Re: Opuntia Microdasys v.Albispina failure?
Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2023 1:58 pm
Hi all,
If anyone is still following this thread, here's an updated picture of the little guy that I've been taking care of.
For a better idea of scale, the cactus is about 12-13mm from the base of the seed leaves to the top.
As tiny and fragile as it is, I took the decision to repot it this morning because I thought the soil it was in was quite dense, and was maybe not good for its growth.
I very carefully handled it by one of those seed leaves, held the roots under a dripping tap to clean it of the old soil. It's now in a small clay pot with a much less dense cactus potting mix and coconut coir. The root, incidentally, was about 30mm long.
Out of 20 seeds, this is the only one which grew. I have another 6 seeds which, as an experiment, I stratified for around 6 months in the fridge. They are now in a propagator so I'll see how I go with those.
Incidentally, the glochids have a red hue to them (which doesn't come across in the pictures too well), which is a pleasant surprise because I actually wanted 'Cinnamon Bunny Ears' seeds but couldn't find them anywhere!! The glochids on the eBay listing were definitely white.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234549341015
Hopefully the early repotting of this tiny plant won't stress it too much..
If anyone is still following this thread, here's an updated picture of the little guy that I've been taking care of.
For a better idea of scale, the cactus is about 12-13mm from the base of the seed leaves to the top.
As tiny and fragile as it is, I took the decision to repot it this morning because I thought the soil it was in was quite dense, and was maybe not good for its growth.
I very carefully handled it by one of those seed leaves, held the roots under a dripping tap to clean it of the old soil. It's now in a small clay pot with a much less dense cactus potting mix and coconut coir. The root, incidentally, was about 30mm long.
Out of 20 seeds, this is the only one which grew. I have another 6 seeds which, as an experiment, I stratified for around 6 months in the fridge. They are now in a propagator so I'll see how I go with those.
Incidentally, the glochids have a red hue to them (which doesn't come across in the pictures too well), which is a pleasant surprise because I actually wanted 'Cinnamon Bunny Ears' seeds but couldn't find them anywhere!! The glochids on the eBay listing were definitely white.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234549341015
Hopefully the early repotting of this tiny plant won't stress it too much..