Next Meeting

Monday

March 2, 2020

7:00 pm

Doors Open at 6:00 pm

Elks Lodge

158 N. Conejo School Road

Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Enter through the main door,

walk through the bar

to our meeting room

Email: ConejoCSS@hotmail.com Facebook: Conejo Cactus & Succulent Society Web: ConejoCSS.com

CSSA

Affiliate

March 2020 Volume 5 Number 3

S u c c u l e n t S c o o p

Conejo Cactus & Succulent Society

Mission Statement:

The Conejo Cactus And Succulent Society encourages the study,

cultivation, conservation, and appreciation of cacti and other succulent plants.

Staging: Plants and Pots

Presented by Karen Ostler

This program will explore staging plants for both show and home, explaining how the right pot can enhance form and color and accen-tuate or exaggerate different areas of the plant. This program will

include a hands on demo, explaining the different aspects of staging.

Karen has been growing plants from age ten,

beginning with houseplants like Sansevierias

and Epiphyllums. Her first real cactus was in

1979, a Gymnocalycium. After that she was

hooked. She has been a member of LACSS

off and on since 1988. She is also a member

of CSSA, Central Coast, Gates, San Gabriel,

Sunset Cactus and Succulent Societies and

most recently Conejo Cactus and Succulent

Society. She received the 2014 CSSA Educational Award for her

Educational display at the 2014 LACSS Festival. She has been a

recent speaker at SGVCSS on her specialty, Mammillarias. Ten

years ago she moved from the San Fernando Valley to the Mojave

Desert, where she lives at an elevation of 4100 feet.

March Refreshments — D - F

This month we are asking people whose last names begins with D - F to

bring treats and snacks for the refreshment table. However, anyone else is

welcome to pitch in if they so desire! The signup sheet is here:

http://whosbringingwhat.com/ccss

Please use this signup system so we all know what is coming, to help better decide what to bring - or to

bolster the offerings if participation is skimpy.

--Terry Wilson, Hospitality

In This Issue

President’s Message ................. 2

Dues Renewal ........................... 2

Something From Nothing .......... 3

2020 POM List .......................... 4

POM Rules ................................ 4

January POMs

Cactus: Echinocactus & .......

Ferocactus ............ 5

Succulent: Gasteria ................ 6

POM Winners ............................ 7

Officers ...................................... 7

PoM Winner Photos ........... 8 & 9

South Coast Sale Flyer ........... 10

2020 Calendar of Events......... 11

Membership Renewal Form . 12

Echinocactus grusonii

Free Koi. Decommissioning pond. Pickup in Santa Clarita. John Matthews 661-714-1052

March 2020 Page 2

Presidents Message

Greetings everyone,

I would like to take this opportunity to give a big hand to Marquita Ellias for the great job she does in procuring great programs and speakers for us every month. It is not an easy job, and the three and a half years she has been doing this she has never let us down. So I wanted her to know how much we all appreciate her efforts to keep our meetings fun and interesting.

What made me think of this was thinking of how much I enjoyed Rob Roy McGregor’s program last month. I always thought it was interesting watching speakers cut up and hot nail their plants, but I for one could “never” do it.

Now I find myself eating my words. This past weekend I decapitated 3 cactus and now I can’t wait to see what happens with them. I am not the only one. Valerie Fox posted pictures on Facebook the day after our meeting showing she had tried the same thing. How many more of you have gotten brave and taken a knife or a hot nail to your plants?

Now let’s talk about our Spring Sale. I am really excited about our new location. I feel it is going to make this sale a huge success. And with Donna Pachorek and Valerie Fox on our publicity team how can we lose?

The sale is Sunday April 19 from 9:00 A.M. to 3:30 PM. It will be held in the parking lot of Donna’s medical building on the corner of Hillcrest and Ventu Park Road in Newbury Park. Great location!

So far we have 18 vendors. 15 plants vendors and 3 potters.

