Hana's cacti

[Hanazono]

4 Astrophytum asterias cv super kabutos were in flower yesterday.

[Hanazono]

3 astrophytum species were in flower yesterday.

[Hanazono]

A gymnocalycium vatteri was in flower yesterday.

[Hanazono]

I kept quite many myriostigma related seedlings. I checked their roots and cut bottom area to reroot.

Photo1: Seedlings removed from old pots

Photo 2: Checked roots and cut bottom area to reroot

Photo 3: Set seedlings onto dry rooting agent

[Nino_G]

May I ask why did you cut off the roots? They look healthy to me.

[Hanazono]

G'morning Nino_G,

May I ask why did you cut off the roots? They look healthy to me.

Reasons are:
1. Rotting of Astrophytum starts from roots and running up through vascular bundles. Even if it looks alright visually, vascular bundles may rot already. You have to cut the tap roots and check the section.

2. Regrowing roots from the cut section are fine roots only which affect on actual cactus growing.

3. Fine roots have less chance of rotting.

Frank

[Hanazono]

I degrafted an Ariocarpus with a short pereskiopsis stock more than 5 years. The cactus grew continuously and the pot was too tight. I checked the condition of roots and repotted into a larger size of pot.

Photo 1: Before removing from the pot

Photo 2: After removed form the pot

Photo 3: Details of roots condition, although prerskiopsis was remained, roots from the cactus body have been developed.

Photo 4: Repotted cactus in the new pot

[Nino_G]

Hello Frank,
That's very interesting. If I'm seeing correctly the roots are still of rootstock (Pereskiopsis). I wolud expect Pereskiopsis would have been consumed by the scion after 5 years. Is this exceptional case?

[Hanazono]

G'morning Nino_G,

I wolud expect Pereskiopsis would have been consumed by the scion after 5 years. Is this exceptional case?

I have to check more to make a conclusion but the Pereskiopsis alives for 5 years. It becomes weak and roots have developed from the scion.
I will check more Pereskiopsis short stocks anyway.

I have known the character of two other short stocks.
1. Short vascular bandle of Hylocereus undatus
The life is 1~2 years. Roots are developed from the scion when the vascular bandle was weak.

2. Short stock of Myrtillocactus geometrizans
The short stock turns to a woody structure and becomes a part of scion. The stock alives more than 10 years.
Roots from scion will never be developed.

Frank

[Aztekium123]

G'morning Nino_G,

May I ask why did you cut off the roots? They look healthy to me.

Reasons are:
1. Rotting of Astrophytum starts from roots and running up through vascular bundles. Even if it looks alright visually, vascular bundles may rot already. You have to cut the tap roots and check the section.

2. Regrowing roots from the cut section are fine roots only which affect on actual cactus growing.

3. Fine roots have less chance of rotting.

Frank

I would like to ask how to distinguish the root from the problem before digging it out? The above ground part looks very normal

[Nino_G]

@Aztekium123: I think what Frank wanted to say is that purpose of removing taproots is to be replaced with fibrous roots which are less susceptible to rot.

[MikeInOz]

@Aztekium123: I think what Frank wanted to say is that purpose of removing taproots is to be replaced with fibrous roots which are less susceptible to rot.

I question whether the fine roots are less susceptible, but if a rot get's into the tap root it could spread more quickly and become irreversible. I would assume the fine roots are actually more susceptible to pathogens. However, the fines roots are the ones which take up water and nutrients so more of them could, in theory, lead to faster growth.

[Hanazono]

G'morning Aztekium123,

I would like to ask how to distinguish the root from the problem before digging it out? The above ground part looks very normal

It was 1st repotting after the germination. I should do it earlier but I could not. There were several rotted seedlings in the pot but they were removed before taking the photo. All of seedlings on the photo are healthy visually.

I cut roots of Astrophytum species more or less during every repotting occasions to check rotting. Tap roots are cut off at the 1st repotting. Tap roots of astrophytum will not regrow.

frank

[Hanazono]

Two asterias related species were in flower yesterday.

[Hanazono]

Attached 3 photos are ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv tri-fingers. My friend gave me seeds and I sowed in 2008. I grafted 24 seedlings but a rat ate 12 scions unfortunately.
I have kept 12 cacti but just 3 of them show the character of tri-fingers. I have not seen any flower yet but I hope I could see soon.