Winter is coming...

Good day and welcome back on my Blog!

Here in Holland it's autumn at the moment. The temperatures are dropping, it's raining a lot and leafs are covering the streets. Love it! Most people get cranky in this period, but I like it. Autumn has a great influence on all my hobbies and also on my day-by-day life.

I remember that one day I was heading home from work and it was cold, raining like hell and I was soaking wet. I felt so sorry for myself! I think that everyone has already lived this type of terror, so it won't be hard to imagine in what kind of gutter I was riding my bicycle. Then I looked to the right and saw about 10 ducks playing in the mud, having the time of their lives! Motherfuckers! And then I realized how silly I was and smiled. Since that day I don't take this type of weather that serious anymore. Of course I still prefer to sit somewhere warm and dry, but the contrast between this depressing weather and coming home, pour myself a nice dram of whisky and lit my pipe is what makes me appreciate these days.

This is why I love autumn:

Drinks

Herfstbock, my favorite seasonal beer! This beer is sold in the Netherlands from autumn till the end of winter. Every year they taste different and every year I have another favorite. This year I'm a huge fan of La Trappe, which is also a Trappist (brewed in a monastery by monks or under their supervision). I like the bitter and lightly sweet taste.

La Trappe - Trapist - Bockbier

Next to Bock, these dark days also invite me to drink other special and stronger beers and again: La Trappe is my favorite brand until now, especially the Tripel and the Quadrupel.

Whisky! And I'm talking about a nice, peaty single malt whisky. I'm always in for a heavy peated whisky, but the colder it gets, the more I like them.

Earlier this week I've received a present from my lovely wife: the Laphroaig's Quarter Cask! I've had this whisky before and with the few years experience I have in Whisky-Land, I can say this is a good-quality whisky for a very decent price: € 39,95. Last year it was cheaper: € 32,50.

Laphroaig - Quarter Cask

I'm not an expert yet and I don't know if I'll ever be, but let me just tell you what I know about this dram. Now what makes this Quarter Cask so special and why is it named "Quarter Cask"? It has to do with the last 9 months of the maturation process, which is completed on smaller casks (125 liter). Theses smaller casks date from many years back when they needed to carry (do you see the smugglers?!) the casks by hand. Less whisky in contact with more wood means more taste adaption from the wood (correct me if I'm wrong, whisky-experts!). I won't name 10 types of fruit or other stuff that I taste, because I can't... It's just a damn good dram! A good amount of peat and more complex than the regular peated whisky.

Smoke

Latakia: Dark evenings ask for dark leafs. Nowadays mainly produced in Cyprus, but named after the Syrian port-city Latakia. This tobacco is first sun cured and then further cured over an oak or pinewood fire, which gives this tobacco its typical taste. If you smell the tin of a Latakia tobacco, you get scared of the burned old-tire smell and probably think it's a huge nicotine bomb that will make you crap your pants! The good news is that it doesn't contain much more nicotine than a regular tobacco and that the burned old-tire smell from the tin turns into a very tasteful, but smooth taste. The taste is strong, but you won't fall off your chair.

I only smoke once (sometimes twice) a week, so there's not enough time to try all the tobaccos in the world. I'm still searching, but for now I only have a few favorites. Let me show you one of them:

Peterson's Old Dublin in a Parker Bent Bulldog

Peterson's Old Dublin. I think this is a very underrated blend and many people will tell you there's much more on the market that's even better, but till now this is my number 1. It contains Latakia, Oriental and Virginia tobacco. Strong taste, smooth, spicy, but no tongue-bite. And about the "Smoking kills" sticker... They should also put it on alcohol, fast-food, sugar, salt and all the albums of the Doors! Kind of hypocrite, don't you think?!

Cacti & other succulents

Now that it's becoming colder, it's recommendable to give less to no water at all (do it gradually! Do not suddenly stop watering them) to cacti and many other succulents. Depending on the species, it's also important to lower the temperature, so that the plants can enter their winter rest. This might give them the extra kick they need to flower next year. The growth will also be prettier, because the sun is much weaker in the winter and won't give them what they need to grow strong.

Balcony-greenhouse

My balcony-greenhouse is just perfect to keep them on the right temperature. I've also prepared the heater and time-clock so that I can control the temperature a bit and it won't drop below 5°C. I should buy a thermostat, but these are kind of expensive and I rather buy one when I have a bigger green-house installed.

