Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

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From0to10in2weeks
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Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

My first online plant order from a (reputable) cactus nursery here in Germany left me a bit disappointed. One of the reasons is this grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri.
33_Notocactus Schlosseri_IMG_5802.jpg
33_Notocactus Schlosseri_IMG_5802.jpg (134.04 KiB) Viewed 3266 times
33_Notocactus Schlosseri_IMG_5803.jpg
33_Notocactus Schlosseri_IMG_5803.jpg (162.66 KiB) Viewed 3266 times
Clearly, it has outgrown its tiny pot (5 cm dia) and needs to be repotted. But is there any chance that it will fill out the bottom section so that it looks less like a snow cone? Would you repot it such that it sits deeper in the new pot? How deep? Or chop off the bottom section and try to root it fresh?

And why is the top caved in as much? It's a bit difficult to see in that perspective. But the center at the top is depressed by about 1 cm...

Thanks. Best.
esp_imaging
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by esp_imaging »

It looks normal and healthy to me. Pot it up with the current soil level, straighten it up a bit while you do

Ball cacti are, well, ball shaped. Shorter growing cacti generally remain thinner at the base than mid way up the body. It's not like they are huge columns where the base needs to support the whole weight and wind loading of a large upright cactus. Even seedlings of columnar cacti take a while for the base at to fatten up.

Many Notocacti are often conspicuous for their sunken heads, and also for angling their top surface towards the sun.
Check out (e.g.) photos of Notocatus mammulosus for the sunken head, and N. leninghausii for the angling.
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DaveW
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by DaveW »

I agree with ESP, a perfectly normal shaped healthy plant. Obviously when plants are grown from seed the seedling is initially smaller and it broadens out as it gains height. In fact one of the ways you can often tell a plant is a top cut and not grown from seed is if the plant is the same diameter all the way down.

Many cacti have sunken crowns, some are often woolly and not very spiny at first since the spines grow longer to more adult length as they move away from the crown. Also like humans all plants are individuals and even if correctly grown we don't all finish up the same shape!

If you click on the small pictures in this link you will see your plant is quite within the normal shape range for the species.

https://planetdesert.com/collections/ca ... lent-plant

Growing cacti is promoting natural growth, not like Bonsai where the collector forces the plant to grow into the shape they want no matter how unnatural.
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Aiko
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by Aiko »

I don't know Köhres well enough regarding plants, but I can imagine you would have expected this Notocactus schlosseri to be more compact that it shows here. I would have aswell.

How do the others plants look, do you have a picture of those?
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

esp_imaging wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:12 am It looks normal and healthy to me. Pot it up with the current soil level, straighten it up a bit while you do

Ball cacti are, well, ball shaped. Shorter growing cacti generally remain thinner at the base than mid way up the body.

Many Notocacti are often conspicuous for their sunken heads, and also for angling their top surface towards the sun.
Thanks for sharing your perspective and giving some examples. This guy though is way more drop or pear shaped than ball shaped.
DaveW wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:38 am If you click on the small pictures in this link you will see your plant is quite within the normal shape range for the species.

https://planetdesert.com/collections/ca ... lent-plant
Hi DaveW: you're certainly right that the shape is similar to the ones in your example. Thanks.

My expectation though was informed by the photo on the vendor's site:
https://www.uhlig-kakteen.de/en/notocac ... =197507160

Compared to that it certainly looks strange.
Aiko wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:46 am ...but I can imagine you would have expected this Notocactus schlosseri to be more compact that it shows here. I would have aswell.

How do the others plants look, do you have a picture of those?
See above. Thanks. Best.
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by DaveW »

Its within the normal range of variation in cacti. The pictures they posit unless it states "you will get this plant" are only a guide. It is a normal example of the species. Obviously if you visit a nursery you can pick the plant you prefer, but to most that would be typical and perfectly acceptable plant of the species. In fact quite a good plant compared to some you would get from some trade sources.
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by esp_imaging »

I often find that my seedlings grow rather tall and slender, partly but not totally because i grow them under lights at first, so it's not as bright as sunlight.
They then spend years 2 & 3 gaining more width than height, and looking completely typical after 2 years or so of full sun exposure.
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

Here is our friend stripped down to its roots and after repotting. Handsome fellow now.

33_Notocactus Schlosseri_IMG_5817.jpg
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33_Notocactus schlosseri _IMG_5835.jpg
33_Notocactus schlosseri _IMG_5835.jpg (124.23 KiB) Viewed 3182 times

And yes, the soil looks very organic but there is a lot of sand and other gritty stuff in there. It's the standard cactus soil Kakteen Uhlig recommends for N. schlosseri. According to their website it consists of 70% pure mineral components (broken clay, lava, pumice, sand, deep clay), 15% white peat and 15% coconut fiber.

Thanks. Best.
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7george
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by 7george »

True, pots don't grow with the pace of cacti and have to be changed often. Smaller ones go for replacement of those of smaller cacti and so on until degraded completely. As shoes & cloves do in a family with many different aged kids. :wink:
And why is the top caved in as much? It's a bit difficult to see in that perspective. But the center at the top is depressed by about 1 cm...
The growth point has to be protected against grazing animals, heat, hail and other dangers I guess.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
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From0to10in2weeks
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Re: Grotesque Notocactus Schlosseri

Post by From0to10in2weeks »

7george wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 3:50 am
And why is the top caved in as much? It's a bit difficult to see in that perspective. But the center at the top is depressed by about 1 cm...
The growth point has to be protected against grazing animals, heat, hail and other dangers I guess.
That's a good point of course. Thanks.
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