Contest 63 : Discussion and related Pictures

[peterb]

Hmm, very interesting info re: flowering time. I'll check with Juergen also. I think Roberts has Penio johnstonii as a spring bloomer (maybe March?) and I'll check that at home also.

Jens, in my experience, there are two general forms of penio. The xeric kind and the tropical kind. I think they are actually quite distinct. The more tropical ones like maculatus and serpentinus (which really belongs in Nyctocereus), grow like mad every year and seem to like more water and more organic material. The more xeric forms like johnstonii, greggii, etc. can't abide any peat or coir past about 1 year old. They do okay as seedlings.

peterb

[peterb]

I looked in Roberts and he gives February and March for Peniocereus johnstonii flowers. Juergen emailed me yesterday: "P. johnstonii flowered on March 26th 2004 and on April 29th 2008. They were planted in the garden. I recently put them back in big pots and -finally yesterday- in the greenhouse because I got the impression they need more warmth and not so much winter rain. One started budding already." I have never been able to provide early spring heat without a greenhouse. Maybe one very warm spring will come along and it will finally flower.

peterb

[Jens]

Thanks peter- so I will repot my P. gregii v. transmontanus seedlings into all mineral substrate.

[Jens]

How about some more ?
Another way to make it visible: bulging pots

[CactusJordi]

not only bulging but splitting!

Ariocarpus retusus

Jordi

[gemhunter178]

not only bulging but splitting!

Yikes! Needs repotting methinks!

[Jens]

Hi Jordi
Those roots are red hot

Thinking of roots I started repotting some Pterocacti before the watering season beginns . These guys like to be be watered early in the season.(end of Feb.-March)
Ptero tuberosus

Pterocactus HPT 2012 Februar12-6.jpg (82.52 KiB) Viewed 6257 times

Pterocactus spec- where is the plant?

Pterocactus HPT 2012 Februar12-3.jpg (77.39 KiB) Viewed 6257 times

Pterocactus reticulatus

Pterocactus reticulatus HPT274 2012 Februar12-2.jpg (93.94 KiB) Viewed 6257 times

[Jens]

Hi Ralf three nice little Schnapskopfs

[Ralf]

Thanks Jens!
You should translate the last word for everyone who's not familar with German designations.
You show some nice Pterocactus I like it. In your first picture are this seedlings?

[Buck Hemenway]

What about plants that have big roots down there, but we are not allowed to dig them up. Here's about 10 Pachypodium bispinosum growing underground, just a terrific bloom fest.

Dsc03285b.jpg (295.36 KiB) Viewed 6235 times

This nice Trichodiadema bulbosum has ameays been one of my favorites.

[CactusJordi]

... Here's about 10 Pachypodium bispinosum growing underground, just a terrific bloom fest...

Hi Buck,
why do you need 10 plants for this bloom fest? I can do that with only one plant


Jordi

[Buck Hemenway]

That's what it looked like to me Jordi. Not as much rain in that area as San Diego.

[tumamoc]

The bottom half of a Peniocereus greggii (but not that one ). Chopped off in a construction accident . It will never sprout a stem, but perhaps it could be super-stock. Is that even possible?

tuber

IMG_3097_.jpg (128.58 KiB) Viewed 6226 times

cross section

IMG_3098_.jpg (157.3 KiB) Viewed 6226 times

vascular ring

IMG_3098__.jpg (179.92 KiB) Viewed 6226 times

[CactusJordi]

You should give it a try! Using a juicy tip of a Penio and fixing it +/- horizontally on a section of the vascular bundle.
Like I did in '06 on H. jusbertii. This season this grafting will be flowering for the 3rd year already.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/ ... F0006a.jpg
Jordi

[Jens]

Thanks Jens!
You should translate the last word for everyone who's not familar with German designations.
You show some nice Pterocactus I like it. In your first picture are this seedlings?

Thanks Ralf, sorry for the late answer (just got back from a short trip) no the Pterocactus tuberosus stems have been cut off the adult plants at the end of the growing season.


Well here is a possible translation
SCHNAPS = booze KOPF=head (familiar name for L.w. among german cactophiles)

Great picture entries almost at the end of the contest, guys.