Winter-hardy

Winter is coming; another chance to test the winter-hardiness of some cacti. I won't type down the info I've got from other sites, so this will all be based on my own experience with the species. (keep in mind that besides the species, DNA is also a factor) All my plants are standing in pots and in pot-culture, you have 100% control over the drainage. If I would have a garden, I would build a drainage well to have more or less the same effect.

Opuntia humisa - Eastern prickly pear (Canada and the USA)
Outside on my balcony for 3 years already. First covered by the balcony above and since last winter in the open.

Opuntia humifusa

Maihueniopsis darwinii (Argentina and Chile)
This species has already survived one winter (-17ºC) outside in the open.

Maihueniopsis darwinii

Cylindropuntia imbricata - Cane/Tree cholla (USA: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza)
I have one plant, a cutting that I've got from someone of the Cactiguide.com forum:

Cylindropuntia imbricata, growing cutting

I've also already taken one cutting of it for my brother in law. It still has to develop a root-system, but I guess it'll be ready in spring next year:

Cylindropuntia imbricata cutting for my brother in law

I also grow one Cylindropuntia imbricata outside on the balcony .This plant I've bought earlier this year on the National Cacti Show in Kudelstaart and has been grown from the seed:

Cylindropuntia imbricata, grown from the seed

Escobaria missouriensis - Fox-tail cactus (USA: Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota and Mexico: Coahuila de Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon)
The ones I have are seedlings from earlier this year. They're all in one tray and I don't feel like re-potting them yet. I also won't put them all outside in the cold to test their hardiness, because I might lose them all at once.

Escobaria missouriensis seedlings, 6 months old

Poll

As I've mentioned in my last article: there is an amazing Poll on my Blog right now! I'm having a little doubt about what I should sow next year and I want YOU to help me with that! I've named 4 species (photos included) and you can choose one. The winning species is the one I'll sow. If I know you, you'll win one of the sown species in the future! (for the Poll: scroll down!)

The end

That's about it! Thank you for reading and till next time!

Torturing cacti!

Good day to all of ya!

Here you are, on my blog and thinking: 'What the hell?! Torturing cacti?!'.

Yeah... Nothing will be always 100% like you would like it to be and this unfortunately also applies for cacti. This was hard year for me as cacti-breeder! Besides the damaged plants and a little boredom at work, life's very nice to me.

Now what do we have here...

Armored Scale-insects

Armored scale insects. Their name is cool, but they really suck, literally. These little, parasitic monsters also go by the name Diaspididae. They feed themselves on the sap that they suck out of plants and can do serious damage to their host.

Where the hell did they come from and why are they only attacking one plant? No idea, but they were spread all over my Weberbauerocereus johnsonii. I've tried to cut them out, but there were more than just a few. I could not even separate a decent cutting, so I've had to give up and trow the plant away.

Sun-burned cacti

Normally you can recognize it quite easy when your cactus (or other succulent) is getting burned. The plant will slowly start coloring red (keep in mind that some species are supposed to have that color!) and if you notice it on time, you should put it in the shade immediately. Mostly the plant will recover quickly without any damage, but sometimes you're too late.

As you can see, this Echinopsis subdenudata has some permanent damage. The plant won't die, but it ain't pretty either...

And then there is also another scenario...

I should have paid more attention to my balcony-greenhouse. During the summer it was opened day and night and when it got colder and the UV-index was below 4, I've kept it closed. I thought the summer had ended and autumn was on its way, but I was wrong... Two very pretty and sunny days melted a couple of my plants! Holy crap! Not entirely, but they do have some serious damage. Earlier this year I've had the same problem with a couple of my Saguaro seedlings:

Sun-burned Saguaro seedling

And here is the solution to this problem. As some of you know, I'm kind of addicted to IFTTT (pronounced like gift without the G) and I have already made a lot of recipes. Some (in my wife's opinion all!) of them are completely useless and others are quite handy. Check out this one:

The idea is to receive a warning when there is a possibility that my plants get burned. During the beginning of spring, for example, cacti are much more sensitive. After a long winter without much light, they suddenly get struck by stronger sun beams. Now I'll now it on time and will be able to provide some shade. Or it will warn me to open up the greenhouse again when I think summer is over and it's actually not...

I have another IFTT that warns me whenever the wind speed rises above what my green-house can handle, so that I'm on time to save my plants before some sort of storm starts raging on my balcony.