I would like to thank all of you who already signed up as a volunteer to help out at the sale. We only have one slot of time open that we need to fill, but it also doesn’t hurt to have some back up volunteers just in case someone can’t make it.

So if you decide to want to step up and help us out please notify either Marquita or myself and we will add you to our list of volunteers.

See you soon,

Linda Holub President CCSS

THERE IS STILL TIME TO RENEW YOUR CCSS DUES

It is the goal of the CCSS Board to meet the expectations of our membership and to make our monthly meetings as interesting as possible. We were very fortunate as an organization to

have had some great speakers in 2019.

Your annual dues provide a large portion of the funding which allows us to provide the quality

activities you expect as a member.

If you have not yet paid your 2020 dues please see Lisa Gailey at the sign-in table at the March meeting. Members who have not paid their dues by the March 2020 meeting will

be removed from the CCSS Roster and this will be your last Succulent Scoop.

Note: If you are not able to attend the March meeting please fill out the Membership Form on

the page 12 and send it with your check to the following address:

CCSS Membership C/O Lisa Gailey 530 W. Los Angeles Ave. Suite 115-183

Moorpark CA. 93021

March 2020 Page 3

Something from Nothing Slash and Burn by Terry Wilson

February's presentation was so informative and creative, that I thought it would be good to summarize "Rob Roy" MacGregor's three propagation techniques.

Hot Nailing Hot nailing destroys the growing tip of a common columnar or round cactus and forces the plant to send up multiple heads at any of the spine locations. Since this doesn't destroy the basic form of the plant, it results in a natural-looking clump of new little cacti growing on the main head. Rob Roy does this to ordinary cacti to make them into something extraordinary! If any of the new heads need to be thinned out for aesthetic reasons, they of course can be started as new single plants, which, when it comes of age, can be hot nailed like mama. To hot nail, hold a large nail in vice grips and heat the tip to red hot with a torch, on the BBQ grill or the gas kitchen stove, and carefully center it in the cactus and gently plunge it down. The heat will cauterize the flesh. I bet a soldering iron with a pointed tip would do a nice job too, as would a 1/4" drill.

Beheading With a more exotic cactus, Rob Roy will behead the cactus and plant the head as new specimen. Then, the old stump will become a cactus mill, sprouting out new little heads that are perfect for harvesting and starting many new exotics. Rob Roy likes to use cinnamon on the stump to protect the wound, and a rooting hormone on the head's cut to encourage rooting. He prefers a product called Hormex Rooting Powder No. 3.

Slicing For agaves, Rob Roy will slice the plant (with roots) vertically right down the middle, tease out the growing tip, and replant both halves. Without the growing tip, the plant has no choice but to sprout pups at the base, ready to harvest as new little plants. This works well for agaves that don't normally pup.

Rob Roy MacGregor prepares to heat up a nail.

Cactus Ready for Beheading

Beheaded. Ouch!

Cinnamon for Protection

Rooting Hormone to Encourage Root Growth

Valerie Fox’s trial beaheading following Rob’s instructions

March 2020 Page 4

Plant of the Month (POM) What is this all about?

Each meeting of the CCSS will feature a friendly plant show/competition (POM). The goal of the POM is two fold.

Introduce the membership to the various cactus and succulent genera and to open up a discussion on the culture, care, and display of these plants.

Encourage members to share their plants with membership.

POM Submissions:

Members may submit up to 3 three plants in each of the two categories (Cactus and Succulents). Plants entered in the Intermediate and Advanced Divisions must have been owned and maintained by the member for a minimum of one year. Plants entered in the Novice category may be newly acquired plants.

POM Divisions: Novice: 0-25 Total points ● Intermediate: 26-100 Total points ● Advanced: >100 Total Points

When a member has accumulated the total number points in their Division, they will be moved up to the next higher Division in the following calendar year.

