Tell us a little about yourself
Hello, my name is David better known as Prickly Dave! I’m 25 years old living in California’s Central Valley. Hot and dry, perfect weather for our cacti friends. I’m originally a welder since 2019, currently a full time machinist. Cacti and succulents have been my hobby since about mid 2022. My setup is a harbor freight 10×12 greenhouse and I’m currently adding an additional 12×12 greenhouse.
How and when did you get into cacti and succulents?
Around 2 years ago I got into growing and collecting after stumbling across a video on TikTok talking about the Trichocereus species. Immediately I was fascinated and eventually had one for myself. Having no experience growing cacti I researched as much as possible. After a few months the collection began to grow. That first Trich is still in my collection and going strong. It’s a constant reminder of how far I’ve come.
What are some of your favorite plants to grow?
Although I started with growing Trichocereus my interest quickly changed over to globular cacti and such. My collection consists largely of Astrophytum and Gymnocalycium. One thing I try to stay away from are succulents. Something about them just doesn’t mesh well with our heat. However Ariocarpus and Copiapoa are by far my favorite and consume a decent amount of space as well.
What are some of the lessons you've learned as a growser?
A few lessons I’ve learned is to have patience, water more often than you think, and appreciate your collection no matter how big or small. Whether you import or grow from seed these plants are slow growers. It’s an investment of time that can be very rewarding if you keep with it. Watering is required a lot more than what most expect. I thought you could water once a month but after trial and error some of these plants like to be watered more than once a week. And lastly appreciation of your collection. Whether you’re starting out or have been at it for a decade, your collection is a part of you! You’ve provided your plants with the love and nutrition they need so enjoy it! Your hard work is paying off.
What's in the near future for your and your business?
I hope to keep my collection growing! I love meeting new people that have a passion for this hobby. I love helping and answering questions people may have. Sure I’m not as big as some of the other guys but I feel like I have a hand in the game for sure. I hope to have a private/weekend nursery open within the next 2 years. I have such a huge motivation to grow and expand I’d love to see this go from a hobby to a career.