Beating up cacti

What?! No, it wasn't in purpose! Sometimes you accidentally hit or step on a cactus or let a pot fall on the floor and sometimes the guy that is supposed to replace the windows in your house brutally mutilates a Selenicereus hondurensis by closing a window! Arg! Okay, breath in, breath out. Shit happens and it's a plague anyway, but it still sucks monkey-balls when a plant gets damaged!

Smashed Selenicereus hondurensis

The End

That's about it for this blog. Let's wait and see if I can still turn them back into beautiful plants. The'll probably be alright and maybe even flower next year. In their natural habitat they're used to hard and brutal circumstances and are kind of famous for being tough bastards! Well... Next blog I'll blend in some pipes, whisky and bullshit stories again, because this blog is a little bit too serious. Of course this isn't a funny subject! Haven't you seen all the damage?! Pfffff.....

Another thing! I'm back playing Go again and I am slowly getting better and better (I can almost defeat the CPU on level 2... Damn bastard!). Of course this is the place where I'll try to convince you all to play Go and I'll probably bother some persons about my new hobby!

Check out these sites:

• App: Go Free
• Website: Fly or Die

And I wouldn't be Stan if I didn't add a real Go Board to my present-wishlist:

• Wishlist

Now go practice Go and till next Blog!

Balcony-greenhouse and more...

Hello readers of my random blog! How are you all doing?! I'm doing just fine. Actually I'm doing great and I hope you do too (depending on who you are and if I like you or not). Today was just one of those Saturdays that I've had nothing scheduled. Nothing wrong with that! I actually like it when there is finally a day in the week that I don't have to do anything. Well... That's not completely true, because these days I'm a family-man, as you might know, and there is always something I have to do. But I like it when I'm not obligated to do other things than being a family-man. I won't type down everything I have done today, because it's all quite simple and regular. It started with a cup of coffee and ended with a beer and a Country Gentleman filled with Black Vanilla.

Why writing another article for your blog when there is nothing really different to mention? Well... I have no idea! Here is a video of my Balcony-greenhouse:

Why should we always do something "special" and "different" and why do we always want others to know about it? Probably we human beings do that because it's in our nature to be accepted by the rest of the herd. Everyone wants to be different and that is what makes us all the same. Kind of ironic, ah? Why not just be happy and satisfied with the regular things we do and appreciate the simplicity? Don't get me wrong! I believe that it's useful and enriching to think outside the box and do stuff we normally don't, but what is it worth and where is our identity when we're only focusing on being different and forget to stand still and appreciate the little things? I'm dreaming away here on a philosophical wave again... You don't have to agree with me and we can still be friends! I'm just writing down  my thoughts...

Ah! Back to cacti! Here are my 2014 seedlings that I've sown in April this year:

Seedlings 2014

If you want to know what these green blobs will become, you should check THIS article. This year I'm keeping them in an aquarium, so that our dear friend Wonnebald can't pulverize my plants while stepping and jumping on them. I'll take some better photos when they're bigger and really look like cacti.

Here is a photo taken in my living room:

Cacti-bowl

This bowl looks interesting, right?! It's kind of growing out of hand! Now what do we have here? The thin, columnar cactus is a Cylindropuntia imbricata (the famous Cholla), the spineless one is my first Lophophora williamsii (Peyote), the one on the right is the famous Carnegiea gigantea (Saguaro) and the one that grows everywhere where it shouldn't grow is a Selenicereus grandiflora (Queen of the night). Now that is a handsome bowl, right?~!

And now we're going back to the balcony-greenhouse, a couple of weeks earlier:

A flowering Gymnocalycium saglionis

And that's about it for today. Take care and for the metal heads: I'm going to see Obituary tomorrow! HAH! \m/

Landelijke Cactus- en Vetplantendag bij Ubink in Kudelstaart

Hullo! Good to see you around! 

First of all, here´s a short translation of the title for the NON-Dutchers: 'National Cacti and Succulent -day at Ubink in Kudelstaart'. Ubink is a cacti-nursery in Kudelstaart:

A = Ubbink, Kudelstaart

Believe it or not, but it took me almost three hours to get there! Some bad luck combined with disorientation did the trick. ;-)

Ubink's entrance with rock-garden

I have to be honest with you all about the fact that I haven't even noticed this beautiful rock-garden at the entrance at the time of my arrival. These first photos were the ones I've took after leaving the building, but I'll add them to the beginning because... Well! It's the entrance, duh!

