T-rex Plants Blog
Published weekly. Ish. You can also follow along on Instagram at @trexplants
The Great In-Ground Lithops Experiment: How I Successfully Grow Lithops In-Ground
In the early days of the pandemic, we all found ways to keep ourselves entertained with the lockdown restrictions. Some of us baked, some of us learned knitting, some of us got into plants...and some of us got really into plants. I was in the plants category, but it's...
How to Sex Your Euphorbia obesa (and why its so hard)
A super, super, SUPER common question I've heard and that our cactus club answers is "how do I know if my Euphorbia obesa is a girl or a boy?" It's usually asked immediately after the person has found out that our little baseball plants are generally only one gender;...
How to Grow Frailea castanea
These tiny little cacti are adorable and remarkably easy to grow. With few spines and a small adult size, plus how well they thrive in partial shade, these are ideal for windowsill cultivation. Because they also self-fertilize (even without their flowers opening!),...
Diving Deeper Into Lithops: Foundational Knowledge
Let's talk about some of the basics of what you need to know to grow Lithops, and the foundational knowledge that you'll need to rely on to find exactly what you're looking for. As with many highly desirable plants, these little mesembs are victim to two of the...
Growing Echinopsis subdenudata – the Domino or Easter Lily Cactus
This cactus is one of the more common species available, often seen at your local big box store or even just sitting in the plant area of a regular grocery store. They're small, easy to grow, and produce huge, beautiful white flowers every spring. They're not just...
Etiolation in Succulents and How to Prevent It
Last week, I talked about etiolation in cacti, how to spot it, and how to prevent it. This week, let's talk about the ways we're torturing our succulents with inadequate light. Quick refresher on etiolation: When grown in inadequate light, plants will stretch and...
What Is Etiolation and How Can You Prevent It?
One of the most common issues with growing cacti and succulents is the problem of etiolation. But what is it, and why should you care about it? Etiolation is an effect from growing a flowering plant in too little light, whether that's just not quite enough or even...
Growing Notocactus schlosseri – Cinnamon Cactus
These are a fairly common little cactus that I've had for quite a while, and sold quite a few of. A very attractive little cactus that stay a small, manageable size, they do well as little potted plants. As with most Notocactus species, they produce huge, brilliant...
Growing Sulcorebutia arenacea
An uncommon genus is the Rebutia or Sulcorebutia genus, which can form small clusters of plants (sometimes just a single main 'head'), often with small, dense spines. They tend to stay small, developing large clusters over time, and while cute aren't always very...
How to Grow Astrophytum myriostigma
These little cacti are favorites for almost all collectors; I can't think of any growers I know who don't have at least one in their collection (or had one at some point, anyway). The lack of spines, the alien-like appearance, and something about how sculptural they...