POM Judging Criteria:

Plants are evaluated according to the following criteria: Condition (health, form, damage). 50% Maturity and size. 25% Staging (Artistic composition - container, stonework, etc). 20% Nomenclature (proper plant identification). 5% Additional criteria may include rarity, difficulty in growing, and whether the plant is in flower.

POM Judging:

1st place - 6 points ● 2nd place - 3 points ● 3rd place - 2 points

All other entries will be awarded 1 point. Entry slips will be collected by the POM Coordinator for tabulation, record keeping, and publication in the CCSS Newsletter.

We are encouraging all members to participate in the POM. This is your opportunity to show off your prized treasures or to possibly learn how to better care for your plants.

See you at the next meeting CCSS Board

2020 CCSS Plant of the Month

Month Cactus Succulent

January Variegated Variegated

February Mammillaria Succulent Bulbs

March Ferocactus & Echinocactus Gasteria

April Eriosyce Aloe

May Gymnocalycium Burseraceae

June Echinocereus Euphorbia

July Copiapoa Agave

August Crested & Monstrose Crested & Monstrose

September Columnar cati Pachypodium & Adenium

October Astrophytum Stapeliads

November Miniatures Miniatures

December Holiday Party

March 2020 Page 5

Cactus of the Month: Echinocactus and Ferocactus

For March we are taking on two genera of cacti with names that say "stay away!", though I suggest just the opposite. The real rea-son we are talking about these genera is that are very closely re-lated, and together they make up the vast majority of what we refer to as "Barrel cacti". The only significant difference between the genera is the Echinocactus has wooly fruit while Ferocactus does

not. In addition they both have representatives that you can see growing wild within a couple hour drive from Los Angeles. Echinocactus is Latin for "spiny" cactus "hedgehog" cactus, both

of which refer to the prominent, very sharp spines found in every species. The genus has roughly 6-10 species in a range that covers all of the Southwestern US from Death Valley to Oklahoma and Texas, as well as the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of

Mexico. There are two species native to the US, one covering the western half of the Southwest and the other covering the eastern half. E. texensis, commonly called the Horse Crippler, is from

Texas, New Mexico, eastern Arizona, Oklahoma, and northern Mexico. E. polycephalus is a California native, as well as occurring

in Nevada, Arizona, and northern Mexico. It is among the most heavily cloaked in spines of any cactus.

The most famous and widely grown species, E. grusonii (Golden Bar-

rel), is also the rarest and most re-stricted in the wild. There is a link between the two as large numbers of Golden Barrels were dug out of the wild for the horticultural trade. Thankfully large nursery grown specimens are readily available today, reducing the pressure on the remaining plants. Unfortunately, this already threatened species was dealt a more serious blow in the 1990's when the Zimapan Dam was built in the heart of this species range. Countless plants were destroyed when the lake created by the dam submerged prime E. grusonii habitat.

Ferocactus with about 30 species is the better known and more commonly grown genus of the two (excluding E. grusonii). The name means "fierce"

cactus, a clear reference to the large, curved spines common throughout the genus. It has a similar range to Echinocactus, mostly differing in extending all the way to the California coast and into Baja California. Two species are native to California. F. cylindraceus, with bright red spines, is found in our desert regions while F. viridescens, a fairly small plant, can be found in

coastal San Diego county. The greatest diversity in the genus can be found in Baja, as at least 10 species are found there.

Cultural requirements are similar for both genera. While some species are extremely cold tolerant (i.e. the native US species) and others less so, all species of Ferocactus and Echinocactus can handle winter tem-peratures in the Los Angeles region. They do well in the ground, though good drainage is a must as most species don't like our wet winters. They also do well as large potted specimens, requiring normal cactus care.