Ubink's rock-garden

 Now that's a nice rock-garden! Cacti outside in the Netherlands, is that even possible?! Yup, it is! But beware, because if you have a rock-garden like this, you'll have to bring all these big plants inside before the coming of winter. They're all in pots, covered by rocks and have a sublime drainage.

It is possible to have a cacti/rock-garden for the lazy gardeners among us. A lot of Opuntias and Cylindropuntias (and a couple of other species including some of Argentina) will survive a cold and wet climate like we have in the Netherlands. Good drainage is a must!

Let's enter! First of all, I would like to explain the setup. Ubink is a commercial cacti and other succulent nursery with the size of 50.000 square meters! That's huge! And because it's national cactus and succulent -day, they're open to the public and have reserved two halls for hobby cacti/succulent breeders to sell their surplus. I guess that one day I'll end up like one of them!

First I'll give you a quick impression, so that you can imagine the size of this place a little better.

That was quick, ah? Let's have a closer look. Here are some pics:

Ludwig Bercht (on the left) together with some fellow cacti-breeders, my type of people!

Earlier this year, I've ordered some seeds from Ludwig's website. Lophophora williamsii and Gymnocalycium berchtii (right, a plant that they have given his name!).

Ludwig's plants

"\]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]===========================================================]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================" Wonnebald, our cat, took control of the keyboard and this was his message, amen...

  

Lophophora williamsii

Beautiful plants! I've almost bought some of these, but decided not to. Now I'm wondering if you should have bought them or not..Hmmm....

More L. williamsii

Entering the nursery

50.000 square meters! That's a lot, you know? I was to lazy to take pictures of the whole place, so allow me to show you just a few.

These are the type of plants that you'll encounter in plant stores, mostly under a terrible condition. Here they're doing fine. In stores they give them light and water equal to the needs of each other plant they have and that just ruins a cactus!

Lophophora williamsii

These little guys cost € 1 each! That's cheap, considering that you pay at least € 6 for them at a normal store. And again I feel the cognitive dissonance... I should have bought some! 

Echinocereus grusonii

Echinocereus grusonii and Ferocactus

Echinocereus grusonii and Ferocactus

Some large Cereus

Damage assessment

Waiting bored at the bus-stop, I've decided to make another photo:

Today's damage

Winter hardy Cylindropuntia

Cylindropuntia imbricata, Fremont, Colorado

This Cholla can withstand up to -25 degrees Celsius and will survive without covering it from rain. Like with all cacti, good drainage is necessary.

The plants I've bought from Ludwig Bercht:

Gymnocalycium quehlianum var. albispinum

Gymnocalycium horstii

Gymnocalycium denudatum

 Euphorbia gorgonis

And last but not least; Euphorbia gorgonis. The Gorgons are the three daughters of the greek sea-gods Phorcys en Ceto. All three of them have living venomous snakes on their heads instead of hair. This is a succulent of the family Euphorbia.

Euphorbia gorgonis

Euphorbia gorgonis

Euphorbia gorgonis

Some literature

Cacti literature

• 'Cactussen' by W Cullman, an older book about cacti, but very informative.
• 'Wat betekent die naam', an excellent book that explains the meanings of all those botanical names.
• 'Succulenta', a number of 'Succulenta', a Dutch and Belgian magazine about cacti and other succulents.
• 'Gids voor ziekten en plagen in huis en tuin', a small book about plant diseases and products to cure them. 

The end

And that's about it. It was a good decision of me heading alone to Kudelstaart. I felt like a kid in a candy-store with all those cacti and other succulents around me for very low prices. To only thing that concerns me is space... Always space! I love our apartment and I think we'll live here for a couple of more years, so I'm stuck with two balconies for now. I'm thinking about building a greenhouse on my own. A little bit larger and stronger and with a good regulation of heat and fresh air. Right now I'm doing fine, but I can do better!

Life's still good to me and I'm living a happy one with my amazing wife and extremely well-growing son Arthur. Things are looking good and everything seems to be back on track (the birth of a child changes everything!).

The upcoming blog will be probably about a PRF-Pipe-smokers meeting at Schimmel Sigaren in Zutphen, one of the oldest and more specialized tobacco stores in Holland.

That's all folks! Till next blog!

Missouri Meerschaum Pipes

Beware before you read forward; this article contains a lot of tobacco smoke. Wooo.... DANGER! DANGER!

