November 2020: Virtual Brag Table Results
Special Thanks:
For showing your beautiful specimens
Mark Fryer as digital plant arbiter
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48 specimens - 20 cactus & 28 succulents
23 members - 12 novices, 8 imtermediates & 3 advanced
Cactus Novice
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1st Place:
Echinopsis Johnson’s ‘Paramount’ hybrid
Shouqin Hou
“This is highly likely an old Johnson's Paramount" hybrid, an Echinopsis x Lobivia hybrid that has good vigor, incredible flowers, and the potential to be a show-stopper. That being said, this specimen has evidence of mealy bug and needs to be restaged (again higher in the pot, perhaps a smaller pot or simply wait a few more years) to be very competitive. Clean up the dead stems around the base and treat for bugs. A little-pot bound and this plant will bloom even stronger next year!” -Mark
1st Place:
Ariocarpus retusus v. confusus
Mike Burkhardt
“Expertly staged and while not in flower (yet), this plant appears to be very healthy and clean, just nothing wrong with it at all!” -Mark
2nd Place:
Ariocarpus fissuratus hybrid
Mike Burkhardt
“Well grown, it would be nice to see a flower to see if there's evidence of whatever cross it is supposed to be.” -Mark
2nd Place:
Parodia chrysacanthion
Diana McNeill
“This is actually a fairly tricky taxon to grow well, and the grower is obviously paying attention by cultivating it on a the "hard" side, little water, no root disturbance, no feeding. This taxon is susceptible to a fungus - Helminthosporium cactivorum, which can take out a plant overnight if it's overwatered, isn't getting enough heat or sun, and a hundred other factors. And here it is in flower! Kudos!” -Mark
3rd Place:
Oreocereus celsianus
Patti Nelson
“A bit small for the pot, but it will fill out in a few years.” -Mark
Cactus Intermediate
1st Place:
Copiapoa montana
Allen Clark
“Based on Ritter's collection #522, this plant is spot on, and the grower has it staged appropriately for the next several years, well done!” -Mark
1st Place:
Mammillaria bocasana cv.’Fred’
Wendy Goldman
“Perfectly staged, this isn't that easy of a plant to cultivate! Kudos!!” -Mark
2nd Place:
Opuntia microdasys v. pallida cristatus
Jennifer Harris
“Hard to keep these this clean in the time I'm assuming it's been in that pot!” -Mark
2nd Place:
Cephalocereus senilis
May Fong Ho
“Cephalocereus senilis is due honorable mention as it is well-staged and appears to have good growth going on!” -Mark
3rd Place:
Mammillaria plumosa
Norb Roden
“These plants rarely root deeper than 2 inches, so you must be extremely careful about watering in a deep pot like that!” -Mark
3rd Place:
Mammillaria nejapensis
Norb Roden
“Mammillaria nejapensis (SS); nicely grown but overpotted.” -Mark
Ariocarpus fissuratus
Dee Morgan
Thelocactus hexaedrophorus
Allen Clark
Mammillaria hahniana
Antonina Lansangan
Tephrocactus articulatus
Jennifer Harris
Echidnopsis fruntnesii crested
Wendy Goldman
“Should be in the succulent category; this is an Asclepiad from south africa, not a cactus!” -Mark
Cactus Advanced
1st Place:
Ferocactus glaucescens inermis
Michael Nelson
“Could use a little richer culture to really bring out the character of this polemic form, I suspect the massive offsetting this clone does has a tendency to leave the plant somewhat desiccated looking. One of those taxon that does a little better in the ground than in a pot here in southern California!” -Mark
2nd Place:
Mammillaria spinosissima
Don Hunt
“Probably not the best choice for inverted hanging pots, as it's cousin M.pilcayensis actually hangs off cliffs in habitat and has been used in this manner for decades. I admire the effort in culturing it this way. This isn't one of Menzel's old plants is it? Looks familiar!” -Mark
3rd Place:
Astrophytum ornatum
Pam Badger
“Good, but let's clean up the cobwebs and see some buds or flowers, as this plant should be in all-out majestic beauty right now. Still, very nice, and appropriately potted.” -Mark
