Cleistocactus Species, Golden Rat Tail, Rat Tail Cactus

I have a fairly large specimen of this plant that I've grown over the last five years. I bought it from a local nursery, not knowing its ...Read Morespecies because there was no tag with it. Although it only consisted of three small arms at the time, I really liked the look of all that gold, so I had to have it. Now, five years later, it has grown into a large plant with numerous arms. However, it has not bloomed. This plant doesn't seem to require much care. I usually fertilize it a couple of times a year and water it occasionally (unless we get some rain), but that's about it. I guess our warm, south Texas summers and (usually) mild winters agree with it.

in 1984 I was given a 4" tall lifeless dying cactus. the owner said she was throwing it away. I took home this pathetic cactus,carefully ...Read Moreremoved it from the cement like soil,washed the roots,and repotted in a 6" dia pot with regular potting soil mixed with about 30% perlite. not knowing where the original owner placed it...I put it in a window that only got sun in the am. I watered it again in about 3 weeks. about 2 months after I rescued the plant it started to show signs of improvement...small golden tuffs at the top of it's single column. that was 29 years ago. today it's a healthy happy cactus. I keep it by my sliding glass doors where it get sun about 8 hours a day.in the summer it goes out on the deck. it's a fast grower.at the end of the summer before I bring it indoors I usually have to cut it back,'cause it's "arms" grow about 3-4' and sprawl over the deck. right now the columns are 4' tall. however ..it's never flowered.probably because it's confined to 18" dia pot. I live in the northeast so it can't stay outside year round. I call this cactus "Dorothy" after the original owner.. it is a happy rapid grower. I feed it in the spring with a professional root blast formula before it goes outside. do you have any suggestions on how I can help it flower??

Blooms from spring till frost zone 9a. Arms break easily, but root quickly when just stuck in the dirt.

This is again,a case of being common doesn't mean easy to grow. At it's best one of the worlds most striking cacti. Very easy to have rot...Read More in the cold of winter if kept wet. Easy to kill stems if too dry in summers heat. Even keeping it clean stands out as much more work than the average cacti. The small, colorful, potted plants are easy to find-big plants are like hen's teeth.