ByCraig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Mike Miyashiro has several hundred cactus plants, and he will
present a workshop on raising cacti tomorrow at Ward Warehouse.
EVEN the most ardent gardeners occasionally study the weeds in the front lawn and have fantasies of installing green cement. You can also curse the whiteflies and rose beetles and powdery mildew and vow to grow nothing but cactus. It's true-cactus is the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the garden. It's tough and mean and awesome, and very difficult to kill. Easy care cactus dino tough
When Mike Miyashiro took over his grandparents' garden on Wilhelmina Rise a few years ago, he discovered that the orchids and bonsai were gone, but the cactus had survived. So he followed the smart plan of cultivating what he knew would grow on the property. He now has several hundred plants, and he will be explaining his secrets of success tomorrow at the annual Cactus and Succulent Society Spring Show and Sale at Ward Warehouse.
His workshop begins at 2 p.m., and he will also be selling some of his prize plants. "Cacti are the perfect plants for people who haven't got time to pamper their gardens, but want something striking with a minimum of effort and cost," Miyashiro said. "I'm a once-a-week gardener with beautiful plants for just a few hours of care." Neglect, he says, brings out the "can-do- attitude in cacti. Just to prove they can do it on their own, they will flower and create new growth. "It happens whenever I go on vacation.
"Orchids require special fertilizers, constant spraying, staking and tying. They need daily watering, special sun and shade requirements and the flowers have to be guarded against bugs and birds." Bonsai, he added, are equally fussy. Orchids are grown for their flowers, bonsai for their shapes, and with some cacti and succulents you can achieve both with a minimum of effort.
By the way, all cacti are succulents, but not the other way around. Succulents are plants that have thick, fleshy leaves, stems or roots that store water to carry them through dry periods. Their thick skin reduces evaporation, and most species have spines to protect them against thirsty animals. Because they grow so slowly, they don't require pruning or dividing. They transplant easily, and can be left bare-rooted for months until planted.
The one thing cacti require is good drainage. After all, most cactus plants are native to the American desert where they grow in sand. They can't endure standing water. "I haven't watered these at all this year. It's nature's responsibility," Miyashiro said. While they soldier on with a minimum of care, a little fertilizer now and then perks them up. He recommends a light dose of slow release fertilizer, remembering that a little goes a long way.
The recent spring rains have caused many of his plants to flower with brilliantly colored and strangely shaped blossoms. "It's interesting," he said. "As soon as it rains this time of year, you are going to get a show. But it has to be rain. You can't get the plants to flower by watering them. Something happens with a rainfall, and I don't know what it is." Too much rain, however, will allow a fungus to attack the plants and overwatering tends to rot the root system. In heavy rains, he brings his prize plants indoors.
Local growers are finding an eager market in Japan, especially among middle-class collectors who can no longer afford imported orchids. Orchid prices have gone over the top in the major cities of Japan, excluding all but the wealthiest collectors. Cactus and other succulents are still reasonably priced, take little room and less care than orchids.
Popular among local buyers is the adenium or desert rose. It has fleshy pink flowers and a thick trunk with twisted branches. It drops its leaves during the winter months, and should be watered only sparingly during this period. Adenium, unlike many succulents, has no spines and is protected by its toxic sap. When working with the plant, protect your eyes and skin from the sap.
Miyashiro promises a wide variety of cacti and succulents at tomorrow's sale, "from adenium to zamia, things that you don't often find in garden shops," he said. "They take so long to grow that the suppliers don't want to be bothered with them."
Many should be in flower, including the spectacular crown of thorns. Its tangled spiny stems make it unapproachable, and Miyashiro's suggestion on transplanting any spiny succulent is to cover the whole thing with an old bath towel to protect yourself. They're tolerant, but tough.
Sturdy succulents
WHAT: Cactus and Succulent Plant Show and Sale
Gardening Calendar
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