-Kyle Williams

Photo Credits: Stan Shebs, Heath MacAllister, & ShineB

Echinocactus polycephalus

Ferocactus macrodiscus

Ferocactus cylindraceus

March 2020 Page 6

Succulent of the Month: Gasteria

Gasteria is a popular and easily grown genus that has been collected since the 17th century. Some species look very similar to Aloe while others resemble Haworthia. This is not

surprising as these three genera are very closely related. So close in fact that recent evolutionary studies are causing some confusion about where one genus ends and the other begins. That being said, Gasteria can be differientiated morphologically from Aloe and Haworthia by examining the flowers. Gasteria flowers have a distinctive narrow upper

portion that expands out to a fat base that resembles a stomach. Sure enough, Gasteria is derived from "gaster" which means "stomach" in Latin. Interestingly the common name for the species is Ox Tongue, another "digestive" reference!

Gasteria come in a much greater diversity of sizes than Haworthia, though they are smaller on average than most Aloe. Gasteria ranges in size from

about an inch to several feet in diameter. Almost all plants start out with the leaves in two rows (distichous), although most eventually begin to spiral. Gasteria are quite variable in appearance. Collectors need to be cautioned

that they have definite juvenile and adult forms, have local variations in ap-pearance, and have form and growth habits that are dependent on the soil type and amount of sunlight. Not realizing this runs you the risk of buying the same species twice! This genus contains approximately 20-25 species, nearly all native to South Africa (one species ranges into Namibia). Typical natural habitats are humus rich, sandy soils. They grow on dry rocky hillsides and generally grow under larger shrubs particularly when young. They also can be found in rock

fissures or in the shade of large rocks. The roots are shallow and thick which helps the plants obtain moisture from barely wet soils, and nourishment from decaying leaves and debris from larger shrubs. Gasteria cultivation is easy and is nearly identical to that of Haworthia and winter growing Aloe. They are

mostly winter and spring growers, but exhibit some growth all year except for the hottest part of the summer. They do well in a range of soil mixes and are more tolerant of organic matter than some succulents. They prefer partial shade, particularly in the afternoon. However, the best color is obtained by giving them as much light and sun, short of sunburn, as possible. Gasteria are generally free from most pests. The one difficulty is ‘black spot’, a fungus that attacks many Gasteria. The fungus is rarely fatal,

but causes large unsightly black spots on the leaves. Since the spots are actual damage to the leaves, there is no way to remove the spots. The fungus can be minimized by keeping the leaves dry, and particularly keep-ing dew off the leaves. Fungicides can be used to prevent this disease, but probably aren't worth the hassle unless you have show quality plants you are concerned about. Gasteria are readily propagated from offsets at the base or on flower stalks, which can be simply pulled off and planted. Leaf cuttings will also root easily. Gasteria flowers are often visited by hummingbirds, and these

visits often result in pollination. Seed can be collected as soon as the fruits start to dry. Cross pollination can produce interesting plants and many hybrids are available, as are sev-eral variegated cultivars. Intergeneric hybrids with Aloe (called X Gasteraloe) and Haworthia (X Gasterhawor-thia) are commonly seen.

-Kyle Williams Photo credits: Kyle Williams

Gasteria ‘Sakura Fuji’

Stomach shaped flowers

Gasteria bicolor

March 2020 Page 7

CCSS 2020 Officers

President Linda Holub

1st VP, Programs Marquita Ellias

2nd VP, POM &

Education Kyle Williams

3rd VP, Special Events Donna Pachorek

Treasurer Julie Myers

Secretary Ann Hopkinson

Director I, Membership Glen Smith

Assistant to Director I John Martinez, Membership Lisa Gailey, Membership

Director II, Education Terry Wilson

Scoop Editor Melinda Hines

Hospitality Terry Wilson, Lead Pam Smith

Drawing Coordinator Gerry Caruso

Website Tim Alvord

Librarian Glen Smith

Plant Propagation Terry Wilson

Event Publicity Donna Pachorek

CCSS Mailing Address: 530 Los Angeles Ave. Ste #115-183, Moorpark, CA 93021

PLANT OF THE MONTH (POM) February 2020

Cactus - Mammillaria Novice: 1st Mammillaria candida ‘Snowball’ Ann Powers 2nd Mammillaira gracilis Audrey Bohn 3rd Mammillaria magnimamma . John Grover

