Hello my cactus friend!  If you're here then you probably adopted one of my plants at the 2026 CACSS Show and Sale.  This page includes information about these plants.  If you adopted a seedling or an Agave propagate please see below for links to videos and playlists where these plants were featured on YouTube.  Happy growing you all!

General Information

All information included here is my personal experience growing these plants.  

Please use caution and your best judgement as what works for me may not work for you.

• All plants are grown outdoors in Chandler, Arizona.  This means long and intense summers, an arid climate except during monsoon season, and mild winters with a handful of nights that may approach or dip below freezing for a few hours.  Humidity is very low in the warm season so things dry out very quickly for me.

• All plants are grown under 50% shade cloth (or more during peak summer).   There is no direct sun in my grow areas.  Acclimation is recommended if any direct sun is expected - watch the plants, they will give you signs.

• There is no protection from rain in my grow areas.  Rain is welcome.

• In the winter, I tend to leave the plants alone given the conditions above and allow nature to take care of them.

• My general cactus soil mix is 75% pumice + 25% Uni-Gro Cactus Mix.  I put more organics or sometimes use a peat moss+perlite mix for more water loving plants.  The Agave are in a general scrap soil mix - they don't seem to be picky about soil.

• Mammillaria tend to be very drought tolerant.  I mostly leave them alone unless they show signs of dehydration which can be very difficult to tell.  I have accidentally rotted many (oops).

• Thelocactus seem to appreciate regular watering, especially in the hot season.  Visual cue: their skin shows signs of wrinkling when they prefer water and the body plumps up when they're hydrated.

• Gymnocalycium appreciate regular watering.   The Gynocalycium friedrichii are planted in a peat moss+perlite mix.  Pick up the pot to feel the weight - it is light when dry and heavier after watering.  I water them whenever the pot feels light in the warm season.  

• Coleocephalocereus are a bit more mysterious to me but they seem to appreciate regular watering in the warm season.

• The Echinopsis, Echinocereus (Rainbow Cactus), and Oreocereus I water together.  The Echinopsis and Rainbow Cactus are squeezable and I water when there is give.

• The Browningia can take a surprising amount of UV intensity here.  I have a larger plant in the ground by Tom the Totem Pole Cactus.  It starts shrinking when it's dehydrated and plumps up after a good watering.  It tends to want regular watering in the hot season.  The skin starts to turn yellow when the sun is too strong.  See this video as an example: How to Water Cactus Using Visual Cues

• Copiapoa forever remain a mystery to me.  I found the hard way that they seem to dislike being disturbed when temperatures are nearing 100F.  I don't follow a watering schedule because I don't know what they want, so I err on the side of caution and water sparingly.  The combination of infrequent water and intense UV (through shade cloth) means the plants grow very slow and can potentially have a harder grown look, including some developing farina.

• Astrophytum are the best!  I give the body a light squeeze to determine when to water.  When the body has give, I give a deep watering.  The plant is very firm when hydrated.

• Saguaro are very drought tolerant.  These Saguaro seedlings will be 5 years old in June and are large enough to hold water for some time.  Watch the skin - I usually look for signs of wrinkling as a hint for when to water.   Less water means less chances of rot but also slower growth.

• Please see below for more plant information.