Cactus conversation with a master grower | Incredible 20+ year old Lithops, Copiapoa, and more!

Remember when we made the video with Cliff where he showed us his tips and tricks for preparing your plant for the CACSS show? Lucky for us we get to spend more time with Cliff as he walks through his cactus and succulent collection and shows us more of his plants and talks about various specimens, including one of his first plants - a pony tail palm. Cliff has been growing and showing plants for many years. Some of his plant he sowed from seed over 20 years ago... just incredible! It makes me wonder if I'll be able to show off my seed grown plants 20 years from now... a girl can dream!
I hope you enjoy part 2 with Cliff!
Part 1 with Cliff:
How to Prepare Your Plant for a Cactus & Succulent Show | Easy Tips & Tricks from a Master Grower
• How to Prepare Your Pl...
Connect with me on Instagram: / cookiescacti

[@ChopsticksDIYGarden]

Holy cow. That is an amazing backyard cactus nursery, a paradise. Who needs a vacation when you have this in your backyard, right?

[@cookiescacti]

Right?? I swear there's a space-time worm hole in our gardens, you step in and 2 hours disappear 😂

[@kevinchildress6072]

You have so much fun! Thanks for taking us along! I really hope to move to Arizona in the next 5 years. I live in Ohio now and I grow under lights indoors in my apartment. I just started collecting again after 18 years. I had lost all my cacti when i got divorced. I lost myself fir a long time and cacti are helping me to find myself again. Love your shows!

[@cookiescacti]

I am so happy to read that plants have helped you find yourself after very difficult personal life events. It will be quite the change when you move to Arizona for your plants (and you)! I swear the winters are turning out to be easier to navigate than summer...

[@traceyst.johnwood9909]

Fantastic video 👏 👏. It is so satisfying to enjoy and share other people’s knowledge and experience via collection visits whether in person or via video format for those that unfortunately can’t just pop in over from the other side of the world 😂.

[@cookiescacti]

Isn't it wonderful how we live in the age of being able to share content across the world? It's beyond fun!

[@jamescarr2156]

Finally you interviewed the legend from your previous video!

[@cookiescacti]

Yesss! So cool that he was okay with being on camera this time 😊

[@az.cactusjunkie]

Thanks for the great video Jenny!!! Guess what..... I went over to AZ cactus sales and picked up one of Bill's pots thanks to your last upload, next I'll have to buy one of the reptile skin ones. I was hoping AZ cactus would have had one of those but unfortunately not, which is probably best for my pocket cuz I easily get carried away once I get going.😅 cheers keep up the great work!

[@cookiescacti]

Woohooo! I'm so glad you got your hands on a Bill pot! P.S. you could always reach out to him directly for a reptile pot, just saying (sorry to your pocket 😂)

[@ZimmsAtacama]

This is great

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you like this one! Cliff is so much fun.

[@terrizimmerman5297]

That’s insane!

[@cookiescacti]

Isn't it fun??

[@Hardworkandrealestateprofits]

It was cool seeing is first plants and they are still alive and well.

[@cookiescacti]

It makes me wonder which of our first plants or early plants will still be with us decades later.

[@MammilariaElongata]

Lindos cactos, eu amo💚💚

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! Cliff is such a fun person to chat with about plants with all his years of experience and stories.

[@zpeckler]

OMG.... I *knew* that was an E. polycephalus from the other video!!! So, so, so jealous.

[@cookiescacti]

Was it you who was asking on the open garden video?

[@zpeckler]

@@cookiescacti Yep 😁 That's my absolute favorite species. I've been trying for several years now to grow it from seed and it's been brutal. I have gotten ONE seedling to survive for 2 years, and that's it. Totally my cactus "white whale."

[@SweetetKiss5]

Great video! I want to plant more cactus seeds now 🌵

[@cookiescacti]

Yesss! Mission accomplished 😁

[@oxanaosmak1304]

Such a beautiful collection🤩 That echeveria is agavoides Lipstick. It likes sun, but dormant if it is too hot. So just do not water it during the hottest days and no water in winter. I does not care about cold, just should be dry. Actually it is very easy to grow if not overwatered.

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you so much for the ID and care instructions! It is already not looking too happy outside under my pergola, maybe I should bring it inside. I can't tell if it has rooted yet.