I've written a big story full of facts and wrote down my strong opinion about some whining idiots, but I've decided to backspace it all to hell and just mention that we smokers (here in Holland) pay € 2.500.000.000 special taxes a year next to the normal taxes on our tobacco and that they who eat fast-food and consume other processed products aren't any more healthy. Suck on that!

That being said, I would like to say that I also don't like cigarette smoke when I'm eating and any smoke when I'm sleeping. And yes, I think people should be able to decide for themselves whether they inhale smoke or not (read this very carefully; if you hate it to be in a smokey bar, then just don't go there and let the bar owners decide whether smoking is allowed or not!).

Back to happy talk! My son Arthur has born! There are no words for all the joy and happiness that we experience and I think I can say the same about all the sleepless nights, but it's all more than worth it! I won't try to explain our experience and feelings here, because if you have a child, you already understand what I mean. If you don't have a child, it's just too hard to imagine. I'm not being arrogant here and I respect everyone's choice, but this is my own experience. You think that you know how it's like, but it's completely different! All I can say is that it's a huge enrichment of my life, a different understanding and a change of priorities.

What does Arthur have to do with smoke?! Well... For this special occasion, I've ordered a special pipe: the Missouri Meerschaum - MacArthur 'Emperor' pipe with my son's name and date of birth as the inscription on the stems. Stems? Yep, I've ordered two of them at Aristocob.com!

Package from Aristocob.com

'One, two, three..... Hey!' Ah, I see. I've ordered three extra pipes; the 'Missouri Pride' (bottom right), the 'Diplomat' (bottom left) and the 'Country Gentleman' (in the middle). Those two big guys are the MacArthurs. They're all Missouri Meerschaum corncob pipes, famous for their low prices and great smoking abilities.

Check out my favorite, the 'Country Gentleman':

Scott from Aristocob has convinced me to buy at least one 'Country Gentleman'. I mean, he sells a lot of MM corncob pipes each day and has the opportunity to try them all. His favorite can only be a good choice! Of course, choosing a pipe is very personal, but I have to say that I really like the 'Country Gentleman'. For me, it's a combination of factors: the classy look, the nice grip, the dry and cool smoke. I've smoked this pipe only once and I'm looking forward to the next smoke! Simply a great pipe! Definitely worth to try and it'll only cost you a couple of bucks.

I have also smoked all the other pipes from the package and I have to admit that they all smoke very dry and cool. Like every natural material (including briar), the corncob adds a little extra taste that I find pleasant. The reason that they're cheap is because they're cheaper to manufacture; corncobs grow a lot faster and are much easier to control than the Erica arborea. The only "negative" thing about corncobs is their durability, although I know people that have smoked their cob for more than hundred times without even one crack. Nowadays a lot of Missouri Meerschaum pipes come with a wooden plug in the bottom to prevent burn-through, so that "problem" is also solved. I can imagine that the chamber walls are a little bit weaker, but believe me, when I say that they're very decent pipes. In the USA you can buy ten 'Country Gentlemans' for the price of one good briar pipe and even twenty 'Missouri Prides'. I mean, that's SUPER-CHEAP! And besides, they look freaking awesome!

Beware and use your calculator well before ordering online from another country; the import taxes may be zero, but can also be higher than expected. For example: if you live in the Netherlands (like me) and order something from the States and the total costs (including the shipping costs!) are between € 22 and € 150, you'll have to pay 6% import tax plus € 17,50 to cover the administration costs... What I recommend is to order a lot at once or take care so that the total price is below € 22. I prefer the first. For example:

$ 180 : Pipes

$ 20 : Shipping costs

______________________

$ 200 = € 145

€ 145

€ 8,7 : 6% taxes

€ 17,50 : administration costs 

_______________________

€ 171,20 in total

And what do you buy for that amount of money? 23 'Country Gentlemans' (€ 7,50 each) or 60 'Missouri prides' (€ 2,85 each). Now that's doing business! Of course, you should buy all your corncob pipes only at Aristocob.com and if you ever decide to buy a cob somewhere else, be sure that you buy a Missouri Meerschaum and not some Chinese rip-off (no offence to the Chinese, I know they also have high-quality products and I love their food!). These MM look-a-likes are made of younger and weaker cobs and don't have the same quality.

I won't bother you anymore with corncob pipes for now. You should check Scott's Youtube channel instead. I've seen most of his videos and can assure you that you'll find them interesting!

