Moving Cacti

[zigs]

Just published this on my website and sent it off to the cactus magazine editor too, keep em crossed that they publish it in CactusWorld

Ziggy's Cactus Shop. Kent, U.K.. - Austrocylindropuntia vestita - The Moving Cactus

The Cactus that Moves

www.ziggyscactus.com

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I wonder what advantage they get, as you say it is not following the sun, plenty of plants do that. Bit of a prickly problem (Sorry)

 

[redback]

Okay - they're alive - and amazingly mobile? Quite a momentous discovery. When they develop feet let me know. I was hoping someone knew how to relocate cacti without being lanced by them.

 

[Tetters]

Okay - they're alive - and amazingly mobile? Quite a momentous discovery. When they develop feet let me know. I was hoping someone knew how to relocate cacti without being lanced by them.

If anyone knew how to relocate cacti, I thought - SURELY it would be you! Sarcasm is never helpful.

 

[Sheal]

An interesting phenomenon Zigs. I wonder if there are other plants apart from cacti, that move in a similar way?

 

[redback]

If anyone knew how to relocate cacti, I thought - SURELY it would be you! Sarcasm is never helpful.

I had never seen cacti move like zigs photos describe. Therefore 'moving cacti' could only be thought of as an idea for relocating them. Misinterpretation is never helpful. The bit about growing legs was a joke.

 

[zigs]

I wonder what advantage they get, as you say it is not following the sun, plenty of plants do that. Bit of a prickly problem (Sorry)

Not following anything as far as we can see, except each other

Okay - they're alive - and amazingly mobile? Quite a momentous discovery. When they develop feet let me know. I was hoping someone knew how to relocate cacti without being lanced by them.

They've grown arms since I planted them so feet aren't out of the question

I did a video on moving a bigger cactus a while back -

Hope this helps

An interesting phenomenon Zigs. I wonder if there are other plants apart from cacti, that move in a similar way?

There are other plants that move, bean plants have cells that grow more on one side than the other to make them curl round things as they grow, likewise Ivy Leaved Toadflax curls round to place seed pods into crevices but both of these result in permanent changes to the plant stems which this obviously doesn't as they revert to the previous positions.

I've heard back from the editor of CactusWorld, who has agreed to publish my article in the March edition of the magazine

The editor has seen these plants in habitat up a mountain in Argentina, and thinks that as they live in much cooler conditions than most cacti, they might be moving to try and find a cooler place in the greenhouse.

I can test this theory next year by introducing a fan into a timelapse. The drop in temperature will be recorded by the digital read out at the bottom of the video so we could see if they like it

 

[Meadowlark]

Very interesting. I noticed that the plants were not necessarily moving in unison...when one was moving up another might be moving down or sideways. This would seem to indicate to me that the movements are not necessarily in response to an external stimulus. Interesting.

 

[zigs]

Very interesting. I noticed that the plants were not necessarily moving in unison...when one was moving up another might be moving down or sideways. This would seem to indicate to me that the movements are not necessarily in response to an external stimulus. Interesting.

Very good point Meadowlark

Indeed, the one we call Clive went to sleep for 4 days in one video, then woke up and had a good whumpf about while being comforted by one of the others

 

[Sheal]

I've heard back from the editor of CactusWorld, who has agreed to publish my article in the March edition of the magazine

Well done Zigs You never know, it could turn into a regular slot.

 

[zigs]

Well done Zigs You never know, it could turn into a regular slot.

I was thinking about "Dead Cacti of the Month" for starters

 

[Sheal]

They might not go for that.