buying cacti in Spain

[vbueno]

One of the largest cactus producers of Spain is Cactus Serrano, El Ejido (Almería), a province bordering Malaga. There, the friend Paco, produces thousands of cactus about bargain prices.
http://www.cactuserrano.es/
From there they are most cactus in Cactus Sol http://cactus-sol.com/ecommerce/ (which is a website, not a nursery), owned by his friend (and mine too) Antonio Molina.
As for Cactus Loft http://cactusloft.com/index.html, its owner, Carles Cortés (also my friend), lives in Catarroja (Valencia), a few miles from my house ..
Moreover, in Benalmadena, Parque de la Paloma in June there is a meeting on cactus with talks (I spoke there a few years on Rebutia) and selling cactus http://www.benalmadena.es/cactus/index.php.
Other growers of interest in Spain are:
Agoideas from Murcia http://www.agroideas.es/
Astrophytumland from Gandia (Valencia) http://astrophytumland.com/
All I have named meet in an annual conference in Cheste (Valencia) in early May:
http://acysvalencia.blogspot.com.es/201 ... -y_29.html

Regards
Vicent

[Cactus Jack]

What about Peurto Rico in Gran Canaria ?? does anyone know if cactus plants can be bought there ??

[TS Hakansson]

As far as I know there is no nursery in Puerto Rico, bust most flower shops have cacti for sale and one can make really nice finds with a bit of luck!
I would also like to say thank you to all that have provided me with addresses to various nurseries. Looks like it could be a really exciting trip!

[DaveW]

"Good point Dave. I always carry one of those digital scales specifically made for weighing luggage. They cost less than £10 and are very accurate and reliable."

I got a little mechanical set from a Pound Shop Ross, it contains a tape measure as well to make sure your luggage is not over the permitted dimensions too. The problem of course is carrying that in your baggage adds slightly to the weight you take.

I would stress always look at baggage weights and sizes of the airlines you will use before you go because they are not universal and if you travel back on a different airline their baggage sizes and allowances may be less than the one you went on. This link is a bit out of date but highlights the point:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/trave ... arges.html

Note difference in treatment for carry on luggage as well as that in the hold and it does not state permitted maximum dimensions for most either:-

Easyjet, Carry-on luggage: One item, must be able to lift into overhead locker unaided

Ryanair, Carry-on luggage: One item, 10kg limit

Thomas Cook, Carry-on luggage: One item, 5kg limit

Don't just check weight limits, check dimensions too as these vary with different carriers, particularly the discount ones. Also even if you have used the same carrier before they do change their rules from time to time to compete with other airlines, therefore don't assume you know what they are without checking the current limits.

Ryanair have a box they place over hand baggage at the boarding gate if it looks near the size limits, and if it will not go over your hand baggage they reject it, particularly as many people are now trying to carry as much as possible on as hand baggage to avoid paying for suitcases in the hold. That is how the couple I mentioned got caught as their bag looked near the size limit and though it just passed then had it weighed and had to offload excess weight into the litter bin to be allowed on to come back home. Those of us with obviously undersized shoulder type carry on bags they just ignored.

[PerG]

I also want to say thank you for the good and thorough answers.
It would not be too bad with a trip to the south now that our plants don't need so much care (but it won't be right now for me).

[DaveW]

The cactuserrano A. ornatum looks like the one I brought back Vincent, so probably they supply the garden centres around Malaga? There were some quite large caudiciforms in some of the garden centres if you like that sort of thing!

[vbueno]

On March 1, 2014 we have an encounter cactusero in El Ejido.
We come from all over Spain, including some English and Dutch who live there.
Morning Serrano Cactus (Cactus and Succulent)
http://acysvalencia.blogspot.com.es/201 ... 32013.html
http://www.suculentas.es/phpBB3/viewtop ... =20#p77153
In the afternoon nursery Christ (Epiphytes)
Look your diaries
Vicent

[habanerocat]

Malaga.
Anyone knows of cactus/succulent nurseries in the neighbourhood of Malaga? I know there are Botanical Gardens,but they don´t usually sell cacti so a nursery or a well stocked Garden Center would be nice. I and my better half are visiting a friend in Malaga for a week around the new year and since I always try to buy plants where ever I go, it would be nice to have something from mainland Spain. Hopefully someone knows what there is?

Is there anything interesting in the line of cacti and succulents in the Botanical Gardens in Malaga?
From what I can see it looks like mostly palm trees.

Anything else around Malaga?

[Mal H]

There are cacti and succulents bedded out in areas at the opposite end from the palm trees in Jardín Botánico-Histórico La Concepción
Definitely worth the trek out of the city and to burn off the tapas
You get a good view back to the city too