Hana's cacti

[Hanazono]

Two matured astrophytum species were in flower.

[Hanazono]

3 cacti were in flower 2 days ago.

[Nino_G]

That Obregonia looks very old - I'd give it at least 20 years. Or was it grafted?

[Hanazono]

G'morning Nino_G,

That Obregonia looks very old - I'd give it at least 20 years. Or was it grafted?

I bought seeds and sowed in 2005 and so the cactus is 18 years old.
The obregonia on the photo has never been grafted.

Frank

[Hanazono]

3 gymnocalycium species were in flower yesterday afternoon.

[Hanazono]

Two gymnocalycium species were in flower yesterday.
The flower of cardenasium was limited to open due to dense spines.

[SarrCrazy]

Very admirable thread Hana. Some very well grown cacti. I've recently started buying gymnocalycium species seeds and your posts make me very excited to see what I grow from them.

[Hanazono]

G'morning SarrCrazy,

Thanks for your comment.

I've recently started buying gymnocalycium species seeds

I bought various seeds of Gymnocalycium species which had strong spines between 2003 and 2005. I lost many seedlings but some of them have survived. I bought from a local cacti seeds supplier but he finished his business unfortunately.

Frank

[Hanazono]

3 gymnocalycium species were in flower yesterday.

[Hanazono]

I took 3 photos of cacti yesterday.

The pectinifera had a fruit but only 5 seeds were in it.

[Nino_G]

Very strange looking aselliformis. Probably a degraft? What were you using for a rootstock?

[Hanazono]

G'morning Nino_G,

Very strange looking aselliformis. Probably a degraft? What were you using for a rootstock?

The aselliformis on the photo is a degrafted one. The grafting stock was an Echinopsis hybrid.

Since aselliformis plants were not available, I started from seeds.
The germination rate was not too bad but seedlirings had a critical problem which was the body size. Seedlings of aselliformis were very thin and were hard to turn to thick/fat bodies. I grafted several seedlings to solve this problem.
I made 40 plants from degrafted scions and off-sets. Rooting of aselliformis is not difficult.

Grafted seedlings need 5 years at least to reach rooting size which is more than 3 cm in diameter. You have to select a parmanent stock.

The attached photo is a typical aselliformis seedling in a 5 cm square tube.

Frank

[Hanazono]

3 acti were in flower.

[Nino_G]

G'morning Nino_G,

Very strange looking aselliformis. Probably a degraft? What were you using for a rootstock?

The aselliformis on the photo is a degrafted one. The grafting stock was an Echinopsis hybrid.

Since aselliformis plants were not available, I started from seeds.
The germination rate was not too bad but seedlirings had a critical problem which was the body size. Seedlings of aselliformis were very thin and were hard to turn to thick/fat bodies. I grafted several seedlings to solve this problem.
I made 40 plants from degrafted scions and off-sets. Rooting of aselliformis is not difficult.

Grafted seedlings need 5 years at least to reach rooting size which is more than 3 cm in diameter. You have to select a parmanent stock.

The attached photo is a typical aselliformis seedling in a 5 cm square tube.

Frank

Morning Frank,
From my own experience, P. aselliformis seedlings require long dry and cold resting period (in my case about 7 months) during which time they will loose much of the body mass and partially retract beneath ground. In the spring, when I water them and they begin to grow, they'll begin to gain some girth.
Also, I noticed that some Czech growers use Ferocactus glaucescens as a grafting stock with very good results, their plants are plants globular and natural-looking. I haven't tried it myself.
Attached picture shows my P. aselliformis seedlings about 4-5 years old (pictured in 7cm cube):

[Hanazono]

G'morning Nino_G,

Thanks for your comment.
I hope your aselliformis seedlings to grow continuously and reaching to the flowering age.

Frank