Lophophores shows after the storm

[nachtkrabb]

These days, "they" have switched off summer in Germany & turned on a mixture of April & autumn. It is pretty cool & rainy & windy -- very welcome after too much heat & no rain at all.
So we had a storm yesterday, which overturned a Lophophores williamsii & threw out a lot of its soil.
Today I took it in to replenish the soil & was thinking of giving it an especially deep pot for tap-roots.
But I think I won't do that -- I will just refill very, very carefully some morsels of pumice.

Do you see those two tiny balls in the foreground...? Doesn't it look as if it had sown to baby Peyotls?
The cactus is flowering half of the time since Febraury & I had seen pink fruit more than once.

When I started writing, I just wanted to introduce those baby Peyotls -- I am so stunned.
But now I start to think: How the heck shall I get those babies all through winter? Usually I do not water that plant from October to March! Wouldn't that kill the babies...?! -- What would you propose, how would you proceed?
Thanks,
Nachtkrabb
.

Lophophores williamsii with two seedlings

LophWilliamsii.jpg (106.21 KiB) Viewed 7153 times

[Minnesota]

Guten Morgen, Nachtkrabb--

Such a shame that this great loph was uprooted, but it was the opportunity to discover your new plants. Since it's been loosened already in tipping, would you be able to remove the wall of the pot by cutting it down the corners, tease the two miniatures out very gently with small instruments and plant them, and then repot the parent to go on to its normal fall/winter routine? The lophs I have from seed in comparison indicate that those are not much more than a few months old. Likely, there won't be true tap roots yet; primarily the seedlings are dependent upon a thread-like root, perhaps 1-1.5 cm long. I've moved and reseated several of my seedlings to find this.

The other option would be to leave them where they are and mist them over the winter, once every three-four days. Just enough to run into the soil at their base, but not so much as to wet the pot's contents completely, shielding the parent plant from the spray, and maintain the air flow. In a year or so, they will be ready to separate with much less risk.

Just a couple of thoughts. Personally, I would likely leave them in place and go with the shield/mist/air flow, nursing them all until they are better established. Then again, have you considered leaving them and establishing a larger colony in a pot? In nature, groupings of lophs are impressive.

Bret

[Minnesota]

Quick afterthought--the seedlings were likely quite sheltered from light and elements; when you replace the potting medium, carefully place fine grit/coarse sand around the seedlings to support them and look to keeping the light exposure gentle. Frank (Hanazano) suggested something similar, and in applying it to seedlings, I have found growth to be more rapid in mildly etiolating conditions.

B

[nachtkrabb]

(...) Personally, I would likely leave them in place and go with the shield/mist/air flow, nursing them all until they are better established. Then again, have you considered leaving them and establishing a larger colony in a pot? In nature, groupings of lophs are impressive. (...)

Thank you, Minnesota, for your kind words and careful thoughts. I think this is exactly what I am going to try. With misting twice a week, they do stand a chance to survive & I won't endanger the mother plant.

The joke is that I adore large Loph-groups and have researched the last weeks why my two plants do not clump: If I do something not ideal, or if it is the species. But I admit I thought always those clumps are a mother plant with its offsprings. That it might also be seedlings... interesting idea. So they fulfilled my secret wish. Isn't that kind of them?

Yes I will try that. I will give the mother plant some pumice & a bit of coarse sand around the seedlings, as you propose, & then leave them on their place outside on the balcony. There they are sheltered from the midday sun, although it isn't really hot anymore.
Let's keep fingers crossed.

[Minnesota]

Hey! I believe that is the correct choice as well, Nachtkrabb. It is kismet for this loph to be in the company of its little ones.

At 15 months old, some of my lophs are now 1.5 to 2.0 cm in diameter. Be patient. I'll be interested in how this progresses--let us know.

B

[nachtkrabb]

Kismet or no kismet -- the little ones have disappeared again...
N.

[Minnesota]