Propagation of asterias from seed

[Hanazono]

Since I had used seeds for autumn sowing trial, two fruits have made for next spring sowing.
It takes longer time to ripe fruit in autumn.
The photo is one of them, a miracle kabuto with a fruit.

[Hanazono]

I fund miracle kabutos in 2 pots forgotten repotting for a while.
There were name tags, not showing sowing date.


10 good seedlings were selected for the repotting.
They had tap-roots, means they were repotted once when they were 1 year old but no more repotting since.


I cut their tap-roots and repotted into 5 cm square tubes.

[Hanazono]

The germination process of sown seeds on 8th in this month had been completed.
This is a trial of autumn sowing for asterias seeds.
6 pots were removed from the heating pad and moved into a wet-box in this morning.
It may continue the germination of some seeds in the wet-box.
(1) Super kabuto

(4) Miracle kabuto

[Hanazono]

As an autmn repotting trial, I repotted 50 seedlings into 2 pots yesterday.
Seedlings are 6 months old.
Pots are 10 cm square pots.
A fungicide was sprayed over the potting-mix before the repotting.

(1) A. asterias cv super kabuto

(4) A. asterias cv miracle kabuto

[Hanazono]

I could make a space for 2 pots in a wet-box and repotted asterias seedlings, 25 seedlings per pot.

(1). A. asterias cv super kabuto
Seeds were sown in 2014 but I could not repot them in 2015.
Seedlings were not grown well because of that.

(3) A. asterias cv ruri kabuto
Seeds were sown in August 2015.

[Hanazono]

A true miracle kabuto shows a mutation of flecking.
Since you do not know when it happens, you have to keep seedlings longer and wait.
The photo is a true miracle kabuto sown seed in 2011, 5 cm in diameter.
It has started to show the mutation over the top of head.

[BarryRice]

What time of the year do you trim the roots? Do you wait a few weeks before the next watering?

[Hanazono]

I trim roots mid of August in here.
It will be mid of February in your place.

Dry asterias for 2 weeks after the trimming of roots in shade and set in pots with dry potting-mix.
Start watering 1 week after the setting.

[BarryRice]

It's a little late for me, but I'll try it!!!

[BarryRice]

Hanazono,

So trimming the roots stimulates growth? This makes sense from a hormonal perspective.

Does the Astrophytum ever regrow a tap root? Or does the root system stay short and bushy?

Do the benefits of accelerated growth last for more than a year or two?

Cheers

Barry

[Hanazono]

It is still all right to cut tap roots now.

The trimming tap roots does not stimulate growth.
Asterias grow well under good watering and hot weather condition.
Tap roots will be the cause of rotting under the condition.
Asterias lost tap roots, fine roots only grow well in hot summer without rotting if you fed water well.

Tap roots never grow if you cut once.
Multiple roots will grow and fill up pots in 2~3 years and it is the time of next repotting.
You have to trim roots again before the repotting.

[BarryRice]

Ok... Giving it a shot.

image.jpeg (54.27 KiB) Viewed 6865 times

image.jpeg (59.66 KiB) Viewed 6865 times

[Hanazono]

BarryRice

Your asterias seedlings look very robust and cut tap roots nicely.

Hanazono

[Hanazono]

I found a space for 5 pots in a wet-box and repotted asterias into 2 pots in this morning.

(2) A. asterias cv (hanazono kabuto x red fowering asterias)
Sown seeds in August 2015

(9) A. variegated asterias
Sown seeds in August 2015

[cactamateur]

Very informative thread - thank you.