[@RSJ-Texas]

Awesomeness !

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! Cliff is so fun to talk to 😊

[@davidkuo8779]

Great job!

[@cookiescacti]

Thanks, Dad 😊 I'm so guai

[@icebiker3]

I have used Neem oil at weak strength for fungus. I have had minimal scarring mostly on the soft succulents, but it is better than losing a plant to fungus. I am trying to grow seed of a Copiapoa mix from Mesa Gardens.

[@cookiescacti]

Good advice here. I'd definitely choose a few scars over death of a plant! How did the Copiapoa mix turn out?

[@icebiker3]

@@cookiescacti None of the seeds sprouted yet.

[@PricklybutPretty]

Wow! Amazing collections. 😊

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this one 😊

[@stevenburke7960]

You have such beautiful Copiapoa. Unfortunately my new obsession. lol Between there rarity and my limited funds I don’t anticipate ever having many but I love them. I wish I had discovered them when I was younger, I would have grown some from seed.

[@cookiescacti]

I often have the same thoughts about wishing I had started with cactus earlier. I hear of folks who started in childhood up to college and have 40+ year old plants now which I think is the coolest thing ever. One way that's slightly more affordable than buying mature Copiapoa plants is to grow from seed! Although cost is also questionable this way because the setup and materials and seeds and seedling loss may end up costing just as much as buying a mature plant depending on the species... It's a tough call!

[@jimboyett7211]

Amazing collection and backyard! Like everyone else, I love your copiapoa collection. Cliff mentioned he has tons of copiapoa seedlings. Does he have a page where he sells any? I’m definitely interested in some. I only have a copiapoa bridgesii but would like others.

[@cookiescacti]

Isn't it fun? I don't believe Cliff sells seedlings. I don't think he has an online presence, so it was nice to be able to capture his collection on camera.

[@billgolightly7203]

Thanks for another great video. It is fun to see how people spend their free time. Are you going to sale any of your seedlings? I would be interested to see what you may not need.

[@cookiescacti]

It is fun and it makes me feel like I'm in good company knowing that other people are spending their free time the same way I do 😂 I don't have plans to sell seedlings at this time. I need the numbers for yield loss, which is unfortunately consistently happening. My ultimate goal is to make seed from these plants but now I'm worried that not enough will survive to do so. However, if I can reach a point where I know I can safely let some plants go, then I will. The future is unknown!

[@stevenburke7960]

I finally just got my first Cinerea, it’s a seedling about the size of my thumbnail. lol

[@cookiescacti]

🎉🎉🎉 congratulations!! I have only 2 cinerea seedlings and they are not too much bigger than thumbnails too 😊

[@andersnrregren9087]

Why ppl use poison or toxic sprays and powders is a mystery for me but when a master grower use it for the 1. Time i whonder why a master would "test" it on all his copiapoa at the same time

[@cookiescacti]

I think it just shows that learning (and making mistakes) never stops!

[@mariadelacruz1599]

When should you start moving seedlings out into the open space? I have mine in a tiny greenhouse

[@cookiescacti]

It probably depends on your climate. Here in Phoenix, the majority of the plants and seedlings need some amount of protection from the sun. Also I have some birds that wreak havoc on my plants so I have to be extra protective. You could always pick a few seedlings to test... I did that last year with some copiapoa seedlings when trying to figure out if they could be moved out of my kitchen to the shade house outside.

[@Spinesnclay]

Great video as always Jenny!

[@az.cactusjunkie]

Hi Bill I picked up one of your great works how else can I order from you? I don't really have any social media and I'm not sure there is any other option but it doesn't hurt to ask.

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you, Bill!

[@RlxRlx1]

Nice video! I have the 3 copiapoa books in pdf

[@cookiescacti]

Dang that's so awesome!

[@inlandcactus19]

Hi Jenny. Do you have a name of the fungicide he used that burned the plants? Thank you and awesome video as usual 😊

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you liked this one! I wished I had asked, I didn't get the name of the fungicide.

[@jamescarr2156]

what is this copiapoa book mentioned? 12:00

[@cookiescacti]

Copiapoa in Their Environment. There are two versions, one from the 90s and one in the 2000s. I've never gotten my hands on the newer edition. All out of print unfortunately.

[@jamescarr2156]

does he have an insta?

[@cookiescacti]

I don't think so.