MrXeric's seedlings 2022

All about seed grown plants. How-to information, progress reports, show of your results.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

jerrytheplater wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:58 pm Eric, question on pollinating: I am assuming you are using a paintbrush to transfer pollen-correct?

If a brush: do you clean it between uses to prevent unintentional hybrids? How do you clean it? How long does it take to dry?
My preferred pollinating method is using tweezers. I either cut or gently pull out some anthers and rub them all over the stigma lobes with the tweezers. Easy and fast to clean between uses. I do use a small nylon bristle paintbrush for the smaller flowers, but it seems the pollen has difficulty sticking to the bristles. Could just be my eyes aren't seeing the pollen or the maybe the quality of paintbrush is bad. I have tried natural bristle brushes but those seem to perform worse. For example, I first used the brush on the Bulbine flowers (stigma lobes too tiny to use tweezers), but those did not form fruits. Instead, I gently rubbed the flowers face to face and that resulted in a viable fruit nearly every time. I wash the brush with my fingers using warm water and dish soap. In the summer it'll dry within an hour (likely minutes).

What I haven't been controlling for is insects. Bees love Astrophytum and Parodia flowers. Mammillaria not so much - or at least I haven't observed them or other insects visiting those (hummingbirds do like my M. senilis plant though). From the limited experiments I've done, my flowering size Mammillaria don't seem to hybridize, so I'm not too concerned about unintended hybridization for now. For Astrophytum (which hybridize easily) I only assume I have a pure species cross when only that species is in flower, but in my records I note that such seeds were obtained from open pollination since bees and other insects have access to the flowers. None of my immediate neighbors grow cacti, but bees can get around and cacti are a popular landscape plant around here so you never know.
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by keith »

Conophytums have long flower tubes so I use a pine needle to pollinate them. works well plus I have a massive pine tree on property that sheds pines needles so they are usually always around.
User avatar
jerrytheplater
Posts: 1153
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 7:38 pm
Location: Bloomingdale, NJ (USDA Zone 6b)
Contact:

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by jerrytheplater »

Thanks guys. I was thinking brush. I have to re-think. Not that I'm ready yet.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

The majority of seedlings from 2022 I moved outdoors and allowed to go dormant over the winter. Not all have woken up yet. However I kept a few pots growing in the warm propagator, now a year old (actually closer to 15 months...)

Homalocephala polycephala subsp. xeranthemoides (Meadview, AZ locality). This being the only survivor; one other seedling died out of nowhere one day.
Image

Parodia calvescens
Image

Previously I mentioned I only had one seedling of Turbinicarpus lophophoroides, but as it turns out it was just a misplaced seedling of P. calvescens :lol:
Compare the two here; the supposed T. lophophoroides on the right
Image
Ah, well. Another species to add to the list of failed attempts. :)

This one I am more sure of it's Turbinicarpus identity, Turbinicarpus alonsoi.
Image

What was the runt of the pack and only surviving seedling after the rest resented being transplanted, Mammillaria dixanthocentron SB 527.
Image

Mammillaria napina. I really like the glassy spines.
Image

A look at the roots. Napiform indeed.
Image

Fuzzy hooks, Mammillaria pennispinosa ML 632.
Image

and their fat roots.
Image
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by keith »

Mammillaria napina are rare good job .
User avatar
zpeckler
Posts: 180
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 12:46 pm
Location: Butte County, California, Zone 9b

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by zpeckler »

MrXeric wrote: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:35 am Homalocephala polycephala subsp. xeranthemoides (Meadview, AZ locality). This being the only survivor; one other seedling died out of nowhere one day.
Image
Oh man, this is my favorite cactus in the wild. I'm trying so hard to grow one. I sowed 25 seeds last year--few germinated and the only one that survived is really stunted. I sowed 100 seeds this year and got way, way better germination, but I'm expecting a high rate of attrition given how hard people say growing this species is. Your lone survivor is looking pretty good so far!
--------------------
Zac

Butte County, CA, USA
USDA Zone 9b
Mediterranean climate; hot, dry, sunny summers with rainy, moist, mild winters.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

keith wrote: Mon Apr 03, 2023 2:35 pm Mammillaria napina are rare good job .
Thanks! Can't wait to see flowers.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

zpeckler wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 2:24 am
Oh man, this is my favorite cactus in the wild. I'm trying so hard to grow one. I sowed 25 seeds last year--few germinated and the only one that survived is really stunted. I sowed 100 seeds this year and got way, way better germination, but I'm expecting a high rate of attrition given how hard people say growing this species is. Your lone survivor is looking pretty good so far!
Thanks! Where did you get your seeds? I got mine from Mesa Garden and I plan on trying sowing these (and subsp. polycephala) again sometime in the future.
User avatar
zpeckler
Posts: 180
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 12:46 pm
Location: Butte County, California, Zone 9b

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by zpeckler »

MrXeric wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:42 pm
zpeckler wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 2:24 am
Oh man, this is my favorite cactus in the wild. I'm trying so hard to grow one. I sowed 25 seeds last year--few germinated and the only one that survived is really stunted. I sowed 100 seeds this year and got way, way better germination, but I'm expecting a high rate of attrition given how hard people say growing this species is. Your lone survivor is looking pretty good so far!
Thanks! Where did you get your seeds? I got mine from Mesa Garden and I plan on trying sowing these (and subsp. polycephala) again sometime in the future.
I found them on Etsy. The name of the store was Three Deserts. Didn't know about Mesa until a few weeks ago!
--------------------
Zac