Intermediate:

1st Mammillaria sp. Melinda Hines 2nd Mammillaria parkinsonii Donna Pachorek 3rd Mammillaria spinosissima Glen & Pam Smith 3rd Mammillaria spinosissima Marquita Ellias

Advanced: 1st Mammillaria plumosa. John Matthews 2nd Mammillaria hahniana John Martinez 3rd Mammillaria macrothele John Matthews HM Mammillaria sp. Linda Holub

Succulents - Succulent Bulbs Novice (Beginners):

1st Albuca spiralis Faith More 2nd Ledebouria socialis Dar Harrell

Intermediate: 1st Bulbine frutescens Ann Hopkinson 2nd Albuca spiralis Ann Hopkinson 3rd Albuca polyphylla Yuen Wong

Advanced:

1st Haemanthus deformis John Matthews 2nd Drimia media John Martinez 3rd Drimia maritima John Matthews

The February 2020 POM recorded 42 entries, 9 Novice, 22 Intermediate, and 11 Advanced.

The POM is an important part of our education program. The monthly plant displays along with the informative articles provided by our own Kyle Williams in our club newsletters is an excellent opportunity to increase our plant knowledge. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all that participated.

March 2020 Page 8

1st Place - Ann Powers Mammillaria candida

‘Snowball’

2nd Place - Audrey Bohn Mammillaria gracilis

3rd Place - Glen & Pam Smith Mammillaria spinosissima

2nd Place - Ann Hopkinson Mammilaria parkinsonii

February Plant of the Month Winners - Mammillaria

NOVICE CACTUS

INTERMEDIATE CACTUS

ADVANCED CACTUS

1st Place - Melinda Hines Mammillaria sp.

3rd Place - John Matthews Mammillaria macrothele

2nd Place - John Martinez Mammillaria hahniana

1st Place - John Matthews Mammillaria plumosa

3rd Place - John Grover Mammillaria magnimamma

March 2020 Page 9

2nd Place - John Martinez Drimia media

1st Place - John Matthews Haemanthus deformis

3rd Place - John Matthews Drimia maritima

2nd Place - Ann Hopkinson Albuca spiralis

1st Place - Ann Hopkinson Bulbine frutescens

3rd Place - Yuen Wong Albuca polyphyllus

2nd Place - Ledebouria socialis Dar Harrell

February Plant of the Month Winners - Succulent Bulbs

ADVANCED SUCCULENTS

INTERMEDIATE SUCCULENTS

NOVICE SUCCULENTS

1st Place - Faith Mori Albuca spiralis

Ledebouria socialis Wikimedia Commons 2015-07-15 4303.jpg

Photo by Salicyna

March 2020 Page 10

March 2020 Page 11

2020 Cactus and Succulent Calendar of Upcoming Events

e-mail aloecats1@aol.com Updated 11/20/2019

Mar. 19-21 Orange County Cactus and Succulent Society - Spring Show and Sale Thurs 19th 6pm-9pm, Fri. 20th 9am-7pm, Sat. 21st 9am-5pm 1000 S. State College Bl., (Anaheim United Methodist Church) Anaheim, CA Information call 657-549-0702

Apr. 4-5 South Coast Cactus and Succulent Society - Show & Sale

9am-4pm, South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes, CA Info: http://www.Southcoastcss.org

Apr 19 Conejo Cactus & Succulent Society Plant Sale 9am-4pm 558 N. Ventu Park Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 Info: http://www.conejocss.com or conejocss@hotmail.com

Apr. 26 Huntington Plant Sale 10am-5pm Huntington Botanical Gardens,

1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA. Info: 626-405-3504

May 2-3 Sunset Cactus and Succulent Society Show and Sale

Veterans Memorial Center, Multi-Purpose Room Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA. Info: 310-822-1783

