 years. It's only 3 feet high. This species is the largest cactus species in the world and often mistaken for the famous Saguaro. It needs to be up to it's full height before it will bloom and since this is in a small pot, that's unlikely.
For those looking for a (mostly) carefree group of plants, many of which grow outdoors depending on your climate, the cactus is a good choice.
Blooming Cacti
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