Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2023 9:05 pm
- Location: Illinois, USA
Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Hi everyone! I'm new to the world of cacti, but I've been working fast. Recently at Walmart I came across a grafted moon cactus that was flowering. One thing led to another, and now I have three store-bought gymnos, all in various stages of flower growth.
Seen above are two G. mihanovichii, vars. friedrichii and yellow hibotan; and a G. amerhauseri.
Like any responsible plant owner would, I came up with a two-stage breeding plan to hybridize and refine these guys into whatever wacky variants I can come up with. Observe this carefully crafted chart below:
Stage 1: The two mihanovichii will be double-crossed, and some pollen from the hibotan will be refrigerated until the amerhauseri blooms. I originally wanted to cross all three of them, but I realized the pollen from the amerhauseri will not be ready by the time either mihanovichii flower opens fully.
The result will be two distinct hybrids: G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii x hibotan, and G. amerhauseri x mihanovichii. Though I don't expect these hybrids to have much phenotypical variance if at all, I'm going to plant as many as possible to ensure maximum flower yield when they mature.
Stage 2: At their earliest convenience, the resulting offspring will be cross-pollinated. The mihanovichii hybrids with themselves, the intergeneric hybrids with themselves, and a few crosses will be made of both just for the heck of it.
Seedlings of all three crosses will be monitored in case any lack chlorophyll, in which case they will be grafted to Pereskiopsis stock.
The end goal of this little experiment is twofold: (1) create some unique plants with cool variegation patterns, and (2) create offspring that present the solid yellow coloring of their hibotan ancestor and a physical structure closer to either the G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii or the G. amerhauseri.
Anyway, that's my plan for now. I'm still a beginner, so if anyone has any comments or improvements for my plan, please let me know. Thank you!
Seen above are two G. mihanovichii, vars. friedrichii and yellow hibotan; and a G. amerhauseri.
Like any responsible plant owner would, I came up with a two-stage breeding plan to hybridize and refine these guys into whatever wacky variants I can come up with. Observe this carefully crafted chart below:
Stage 1: The two mihanovichii will be double-crossed, and some pollen from the hibotan will be refrigerated until the amerhauseri blooms. I originally wanted to cross all three of them, but I realized the pollen from the amerhauseri will not be ready by the time either mihanovichii flower opens fully.
The result will be two distinct hybrids: G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii x hibotan, and G. amerhauseri x mihanovichii. Though I don't expect these hybrids to have much phenotypical variance if at all, I'm going to plant as many as possible to ensure maximum flower yield when they mature.
Stage 2: At their earliest convenience, the resulting offspring will be cross-pollinated. The mihanovichii hybrids with themselves, the intergeneric hybrids with themselves, and a few crosses will be made of both just for the heck of it.
Seedlings of all three crosses will be monitored in case any lack chlorophyll, in which case they will be grafted to Pereskiopsis stock.
The end goal of this little experiment is twofold: (1) create some unique plants with cool variegation patterns, and (2) create offspring that present the solid yellow coloring of their hibotan ancestor and a physical structure closer to either the G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii or the G. amerhauseri.
Anyway, that's my plan for now. I'm still a beginner, so if anyone has any comments or improvements for my plan, please let me know. Thank you!
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2023 9:05 pm
- Location: Illinois, USA
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Okay, new plan. I went back and bought a second amerhauseri plus its two babies. I crossed the two mihanovichii together, then put what was left of the pollen in the fridge.
Anyway, it just occurred to me that I don't know if mihanovichii can even hybridize with amerhauseri. Does anyone know where I could find some literature regarding gymno breeding?
Anyway, it just occurred to me that I don't know if mihanovichii can even hybridize with amerhauseri. Does anyone know where I could find some literature regarding gymno breeding?
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Interesting to see the petals being removed. That surely should help a bit. I always have some floppy petals being in the way of me trying to pollinate. Especially annoying if the petals are wet...
- Tom in Tucson
- Posts: 442
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:12 pm
- Location: NW Tucson AZ area
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Good luck with your hybridization trials.CurtisMarauder wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 5:28 pm Hi everyone! I'm new to the world of cacti, but I've been working fast. Recently at Walmart I came across a grafted moon cactus that was flowering. One thing led to another, and now I have three store-bought gymnos, all in various stages of flower growth.
Seen above are two G. mihanovichii, vars. friedrichii and yellow hibotan; and a G. amerhauseri.
Like any responsible plant owner would, I came up with a two-stage breeding plan to hybridize and refine these guys into whatever wacky variants I can come up with. Observe this carefully crafted chart below:
Stage 1: The two mihanovichii will be double-crossed, and some pollen from the hibotan will be refrigerated until the amerhauseri blooms. I originally wanted to cross all three of them, but I realized the pollen from the amerhauseri will not be ready by the time either mihanovichii flower opens fully.
The result will be two distinct hybrids: G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii x hibotan, and G. amerhauseri x mihanovichii. Though I don't expect these hybrids to have much phenotypical variance if at all, I'm going to plant as many as possible to ensure maximum flower yield when they mature.
Stage 2: At their earliest convenience, the resulting offspring will be cross-pollinated. The mihanovichii hybrids with themselves, the intergeneric hybrids with themselves, and a few crosses will be made of both just for the heck of it.
Seedlings of all three crosses will be monitored in case any lack chlorophyll, in which case they will be grafted to Pereskiopsis stock.
