Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

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LateBloomer
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Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by LateBloomer »

I'm aware that large columar cacti like saguaro cactus take decades to just start branching let alone bloom.

What "miniature" cacti are slow to bloom from seed. I'm aware grafting and growing conditions will cause this to vary but are there any cacti that are known to take long to bloom from seed?

Like do all Escobaria minima take 5 years from seed or usually less? What about ariocarpus blooming before 5 years?
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Aiko
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by Aiko »

LateBloomer wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 6:15 pm What "miniature" cacti are slow to bloom from seed. I'm aware grafting and growing conditions will cause this to vary but are there any cacti that are known to take long to bloom from seed?
For normal sized cacti I think most Ferocactus and Melocactus (at least up here, but in Brazil probably faster) will take a few decades.
For the real miniatures such as Aztekium at least ten years.
LateBloomer wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 6:15 pm What about ariocarpus blooming before 5 years?
Could be, with some luck. I suspect Ariocarpus agavoides is the fastest.
LateBloomer
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by LateBloomer »

I'd like to have a good idea on which of my cacti are slowest to bloom from seed. Maybe I'll list what I have so I know which are slowest... I'll post them later.
LateBloomer
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by LateBloomer »

Ariocarpus agavoides, fissuratus, furfuraceus, korschoubeyanus, retusus and trigonus and cultivars godzilla and mituibo.
Astrophytum asterias super kabuto take longer than asterias?
Escobaria minima
Gymnocalycium Mihanovichii Variegata
Lophophora species
Mammillaria bertholdii, mammillaria boolii, Mammillaria haudeana, Mammillaria theresa

Id suspect that fissuratus would take longest? Then maybe escobaria minima? Mammillaria bertholdii?
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Aztekium123
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by Aztekium123 »

Ariocarpus agavoides,I raised this variety, and now it grows well in my life. This variety is not very slow. It can blossom in about seven years.
LateBloomer
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by LateBloomer »

Aztekium123 wrote: Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:00 pm Ariocarpus agavoides,I raised this variety, and now it grows well in my life. This variety is not very slow. It can blossom in about seven years.
So you think it’s the slowest to flower from seed in the list I provided… other member said it’s fastest ariocarpus to seed… guess different growing conditions
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Aztekium123
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by Aztekium123 »

LateBloomer wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2022 11:46 am
Aztekium123 wrote: Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:00 pm Ariocarpus agavoides,I raised this variety, and now it grows well in my life. This variety is not very slow. It can blossom in about seven years.
So you think it’s the slowest to flower from seed in the list I provided… other member said it’s fastest ariocarpus to seed… guess different growing conditions
I mean, it grows faster,it’s the fastest to flower from seed in the list you provided

Relative to other ARIOCARPUS,
My Ariocarpus agavoides,
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C And D
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by C And D »

As far as Ariocarpus go
A. agavoides can flower in 3-4 years, maybe faster if you live in Arizona
A. retusus, trigonus, bravo, hintonii in about 4 years
A. fissuatus is probably the slowest to grow and flower

Not sure what the slowest cactus to flower is,
but there are many species that are a lot slower than Ariocarpus
Melocactus, Aztekiums, Columnar cactuses, Opuntia
Check out our plant and seed lists
http://www.CandDplants.com

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7george
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by 7george »

LateBloomer wrote: Tue Dec 13, 2022 6:15 pm Like do all Escobaria minima take 5 years from seed or usually less?
These cacti are small plants even mature and at height 2 - 3 cm will do flowers. How long it takes will depend on conditions, should be up to 5 years in Brasil.

Lophophora's are slow to grow in my conditions. At least 8 years to blooms but might be from my cooler conditions because I have a mature looking plant that hesitates to make a first flower. I wouldn't graft those though.

Mammillaria -- maybe M. bertholdii will grow slowest but Mammillaria haudeana, M. theresa are also often been grafted even have seen some of those kept on own roots and having more less average growth rate. M. boolii grows not so slow and at size of ~ 2 cm can do flowers already.

Lot of sunshine and warmth, regular soil change and your seedlings will be there soon. I would decide after 2nd or 3rd year which are very slow and worth grafting.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
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7george
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by 7george »

Another thing is how many seedling a variety you grow. If you have few, op to 5 or 10 survivors you may get mainly slow growers or even stunted ones in your batch. If you grow hundreds (that is sometimes the case if you have own seeds) always will be some early bloomers along the whole group or cohort.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
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LateBloomer
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by LateBloomer »

Thanks for the info everyone... A. fissuatus seems to be my slowest to bloom pending my growing conditions and such.
FredBW
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by FredBW »

I am pretty certain the dead ones are slowest to bloom ](*,)
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by DaveW »

Plants are like people, some are more precocious than others'. Therefore you may get the odd plant of a species to flower earlier than is normal, plus as others have said it can depend on your conditions suiting it.

The measure of a species maturity is if it flowers, not how large it is. Some of the slow growing plants may flower very small (Blossfeldia's for instance) than some of the larger species and genera therefore are mature. All nature asks is the plants genes are passed on to the next generation as seed. Agreed dead plants don't bloom but a near death experience can often force some plants to flower and pass on their genes as seed.
LateBloomer
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by LateBloomer »

I'm experimenting with inducing flowering and using a cactus that ordinarily takes longer to flower on its own will help me in determining effectiveness. I've had some results with grafts however that sways the results a lot so I've moving to own root seedlings.

I guess another measure for inducing flowering would be out of season flowering rather than just premature flowering.
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Hanazono
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Re: Slowest to bloom from seed cactus

Post by Hanazono »

Our menbers live in various locations and under different climate. Fissuratus can make 1st flower relatively young age in my place.
I have kept around 20 fisseratus. They can make 1st flower 5~6 years later after sown seeds.

The photo is Ariocarpus species waiting 1st flowering.
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