Ow! I will bother you one more time! The guy who presumably invented the corncob pipe and has started the company that is now known as the Missouri Meerschaum Company was the Dutch immigrant woodworker Henry Tibbe, what up!

Aren't we missing something here? Hmm.... Cacti! That's for the next article, to be written soon. I've sown some seeds at my son's birthday. Those who read my blog frequently will probably get which species I've sown!

Later dudes! Keep it smokey!

Seed planning 2014

Almost April the 1st. And as you might know, this is sowing day for me. Only this year it's a little bit different, because I'll become a dad in the same period! (within a couple of weeks!)

The plan is to sow at the same date our son is born. I think it'll be kind of cool that - if he ever gets interested in cacti - he'll have some Aztekium ritteri, sown at the day he was born. Or maybe he'll just don't give a fuck! Hah! Well... Then I'll have some A. ritteri sown at the day my first child was born. =P

I've ordered everything at ADBLPS from France again. You have to know that the photo's below are from their site. I've used their photo's because the seeds that I'll sow are coming from these plants!

Astrophytum

Astrophytum asterias, Gonzales/TAMPS/Mexique [GK 85/96] - 100 seeds

Astrophytum asterias, a species which I've tried to grow back in 2011. Germination went alright (13 out of 20), but within the first six months ten of them died. The rest died in the following 6 months... My bad, because I've re-potted them in a substrate consisting of 100% Seramis(fired clay) and probably over watered them. My conclusion: species that like mineral substrate won't do well in 100% fired clay. It just keeps them to humid.

Astrophytum coahuilense SB 1474, Lerdo/DUR/Mexique [MG 56.3/97] - 20 seeds

I was first thinking about ordering some A. myriostigma seeds, but then I saw this fellow. First I had them both on my list, but later on I´ve decided to choose the one I like the most; Astrophytum coahuilense! Although it's looking quite similar to A. myriostigma, it's a different species for sure. A coahuilense has more grey flecks on its body, different flowers, fruit, seed and Embryo (according to what I've read here and there online!).

Escobaria

Escobaria missouriensis 'wissmannii' [GK 1198/90] - 100 seeds

Escobaria missouriensis, one of the most frost resistant cactus species in the world, so I've read. Some northern populations are resistant to -35 -45°C (-31 -49°F) and although they prefer good drainage and a little drought before being watered again, they should be able to survive cold and wet conditions at the same time. Don't believe me on my word here! This will be my little experiment and I'll be glad to tell you if it worked out or not. I've ordered 100 seeds of this species, so there is enough testing material for the following years. I'll even have some experiments with seedlings outside in the cold.

Aztekium

Aztekium ritteri [U/94] - 100 seeds

Aztekium ritteri. I've grown (and am still growing!) this plant before. In 2011 I've sown 40 seeds. 8 germinated and 4 of them have survived. These 4 seem to be extremely strong and indestructible right now.

Aztekium ritteri, 4 years old

Aztekium ritteri, 4 years old

They're not bigger than 2 mm and have just survived 5 months without water (winter rest)! Anyway, in 2012 I've sown 20 and none of them have germinated. This time I'll sow 100 of them and use the Fleischer method described on this page of Succseed. I'll also sow in two different pots with two different substrate mixtures.

Aztekium hintonii [GK 4994/13] - 20 seeds

And last but not least: Aztekium hintonii, a littl less ancient looking than A. ritteri, but still a cool looking plant! There is one other species of the Aztekium family that was discovered last year by Mario Valdez Maroquin. It's named after him; Aztekium valdezii. Sadly it's natural habitat is getting plundered right now by idiots that only care about money and don't give a fuck about the fact that they're causing this species to become extinct in no time. By the way: it's also illegal to possess plants or seeds... My advise; don't buy plants or seeds online for extreme prices. Wait till the true cacti breeders are able to sell seeds from cultivated plants for normal prices, because you'll support the extinction of a great plant if you don't have the patience to wait a few years.

Wish me good luck!

The only thing left to do now is wait... When will my son be born? Will my seeds arrive on time? Will I have the time to sow on his birthday?! Ah! What does it all matter! Right now it's being the most exiting time of my life and I'm looking forward to everything. I know it's no piece of cake, but I don't mind. Cake is too boring and I'm ready for something more, something real, something with a meaning. It all feels very natural and of course life won't always be sunny, but that only gives a contrast which makes you appreciate more what you got when things do go right. Wise words here! Keep them in mind. ;-)

Adios!