By Lynn Welp
Garden Writer | Posted: Saturday, June 27, 2009 12:00 am
Corvallis man shows it's possible to grow many of the desert species here in the mid-valley
For somebody who admits he might rub people the wrong way, cactus plants seem like the perfect fit.
"I like them because they match my personality - difficult to get along with," says Steve Cook, senior instructor of geosciences, who teaches sustainability at Oregon State University.
Cook started growing cactus about 10 years ago for their spectacular flowers and unique shapes.
"I just like to watch them grow and eagerly await each bloom," he said.
Cook has cactus and succulents that hail all the way from Madagascar to Texas, and the Sand Hills of Nebraska and Colorado as well. Although cacti are native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, he is quick to point out that many cactus species will obviously grow right here in cool, soggy Corvallis.
Did you know?
* The name cactus is derived from the Greek word kaktos, which means prickly plant.
* All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.
* Succulents are water-storing vessels that have adapted to be able to survive long periods of dryness.
* Cacti and succulents come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, textures and flower colors.
* Most have dumped leaves and taken on unusual body shapes to prevent loss of water.
* Cacti come ribbed or segmented and often with decorative spines, bristles or spiny hairs.
* Spines maximize the surface area of the plant so that when even a wet mist passes over them they can collect water through condensation on these spines.
* They also use their spines for shade. Adaptive indeed!
Caring for cacti
Cacti and succulents are tough, malleable plants. Given the right amount of sun, soil and water even you can make the prickly cacti your friend in the garden - to be rewarded for your efforts with those gorgeous blooms they are do famous for.
Light tips
* All cacti require light to flower and photosynthesize - some diffuse, some direct.
* Generally 4 to 6 hours of full sun a day.
* However, many cacti do not like intense afternoon sun exposure and thus protect themselves by growing under bigger cacti, behind rocks or under brush.
* Special attention should be given to young plants or plants that have spent most of their life in shade or indoors, as exposing them to the intense sun may cause sunburn.
Cook's cactus patch
Steve Cook has about 150 species of cacti and succulents.
Cacti include: 27 different species of Opuntia-Prickly Pear and Cholla; Mammillaria, Echinocereus, Ferocacti, Gymnocalycium and Rebutia, to name a few.
Succulents he says are a bit harder for him to grow - perhaps because some are prone to rot as a result of over-watering - especially Agave (he has 7 varieties of agave, 4 aloe, several crassula, Crown-of-thorns (Euphorbia milii), haworthis, Lewisia, sempervivum and yuccas, plus many others.
For one who doesn't claim to know little about the ins and outs of growing them, he has amassed a very nice collection. He says it's been mostly through trial and error that he found out what works for him.
"You're looking at the survivors!" Cook says.