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Tiny Cactuses

October 8th, 2011

Remember back in the spring when I started a flat of cactus seeds? I ended up with six or seven tiny plants from my pack of seeds. In May I moved the flat out to the front porch so they could get some sun and warmth. Little did I know, our little outdoor cat thought this flat was her new bed. When I finally discovered what she was doing, there were only two tiny cactus plants that survived. I quickly planted them in tiny pots and put them in a sheltered place on the front porch so they wouldn’t get knocked over or trampled.

They stayed out all summer long and grew very slowly. I just transplanted them to slightly larger pots before bringing them in for the winter. Even though they’re 10 times bigger than they were this spring, they’re still teeny tiny little plants.


Just how tiny are these little plants? Here’s a penny for scale:

I love that even though they’re still so tiny, they’re so different, it takes a macro lens to see those differences fully. It may take a while for these to get to a noticeable size, but that’s OK. I think they’re kind a cute. I certainly won’t have to worry about making room for them in the living room since they won’t take up any space at all!

There’s something so interesting about tiny plants. I have a collection of miniature herbs in the garden, each of them growing no taller than a centimeter. Among these are a few different varieties of creeping thyme, Scotch moss and Corsican mint. Plants come in such a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes, I’m happy to have some of each here at Chiot’s Run.

Do you have any favorite teeny tiny plants?

8 Comments to “Tiny Cactuses”
  1. Gwen on October 8, 2011 at 5:01 am

    They’re so adorable! We don’t have any teeny plants at the moment, but we do have a tiny terra cotta pot that would suit one of your cacti! Not sure what to put in it yet.

    Reply to Gwen's comment

  2. kathi cookk on October 8, 2011 at 7:39 am

    I made a terrarium in the spring with some mosses and some llittle plants. I love the idea of a miniature landscape. It reminds me of walking in the woods.

    Reply to kathi cookk's comment

  3. The Sage Butterfly on October 8, 2011 at 8:51 am

    I like that you got close and let us see the details. From far away they seem so very small, but there are so many beautiful details up close.

    Reply to The Sage Butterfly's comment

  4. goatpod2 on October 8, 2011 at 11:07 am

    We have teeny tiny cactuses in our greenhouse right now. We had some cactuses by one of our goat runs as well.

    Amy

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  5. KimH on October 8, 2011 at 11:27 am

    How cute those are and how awesome you were able to start them from seed!
    I dont have any teeny plants.. I do have one little cactus that my daughters friend gifted me many years ago. It was about an inch or so tall when I got it and it stands about 4 inches tall now…Its a tough little dude & quite healthy.

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  6. Daedre Craig on October 8, 2011 at 11:30 am

    Those look a lot like mine! I love starting cacti and succulent from seed. That reminds me that I should take a few photos to show their progress over the summer.

    Reply to Daedre Craig's comment

  7. Sincerely, Emily on October 8, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    it is so neat to see the detail in your tiny cactus. When we lived in Palm Springs we had a yard full of cactus and other nice dessert plants. It was fun to plan and plant (nothing tiny though, they were all big). This summer my neighbor gave me many succulents bits to start. They have all done well, and I need to think about bringing them inside for the winter or at least think about protecting them somehow. I see a green house in my future for all the sensitive plant that I have started this year. I love starting things from seed, I also love taking clippings and propagating that way.

    Reply to Sincerely, Emily's comment

  8. warren on October 10, 2011 at 3:45 pm

    So cool! I have tried growing cacti twice with no luck but yours are awesome! Well done and such cool pics!

    Reply to warren's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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