Tephrocactus articulatus
Pam Badger
Succulent Novice
1st Place:
Aloe hybrid
Patti Nelson
“Staging, staging, staging! From the size of the plant and how it's positioned to the detail of the top-dressing and color of the pot, this plant is destined for greatness!” -Mark
1st Place:
Lithops lesliei v. venteri maraisii
Mike Burkhardt
“In spite of this not being v burchellii (Likely simply L. leslei v. leslei — L. leslei v. burchellii is graygreen, with nondescript edge on the leaf edge), plant is in flower and beautifully staged.” -Mark
2nd Place:
Euphorbia decaryi v. spirosticha
Jared Petker
“A plant that requires balance in everything to remain this clean and dark. While it's a little small for the pot, if the grower continues the same regimen they're using now, in a couple years this plant will be outstanding!” -Mark
2nd Place:
Euphorbia squarrosa
Diana McNeill
“Don't be shy about exposing that fat root!!” -Mark
3rd Place:
Stapelia gigantea
Ruth Contino
“While the plant could be in better shape, the flowers are amazing! Kudos!” -Mark
3rd Place:
Dorstenia gigas
Der-shing Helmer
“This plant will fill this pot in no time! As of showing it is still a bit small for the pot.“ -Mark
Huernia zebrina
Whitney Meier
Euphorbia suppressa hybrid
Mike Burkhardt
Euphorbia capsaintemariensis
Jared Petker
Ficus microcarpa
Joan Herskowitz
Mestoklema tuberosum
Joan Herskowitz
Euphorbia submammillaris
Diana McNeill
Stapelia gigantea
Pat Bryan
Stapelia asterias v. lucida
Whitney Meier
Bromeliad sp.
Marcy Singer
“Bromeliads, while wonderful plants, aren't succulent in any way, shape, mean, or form, and must be disqualified.” -Mark
Succulent Intermediate
1st Place:
1st: Crassula cv. ‘Buddha’s Temple’
May Fong Ho
“Well-grown and more along the lines of what we want to see in terms of staging.” -Mark
1st Place:
Kalanchoe luciae cv. ‘Fantastic’
Jennifer Harris
“Such an easy plant to mess up! Strictly winter growing, and/all environmental influences can damage this beauty, the grower here has done an excellent job at not overwatering or exposing this plant to pests, harsh environmental conditions, or anything else that will mar it for life.” -Mark
2nd Place:
Agave lophantha quadricolor
Jennifer Harris
“Neat plant, stolons like mad so it needs to be staged high in the pot!” -Mark
2nd Place:
Euphorbia poissonii variegata
Melanie Howe
“Nicely staged and grown, appropriate size for the pot it's in.” -Mark
3rd Place:
Adromischus cristatus
Allen Clark
“True cristatus like this is uncommon in collections, so it's nice to see one like this. “ -Mark
3rd Place:
Adromischus marianiae bolusianus
Allen Clark
“A little small for the pot, but very healthy looking.” -Mark
Crassula rupestris ’Tom Thumb’
Antonina Lansangan
Succulent Advanced
1st Place:
Aloe pearsonii
Don Hunt
“Perfectly staged, grown a little lush but aside from missing the deep red the plants will develop in the ground and in habitat, perfectly fine. I suspect there's some watering issues based on numerous dried leaf-tips, but again, a plant of that size has some age to it and this is to be expected in cultivation.” -Mark
2nd Place:
Euphorbia millotii
Pam Badger
“This Madagascaran native can be grown like a tropical houseplant, but don't! They lose so much of their character, and this plant has been expertly staged and grown a little hard to bring out the best features of it when not in flower. Since most Euphorbias aren't really grown for their flowers, E. millotii has pretty big cyathia, this sort of growing and staging will really bring that out when the plant flowers!” -Mark
3rd Place:
Euphorbia cylindrifolia v. tuberifera
Pam Badger
“First off, this isn't a decaryi at all, this is Euphorbia cylindrifolia v. tuberifera, and it develops a huge caudiciform base over time. Excellent staging, growth, etc, sadly the center is devoid of any foliage, but in time this won't matter at all.”
-Mark
Euphorbia lactea ’White Ghost’
Michael Nelson
Euphorbia mammillaria 'Monstrose’
Michael Nelson