May 3 South Bay Epiphyllum Society Show and Sale 9am-4pm South Coast Bontanical Gardens, Info: 310-833-6823

May 8-9 Gates Cactus and Succulent Society Show and Sale Fri & Sat 9am-4:00pm, Redlands Church of Nazarene 1307 E. Citrus Ave., Redlands, CA Info: 909-910-9195 or www.gatesscss.com

May ? Long Beach Cactus Club Plant Show and Sale Info. 310-647-7300

May 24-25 Central Coast Cactus & Succulent Society Sale & Show

May 24th 10am-5pm, 25th 10am-4pm, Ludwick Center, 864 Santa Rosa San Luis Obispo, CA – Info: terrieleivers@gmail.com

June 6-7 San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society Summer Show & Sale

Balboa Park, Room 101, San Diego, CA Info: 858-382-1797

June 13-14 Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society- Drought Tolerant Plant Festival

Show and Sale, June 13th 9am-4pm, June 14th 9am-3pm Sepulveda Garden Center, 16633 Magnolia Blvd., Encino, CA. Info: www.lacactus.com

June 27-28 CSSA Annual Show and Sale - Huntington Botanical Gardens 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA.

Plants Sales Start June 26th thru Jun. 28th 10am to 5pm

Show Opens June 27th thru June, 28th 10am-5pm Info: 626-405-3504

July 17-18 Orange County Cactus and Succulent Society Summer Show and Sale

Fri. July 17th Noon-7pm, Sat. 18th 9-5pm 1000 S. State College Bl., (Anaheim United Methodist Church) Anaheim, CA Information Call: 949-212-8417

Aug. 15-16 35th Annual Intercity Show and Sale,

9am-5pm daily. La County Arboretum 301 No. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA. Info. Call Tom Glavich 626-798-2430 or John Martinez 805-390-2139

Sept. 5 Huntington Botanical Gardens Succulent Symposium

All day at The Huntington 626-405-3504

Sept 12 Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society - Fall Sale, 9-4pm Sepulveda Garden Center, 16633 Magnolia Blvd., Encino, CA. Info. www.lacactus.com

Sept ? Long Beach Cactus Club Annual Plant Auction 11am-1pm Rancho Los Alamitos, 6400 Bixby Hill Road, Long Beach, CA 90615 Info. 562-631-5876

Oct. 10-11 Bakersfield Cactus and Succulent Society Show & Sale

Sat. 10-5pm-Sun. 11-3pm, St. Paul’s Church, 2216 17th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93304 Free Addmission & Parking, Info 661-831-8488

Oct. 24-25 Palomar Cactus & Succulent Society Fall Show and Sale Sat 9-5pm, Sun 10-3pm, San Diego Botanic Garden 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, CA Info eventcoordinator@PalomarCactus.org

Nov. 6-8 Huntington Fall Plant Sale, Huntington Botanical Gardens

1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA Info 626-405-3504

March 2020 Page 12

Please renew by the February meeting. After February 15, your name will be removed from the Roster.

Membership Form

□ New Membership □ Renewal □ Badge Order

Name: ____________________________________________ Date:_______________

Additional Family Member(s)_______________________________________________

Additional Family Member(s)_______________________________________________

□ Use back of page if necessary:

Address________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________ State:_____ Zip:___________

Email:______________________________________ Phone:_____________________

□ Membership: $ 25.00 __________

□ Family Membership: $ 30.00 __________

□ Student Membership: $ 20.00 __________

□ Name Badge:* $ 12.00 __________

TOTAL: __________

* Name Badge Orders: Please clearly print below how you would like your name

badge/s to read.

Contact Conejo Cactus and Succulent Society at: CCSS 530 W. Los Angeles Ave. Suite 115-183 Moorpark CA. 93021

conejocss@hotmail.com

Revised 1/24/2020