The end goal of this little experiment is twofold: (1) create some unique plants with cool variegation patterns, and (2) create offspring that present the solid yellow coloring of their hibotan ancestor and a physical structure closer to either the G. mihanovichii var. friedrichii or the G. amerhauseri.
Anyway, that's my plan for now. I'm still a beginner, so if anyone has any comments or improvements for my plan, please let me know. Thank you!
A minor correction to your use of the word intergeneric (involving multiple genera). I believe that you meant to use interspecific (crosses with species in the same genus).
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Interspecific interactions are interactions between two species of the same genus, while intraspecific refers to the interactions between two individuals of the same species (in this case G. mihanovichii), so both should be applied if one is to be accurate .
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- Posts: 9
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2023 9:05 pm
- Location: Illinois, USA
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
I've got news, and some of it's good.
First, what I thought were amerhauseri are probably just baldianum.
Second, I was only able to create one successful cross. Hibotan and Baldy #1 both aborted their flowers. Baldy #2 I accidentally spayed while trying to pollinate, but it's a moot point because it turned to mush the next day. All that's left is Friedrich over here, with its friedrichii x hibotan cross.
Though I'm saddened by the loss of the baldianums, I have no reason to believe yet that they are incompatible. I'll have to try again the next opportunity I get.
The friedrichii flower has been sitting for a few weeks now with no visible changes. Do any gymno owners know how long this will take to mature?
First, what I thought were amerhauseri are probably just baldianum.
Second, I was only able to create one successful cross. Hibotan and Baldy #1 both aborted their flowers. Baldy #2 I accidentally spayed while trying to pollinate, but it's a moot point because it turned to mush the next day. All that's left is Friedrich over here, with its friedrichii x hibotan cross.
Though I'm saddened by the loss of the baldianums, I have no reason to believe yet that they are incompatible. I'll have to try again the next opportunity I get.
The friedrichii flower has been sitting for a few weeks now with no visible changes. Do any gymno owners know how long this will take to mature?
- Tom in Tucson
- Posts: 442
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:12 pm
- Location: NW Tucson AZ area
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Sorry, I can't answer your question, I only grow them from seed, and they're all too small to bloom. I think that like Mammillaria, the fruit ripening varies quite a bit by the group of the genus, but does not take as long. Maybe asking on another forum like the BCSS one would help. This genus is more popular in Europe, and Asia. Link: https://forum.bcss.org.uk/CurtisMarauder wrote: ↑Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:03 pm I've got news, and some of it's good.
First, what I thought were amerhauseri are probably just baldianum.
Second, I was only able to create one successful cross. Hibotan and Baldy #1 both aborted their flowers. Baldy #2 I accidentally spayed while trying to pollinate, but it's a moot point because it turned to mush the next day. All that's left is Friedrich over here, with its friedrichii x hibotan cross.
Though I'm saddened by the loss of the baldianums, I have no reason to believe yet that they are incompatible. I'll have to try again the next opportunity I get.
The friedrichii flower has been sitting for a few weeks now with no visible changes. Do any gymno owners know how long this will take to mature?
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
G'morning CurtisMarauder,
Your 1st post is 1st November which means you pollinated a day in November, I think. I do not know your exact locartion in Illinois but I visited Chicago twice in winter. I think your cactus sleep for a while in winter and so you have to wait until spring next year.
When seeds were matured, the fruit has a vertical crack. You can see seeds through the crack and so you never miss the timing of seed harvesting.
Frank
The answer is not easy because it depends upon the timing of pollination.Do any gymno owners know how long this will take to mature?
Your 1st post is 1st November which means you pollinated a day in November, I think. I do not know your exact locartion in Illinois but I visited Chicago twice in winter. I think your cactus sleep for a while in winter and so you have to wait until spring next year.
When seeds were matured, the fruit has a vertical crack. You can see seeds through the crack and so you never miss the timing of seed harvesting.
Frank
- Tom in Tucson
- Posts: 442
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:12 pm
- Location: NW Tucson AZ area
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
🖒Hanazono wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 1:17 am G'morning CurtisMarauder,
The answer is not easy because it depends upon the timing of pollination.Do any gymno owners know how long this will take to mature?
Your 1st post is 1st November which means you pollinated a day in November, I think. I do not know your exact locartion in Illinois but I visited Chicago twice in winter. I think your cactus sleep for a while in winter and so you have to wait until spring next year.
When seeds were matured, the fruit has a vertical crack. You can see seeds through the crack and so you never miss the timing of seed harvesting.
Frank
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- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2023 9:05 pm
- Location: Illinois, USA
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Well, this is just a bit disappointing. I noticed the fruit was starting to shrivel today. I lightly tapped it and it fell clean off. In an effort to see what was the matter, I opened it up and got this:
Is there any conceivable hope of getting a viable seed from this, or are things dead in the water?
Is there any conceivable hope of getting a viable seed from this, or are things dead in the water?
Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Never seen a rotted fruit before! Unfortunate, but fascinating! The seeds look very underdeveloped, but it doesn't hurt to try giving them a quick rinse and allowing to dry before sowing. Though, it might be worth trying sowing them fresh?
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Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
Bad news. None of the seeds germinated, and the project is dead until the next flowering season. See you next fall!
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Re: Gymnocalycium "Triple Trouble"
I’ve crossed mihanovichii black form as the pollen parent to mihanovichii Hibitan purple/red as seed parent and got fertile seeds. Pod took nearly 7 months to fully ripen! Pod will get pink color when seeds mature. Got a few seedlings that needed grafting but most grew on own roots. I’m seeing a lot of purples and pinks and very few green.