CactiGuide.com

Happy new Year! I'm still rolling along with these seedlings. I killed far less than last year, and am in the process of starting a new crop. Plus getting together a couple new orders for 2017. Hopefully this spring, it will be rotting time for some of these. (still have to remember to use less organic in the soil mixes).

Echinocereus adustus L646


Echinocereus barthelowianus


Echinocerues chloranthus SB136


Echinocereus triglochidiatus SB1598


Echinocereus triglochidiatus DJF1145

Gymnocalycium hossei


Mammillaria armillata


Mammillaria pacifica


Melocactus conoideus


Opuntia microdasys

With the weather being all around terrible, it's one of my favorite times of the year- seed starting season. This week I did:

Echinocereus fendleri, ferreirianus, mapiminesis,pectinatus,rigidissimus and viridiflora.
Escobaria vivipara and the varieties neomexicana, kaibabensis and desertii.
For a challenge I did Echinomastus johnsonii, unguispinus and Sclerocactus nyensis.( pure screened pumice and granite).

For succulents I'm not done yet but I have
Agave filifera, toumeyana and guiengola.
Aloe 'Shark God'
Conophytum and Titanopsis.

I want to try my hand at Lithops too, and am still trying to secure Agave albopilosa seed(very hard to come by). I will post some more update photos too. Of the light stressed Ariocarpus(now out of the bag), the chollas and a few more odds and ends I missed.

Some cute seedlings! I'm also trying Escobaria vivpara for the first time this year. I'm intrigued by the idea of a cactus that can survive the winter in Canada, I'd like to figure out some way to keep these outdoors on the balcony if they make it to adulthood.

Cacti in Canada. Interesting. I'm not sure how cold your winters get, but as long as you kept them out of the rain and snow, I'm sure it would be very doable. Where I am there is only one naturally occurring cactus species, Opuntia humifusa the Eastern prickly pear. Not an attractive plant, even less so after a cold wet winter, and it's a glochid-covered nightmare- but it survives, and can quickly take over a sand dune.

So far I've gotten decent germination from all the Escobaria, Pyyhrocactus, and Echinocereus. Only two no shows so far and they would be Echinocereus fendleri and Echinocereus polycanthus. I could dry the pots out , but I do not have any more seed for those two.

Also, some of the seedling seem to germinate with root up. Would these be worth using a pair of tweezers to replant the right way?

Astrophytum mix


Coryphantha calipensis


Coryphantha palmeri


Coryphantha runyonii


Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa( I love these things)


Cylindropuntia viridiflora


Echinocactus mix( definitely see grusonii, maybe texensis or even horizanthalonius?)


Ferocactus mix( I will be a sad panda if all these are Wislezinii)



etoiliated? Rebutia mix

Agave seedling( I have no idea what this could be)


Unknown aloe species( feel free to take a crack at these too, not sure what they are) Fouquieria diguetii in the foreground


Fouquieria macdougalii( Trying not to rot them, but they always want to seem to grow)

Very cool to see your seedlings, looks like you like different things. I'm becoming interested in soil-less potting mixes, so I would like to know if the potting mix of your cacti seedlings are as we see on the surface (only grit, apparently) or if this is just a cover layer.

Also, I'm becoming interested in chollas...never saw in Brazil...where did you find/ where can I find Cylindropuntia seeds?

thanks

Thanks!

My seed starting mix now consists of about 70-80% grit(Pumice, perlite, scoria) and about 20-30% "pre-made cactus & succulent mix" which mostly consists of peat, perlite, and some sand. I used to do about a 50-50 ratio, but I was losing too many seedlings to rot. I can't use native soil for any of my plants because it is far too dense, and won't drain.

Chollas are mostly native to the S.W United states and Northern Mexico. I've heard you can stratify them, but I didn't do anything special to get mine to germinate. I soaked them in room temperature water for a day, then sowed as normal. The seeds are large and easy to handle.

These ones I got from mesagarden, I'm sure other online retailers and ebay would have them. Most people propagate these from cuttings or a pad/cane. I've seen these offered on-line as well. I prefer to start from seed because I can control the growth better.

ok, thank you very much and congrats for your plants!

Update time. starting to repot starting with ferocactus.









That was much longer and messier than expected. Hopefully they take off.I'll water in about 2 weeks. I expect to lose a few of the smaller ones.

When were these grown?

my tag says Ferocactus seed mix 11-16-15

left to right: Coryphantha calipensis, sulcata(Val verde Co, TX), sulcata (kimble Co, TX), runyonii


left to right: Gymnocalycium hybopleurum, hossei, saglionis


left to right: Mammillaria armillata, Mammillaria pacifica(petrophyla), Mammillaria mix


I can't really find good literature on the two mammillaria species neither seem to be that common in the trade. Note the many dried up husks in the mixed mammillaria pot. They seem to have a high mortality rate. I think they like to dry out sooner than most cacti.