Flowering Melocactus.

I had to share as I've just ran for my phone to take a photo before it disappears. My Melocactus has sprouted a little flower. This is the second year it has flowered although this one is larger than last year's. I hope I get some more over the next few days

 

oo.. lovely! It's somehow very special when cacti flower. It's a special treat maybe just once a year or a decade, and tells you that something in the care you provided went right. Very rewarding. Well done @Jasmine star

 

Thank you @Selleri I'm really happy. It's the little things like this that give me a little hope with my houseplants. I'm much better with the outdoor ones

 

Oh, so nice. This cactus is considered to be very difficult to make to flower. In a childhood when no internet existed yet for me, I would read mum's magazines about plants, and there was an article about cacti collection including ""difficult" melocactus. And there were nice colourful photos, it seemed such a magic.

 

Read about melocactus years ago as well, am I right in remembering they grow a kind of cap on the top which increases in size and the flowers come out of.

 

Thank you @Alisa. What a lovely thought you reading and having such a interest as a child. I have had it for many years and forget it's even there for most of the time then last year had to put it in a different place in the house (a sunnier spot) and it flowered. Really tiny flowers. This year they seem to be bigger.

@pete yes I was told it would probably produce a cap after flowering last year but nothing. This year I can see there is extra growth slowly emerging from the crown but this seems to be extra slow. So I'm not sure if it is a cap emerging or just the cacti growing. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

So it's off flowering again for the 3rd year blink and you'll miss it.

 

That's a good one, what kind of size is that.

 

Hi @pete thanks, I haven't a clue, but now you have asked I'm going to measure it tomorrow. Must be getting on for 10 years I have had it now.

 

So I have another flower emerged on the cactus. @pete its approx 40cm wide 20cm tall

 

Nice photo
That colour though....
Its amazing.
I bet the colour of that flower is even more spectacular in real life.
As i noticed that digital cameras for some reason ignore certain colors!

 

Hi @Fai thank you. Yes they are lovely flowers. I've been lucky enough to get flowers each year for around 3 years now. I take the photos on my phone. I have about a 4 hour window as they disappear quickly.

 

Lucky you

Do you save the seeds ?

 

@Fai I wouldn't know where to start

 

If you dont mind the flowers closing earlier then normal
It is easier then riding a bike
use a clean and sterile cotton bud

Check out YT it has a lot of videos showing how to do this

Who knows, you might start cross pollinating by next year and making unique varieties