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FAQ'S

Plants.

Q: I have a plant and it is dying. What do I do?**

A: Have a look at our problems page. If that doesn't help send us a photo to info@cacti.co.nz and we will see if we can help. Or bring it to the nursery to show us.

Q: I'm new to this and I don't know an Aloe from an Agapanthus. How do I find plants without knowing the latin names?

A: We've written an introductory Tour of the Succulent World page just for you.

Q: Is it good to add sand to my heavy soil?

A: We think sand fills in the small air gaps, rather than creates them, so the answer is no.

Q: I want to pot my new plants into nice ceramic pots. They really like unglazed terracotta don't they?

A: NOOOO!!!!!!!!! They hate it.... unless it is sealed on (at least) the inside with a clear silicone tile or slate sealer. The reason: terracotta soaks up water from contact with the potting mix, then evaporates it from the outer surface. The plant meanwhile is trying to send its roots to the coolest dampest place it can find, but all it finds is the dry wall of the pot where the mix dries out soonest and the poor wee feeding hairs just keep drying and dying. The plant suffers and doesn't grow as well as it should. Sealing the ceramic surface will make it behave more like an excellent plastic pot!

Q: Is it okay for my Pachypodium to be blowing bubbles out of a small hole in a dark area on the trunk?

A: Yes - it is excellent if you were wanting to brew Pachypodium Beer. If not, however, you have a rotting plant which is plotting a fetid course to a place beyond redemption.

Q: The ends of the leaves on both my Aloe plicatilis and my Aloe polyphylla have gone dry and black, what have I done wrong?

A: The plants have been too dry. Both are quite thirsty species from high rainfall areas. Careful observation, especially on Aloe plicatilis, would have revealed a sad flaccidness prior to the tip going black, this was your warning.

Q: The leaf tips on my Pachypodium lamerei are going curly and black and crisp (or weeping). Why?

A: We hear of this from customers quite often, but it doesn't happen to OUR P.lamerei in the nursery here. It is quite likely due to insufficient water when the plant is actively growing, but we are not sure. Sorry we can't be of more help!

Q: Have I got a Lithop?

A: No, noone has ever had a Lithop. There is no such thing as a Lithop. It is a Lithops, even if there is only one of them. Even if it is dead it is still not a Lithop.

Q: What does HS 151 mean?

A: You will often see combinations of initials with numbers after the botanical name. This is called the 'Collection Number'. The initials are usually those of a botanical explorer and the number is taken originally from his field notes.
It denotes a specific wild population of plants from which seeds or plant material was collected, usually from a small area like a part of a hillside. Ralph Martin's website resource, http://www.fieldnos.bcss.org.uk is excellent for checking locality details as well as the latest identity of that population. Sometimes the plant collection initially has no name, just the Collection Number, and only years later it might be formally described..... ..after which Ralph baby will see you right. Plants with Collection Number data are, to the serious collector, of higher value. They have a greater botanical significance. The Collection Number can also be used to identify particularly attractive or interesting populations.
HS 151 is, in fact, a very choice Sulcorebutia collected at Siles, between Totora and Omereque, Cochabamba, Bolivia, by Heinz Swoboda and only named nearly 20 years later as Sulcorebutia heinzii.

Website.

Q: Why do you want my email address and will I suddenly get lots of spam when I give it to you? (Privacy Policy).

A: Information security is important to us (after all, we are deluged with junk email too). So we only use the information that you give to us for the purposes intended (which is actually the only thing we can legally use it for, as defined by NZ Privacy law).? So what information do we have about you? - We collect personal information if you make an order; your email address if you sign up to our Newsletter; on Orders and Requests, we log your IP number and browser type for our own stats and error checking purposes. An anonymous, temporary cookie is used in the order process.

Q: Can I steal all the nice pictures on your website to set up my own cacti site?

A: Thanks for asking, but NO. All content including pictures, is copyright Coromandel Cacti. We took all the pictures and the plants have been invisibly tattooed so we will know if you used one of our pictures.

Shop.

Q: Do you export plants from New Zealand?

A: No, not any more. We used to, but we are now concentrating on re-establishing our production and this will take years. sorry!

Q: As an enthusiast I can just ring you up and order something to be delivered to Eketahuna in a different grade from that offered in your Shop can't I?

A: No.

Q: Can the Coromandel Cacti Gift Vouchers be redeemed by making mail-order purchases?

A: Yes, use them as you would a cheque on our online shop.

Q: Can the Coromandel Cacti Gift Vouchers be redeemed at outlets other than Coromandel Cacti?

A: No other outlet is known to accept them. (But we'd enjoy that!?? ;-)

Q: Do you accept Gift Vouchers issued by other organizations or companies.

A: No.

Q: Will you send me a printed Mail Order Catalogue if I ask nicely and enclose a stamp?

A: No.