i' m making a propagator

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:54 am

So when are you moving?

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:58 am

Not sure yet. The house has to be sold first and have to do a trip down south to check out jobs and places to see where exactly I will be moving to. Maybe Geelong at this stage

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:01 am

Nah, I think you and all your great plants should move to Melbourne's south eastern suburbs, perhaps maybe the Moorabbin/highett/bentleigh area hint hint

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:03 am

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:39 am

Well back to the topic of seeds.

The botanical archive seeds came last week.
i will sow them in the coming weeks.
i got some free mammillaria blossfeldiana seeds as well.
My greatest hope is to get some ario agavoides and discocactus horstii up.
the pereskiopsis has been going crazy in there. they sure like the heat.
Daiv wrote:

I think you'll be happy with Astrophytum. They seem to be one of the most vigorous from seed.

You seem to be right about that, i sowed about 15 of the asterias seeds and 3 have already germinated after only 2 days.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:57 am

I figured i'd make this a bit more interactive by including some pics of my seedlings rather than just telling of them.

the joint:

inside:

Astrophytum asterias seedlings @ less than a week old.

Gymnocalycium ragonesei, own seed:

Epithelantha micromeris seedling, massive @ 4 months old, own seed again.

and the green sea, an over-enthusiastic sowing of Trichocereus spachianus. will use as grafting stocks after some serious thinning.

I just sowed some Ariocarpus agavoides 2 days ago and there is one little green blob in there already. and after 2 weeks I only have one Ario fissurarus seedling Paul, but hopefully more will germinate soon. i just ordered some Astrophytum seeds from botanical archive, because at least they germinate quickly and are more vigorous. I got some A. asterias 'Super Snow', completely white japanese cultivar, an extreme form of Super Kabuto, 30 mixed 'rare forms' seed of asterias cultivars and some A. asterias cv. 'Syiowa Supar', another Japanese cultivar, this time a normal looking asterias but with monstrose flowers. Not cheap!.. but i will be happy with one seedling lol.
supposed to look like this:

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Thu May 01, 2008 5:32 pm

Lewis, great job with the seed raising. That asterias with monstrose flowers is awesome! Thre are so many crazy Astrophytums these days. Anyway good luck with the new seed.

peterb

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:57 pm

Hey Lewis

Looking great, I am like you if I only get one to germinate I am happy

I have some seedlings from his different astro's

Good luck with them

Betty

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Fri May 02, 2008 7:42 am

Thanks Peter, thanks Betty.

Betty, which seedlings (of astrophytum cultivars) do you have? They are so expensive, especially the newer cultivars and/or the seed collected in Japan. They sure look cool though!, i really want to see a asterias 'siowya supar' flower in the flesh... but thats about a 4/5 year wait (depending on conditions)from seed... perhaps i could graft some seedlings.

also i have ben warned about sciarid fly (fungus gnats) and they cacn be treated with yellow sticky traps correct? where do i get these?
and also which fungicide should i use? thus far there has been no fungus, i have been microwaving the soil before use and the older seedlings (epithelantha micromeris + gymnos) are exposed to open air and no fungus (yet).

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Fri May 02, 2008 8:20 am

Lewis I will check tomorrow what I have, can't remember off the top of my head. I did plant some more a few weeks ago.

How do you like these ones from the Succulenticon. This guy is a whizz at grafting and they are in 12cm pots and had just been degrafted. 4/5 years old.

These are some others he had on show, no idea how old these are.

Betty

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Fri May 02, 2008 8:24 am

Awesome!

if they are from melbourne i might just know the guy who they belong to. I really like those variegated astros.

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Fri May 02, 2008 8:32 am

Lewis_cacti wrote:Awesome!
if they are from melbourne i might just know the guy who they belong to. I really like those variegated astros.

No he is from Adelaide Frank Kamei. Originally from Japan. He did a presentation on how he grafts so will have to give it a go come spring

He had some for sale but I missed out

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Fri May 02, 2008 8:39 am

Darn, I would have loved to go to the Succulenticon
Those plants are really amazing.. but there is a guy at the society who would be a very strong rival for him.

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Fri May 02, 2008 8:49 am

Start saving now the next one is in Pentrith NSW in 2010

Then you have your own show happening in October. I did meet a few people from your C&S society.

Here are two you should know

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Fri May 02, 2008 8:54 am

ah there we go.

Penrith 2010?? i will have to start saving now. how much was the Adelaide one again