Butte County, CA, USA
USDA Zone 9b
Mediterranean climate; hot, dry, sunny summers with rainy, moist, mild winters.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

zpeckler wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:12 pm
MrXeric wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:42 pm
zpeckler wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 2:24 am
Oh man, this is my favorite cactus in the wild. I'm trying so hard to grow one. I sowed 25 seeds last year--few germinated and the only one that survived is really stunted. I sowed 100 seeds this year and got way, way better germination, but I'm expecting a high rate of attrition given how hard people say growing this species is. Your lone survivor is looking pretty good so far!
Thanks! Where did you get your seeds? I got mine from Mesa Garden and I plan on trying sowing these (and subsp. polycephala) again sometime in the future.
I found them on Etsy. The name of the store was Three Deserts. Didn't know about Mesa until a few weeks ago!
Thanks, will look into them!
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

Here's an update (in parts) of the other seedlings I haven't shown yet. These are all 1 year and 7 months old.
Part 1 of 3

Cochemiea guelzowiana SB 1160. There's 3 seedlings in that fluffy mess.
Image

Cochemiea sheldonii 'marnieriana'.
Image

Mammillaria albiflora.
Image

Mammillaria lasiacantha subsp. egregia SB 30. Slow growing.
Image

Mammillaria pectinifera. Growing faster than anticipated.
Image

Mammillaria perbella TL 556.
Image

Mammillaria pottsii SB 102.
Image

Mammillaria pottsii 'multicaulis' SB 1062, a heavily clustering form.
Image

Mammillaria solisioides TL 377. One source has adopted Hunt's designation of reducing this to a subspecies of M. pectinifera.
Image

Mammillaria wagneriana L 1073.
Image

The other 3 Mammillaria I shared earlier in the year are still alive, just that I burned the M. pennispinosa (1 died, the other 3 recovered) and 2 of the 4 M. napina lost most of their taproots, but subsequently rerooted on their own (I discovered this when I accidentally tipped the pot over). M. dixanthocentron grew just a bit bigger.
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by keith »

i transplanted many 2 year old + some maybe older ? cactus seedlings yesterday and today into a courser mix . No sand as the cactus seedlings get bigger but Mesembs I keep using sand. watched a youtube featuring Steve hammer called plant candy for halloween . He also likes sand for mesembs and doesn't recommend a 100% pumice mix.

Saw another video at mesa gardens they hired a expert grower mixing mushroom compost in the soil mix but that's the very dry desert. Growing all kinds of cool cactus.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

keith wrote: Sun Aug 27, 2023 8:38 pm i transplanted many 2 year old + some maybe older ? cactus seedlings yesterday and today into a courser mix . No sand as the cactus seedlings get bigger but Mesembs I keep using sand. watched a youtube featuring Steve hammer called plant candy for halloween . He also likes sand for mesembs and doesn't recommend a 100% pumice mix.

Saw another video at mesa gardens they hired a expert grower mixing mushroom compost in the soil mix but that's the very dry desert. Growing all kinds of cool cactus.
I also use finer grained substrate for mesembs. Lithops with trimmed roots, root easier in it than my normal size medium I use for cacti.
Last edited by MrXeric on Fri Sep 15, 2023 3:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

Here's part 2 of the update on these seedlings.

Epithelantha bokei SB 416.
Image
Image

Pediocactus simpsonii RP 179. Apparently this is the only locality (Pastora Peak) where this species grows in Arizona.
Image

Sclerocactus blainei RP 136. Originally labeled by Mesa Garden as "Sclerocactus spinosior var. schleseri". Also seen as "Sclerocactus spinosior subsp. blainei". Apparently blainei(=schlesseri) is a population found in Lincoln County, Nevada, isolated from the S. spinosior population in Utah. Anyway, these ended up being sensitive to heat and I lost the two larger seedlings in August, despite keeping these dry since early June. I resumed watering not too long ago and it seemed to have reacted (plumped).
Image

Astrophytum ornatum SB 127.
Image

Pelecyphora abdita. Very slow!
Image

Pelecyphora strobiliformis.
Image

Thelocactus rinconensis SB 301.
Image

Thelocactus rinconensis 'nidulans' SB 1768. So far the differences between this and normal rinconensis is that nidulans has shorter spines, but more densely packed tubercles and squatter stems.
Image

Turbinicarpus saueri HO 900.
Image
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: MrXeric's seedlings 2022

Post by MrXeric »

Last update of the year for the 2022 sowing. These were all between 1 to 1.5 years old when the pictures were taken.

A hybrid I hand-pollinated, Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus x valdezianus. I like how the spine character of both species is so well expressed.
Image
Image

Turbinicarpus valdezianus that I sowed at the same time.
Image

Compared with the hybrids:
Image

Mammillaria hahniana just starting to grow their characteristic "hair".
Image

Mammillaria senilis, either the plant selfed or these are hybrids. The spines are very loosely attached to the older areoles.
Image

Mammillaria stella-de-tacubaya, currently considered to be a form of M. lasiacantha.
Image

Cochemiea theresae. These were difficult for me to get my phone camera to focus without blurring out the spines!
Image
Post Reply