Propagation Ariocarpus fom seed

[Minnesota]

Hi, Frank--

It's fantastic to follow your work in this line. The topics are wonderful, the specimens are beautiful, and the information is invaluable.
Thank you for sharing all of this with us. The ario seedlings are impressive, and your care for them is impeccable. Truly inspiring.

[doncoqui]

2~4 mm size of zeolite grit is used as the top-dressing for both asterias and Ariocarpus.
Same material is used for both.

In case of Ariocarpus, the grit has no special benefit for germination.
The grit can form air gap between the bottom of seedlings and potting-mix.
This air gap can minimize the rotting of seedlings and also can minimize the formation of moss over the potting-mix.

Beautiful seedlings. Does the alkaline pH of the zeolite have an impact on the seedlings? References say zeolite has a pH around 10-11.

[Hanazono]

G'morning doncoqui,

Does the alkaline pH of the zeolite have an impact on the seedlings? References say zeolite has a pH around 10-11.

I think the zeolite which you mentioned is same name as I use but it is a different product.
pH of my zeolite is around 6.9-7.0.

Frank

[Hanazono]

I did several jobs for Ariocarpus seedlings in this morning.

Photo 1. Repotted 20 seedlings into 6.5 cm square pots.
To protect fine roots, removing from old pots to going into new pots is just one day.

Photo 2. Removed 12 seedlings from 6.5 cm square pots. They will be into 8.5 cm square pots.
Stop watering in May and do not restart it yet. Soil is very dry.

Photo 3. 12 Seedlings trimmed roots length to 6 cm
Their tap roots was trimmed as 6 cm length when they went into 6.5 cm square pots.
I trimmed fine roots only in this time.

[Hanazono]

24 of ariocarpus seedlings removed from 6.5 cm square pots were repotted into 8.5 cm square pots in this morning.
I can expect some flowers on these seedlings in autumn.

[Hanazono]

7 species of ariocarpus seedlings, 35 seedlings in total were repotted into 5 cm square tubes in this morning.

[Hanazono]

I repotted 35 Ariocarpus seedling into 5 cm square tubes early in this morning. They are 32 trigonus and 3 retusus.
Cacti collection is my hobby. Whatever necessary jobs, I have to do by myself.

[Hanazono]

35 ariocarpus seedlings were removed from old pots and repotted into 5 cm square tubes in this morning.
Seedlings are retusus v jermilae which seeds were sown in 2013.

Photo 1: Seedlings removed from old pots
Photo 2: Repotted seedlings in 5cm square tubes

[Hanazono]

Small quantity of Ariocarpus seedlings were repotted yesterday.
They were in 5 cm square tubes and moved into 6.5 cm square pots.

[keith]

Hi Hanazono, you trim the roots ? they look good.

I lost most of my 10 year old retutus after re-potting, just rotted after a year in the new pots. Bad soil maybe ? Clay pots are safest here for Ariocarpus once they are about 10 years old. Retutus Survivors moved into clay pots . My older ones are fine but rarely flower probably not hot enough.

[Hanazono]

G'morning keith,

you trim the roots ?

Yes I do a bit.
There are no parfect pots to fit size/depth for seedlings.
E.g. depthe of 5 cm square tube is 180 mm and depth of 6.5 cm square pot is 90 mm.
When seedlings were moved from 5 cm square tubes to 6.5 cm square pots, I have to trim seedlings roots a bit to meet new pots.

Frank

[Hanazono]

48 ariocarpus bravoanus seedlings were removed from 10 cm square pots two days ago. 35 of them were repotted into individual 5 cm square tubes yesterday.
Seeds were sown in July 2014. Since I knew the growing speed of bravoanus seedlings were very slow, I forced them in etiolated condition.

[Hanazono]

20 ariocarpus seedlings mainly retusus related species were repotted into 6.5 cm square pots yesterday.

[Hanazono]

I can not do so many jobs per day but I repotted 35 Ariocarpus seedlings yesterday.
They are 10 retusus, 16 bravoanus and 9 bravoanus v hintonii. They are in 5 cm square tubes.

[Hanazono]

I repotted 35 retusus related seedlings early in this morning.