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Record the growth of my plants
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2023 2:04 am
by Aztekium123
I really love this charming little plant, although it grows very slowly. I planted another batch of seeds this autumn, and I plan to take a photo every three months to record its growth. For plants in the Aztekium genus, I estimate it will take at least 6 years to bloom, and if things don't go smoothly, I estimate it will take several more years.
Okay, let's get started. This was sown on October 3rd, 2023, and it began to sprout three days after sowing.
- 2023101411.jpg (145.21 KiB) Viewed 8948 times
Aztekium valdezii。Red Flower Pot
- 2023101212.jpg (163.87 KiB) Viewed 8949 times
Aztekium ritteri 。Blue Flower Pot
Re: Record the growth of my plants
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2023 1:13 am
by Tom in Tucson
Aztekium123 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 2:04 am
I really love this charming little plant, although it grows very slowly. I planted another batch of seeds this autumn, and I plan to take a photo every three months to record its growth. For plants in the Aztekium genus, I estimate it will take at least 6 years to bloom, and if things don't go smoothly, I estimate it will take several more years.
Okay, let's get started. This was sown on October 3rd, 2023, and it began to sprout three days after sowing.
2023101411.jpg
Aztekium valdezii。Red Flower Pot
2023101212.jpg
Aztekium ritteri 。Blue Flower Pot
🖒 🖒
Do you use pure Akadama?
Re: Record the growth of my plants
Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2023 5:29 am
by Aztekium123
Akadama，Just a layer on the surface of the soil.The surface soil is actually not very critical. Because if everything goes smoothly, it should be necessary to transplant seedlings or change pots the next year. The seeds of this plant are really too small, about the size of a needle tip. It is not possible to arrange the seeds evenly in the pot during sowing
Re: Record the growth of my plants
Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 1:24 am
by Tom in Tucson
In my opinion, Akadama has a similar porosity to it's native habitat (gypsum based). Despite the PH difference. the porosity looks similar:
Akadama in its native form:
Although Akadama does lose it's high porosity as it breaks down, and compacts (eventually becoming less porous as it is used). For the purpose of using it for minute cactus seed (for a year or 2) whose species have been very successful with using their tiny seed,s (which have the ability to adhere to a surface that most other plants would have trouble even establishing any sort of foothold) to excel in their unique environment.
Re: Record the growth of my plants
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:48 am
by Aztekium123
The following pictures were taken recently, and I found it unwise to take photos every three months because only minor changes can be seen. The first seed sown on October 3rd last year had white mold in three pots, which has not been completely removed yet. The two pots in the picture are lucky and do not seem to have developed any mold. These two pots contain different varieties. The blue basin is Aztekium ritteri, and the red basin is Aztekium valdezii.
Re: Record the growth of my plants
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2024 6:38 am
by Nino_G
Tom in Tucson wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2023 1:24 am
In my opinion, Akadama has a similar porosity to it's native habitat (gypsum based). Despite the PH difference. the porosity looks similar:
Tom,
Gypsum and akadama have similar pH - close to neutral. In fact, gypsum is slightly more acidic.
Aztekium123 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:48 am
The following pictures were taken recently, and I found it unwise to take photos every three months because only minor changes can be seen. The first seed sown on October 3rd last year had white mold in three pots, which has not been completely removed yet. The two pots in the picture are lucky and do not seem to have developed any mold. These two pots contain different varieties. The blue basin is Aztekium ritteri, and the red basin is Aztekium valdezii.
Aztekium 123,
I noticed two interesting things:
- In my experience A. valdezii (at least for the first year) grows significantly faster than A. ritterii; Your plants are approximately the same size after 3 months.
- After three months on my plants only first areoles appear (if any), while on your seedlings there are several already.
It seems that your plants grow almost double the speed of mine! May I ask what are the day/night temperatures in the growing area? Also, what fertilizer do you use (if any), and what type of soil do you use below akadama?
Thank you in advance,
Nino
Re: Record the growth of my plants
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2024 7:10 am
by Aztekium123
Nino_G wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 6:38 am
Tom in Tucson wrote: ↑Mon Nov 20, 2023 1:24 am
In my opinion, Akadama has a similar porosity to it's native habitat (gypsum based). Despite the PH difference. the porosity looks similar:
Tom,
Gypsum and akadama have similar pH - close to neutral. In fact, gypsum is slightly more acidic.
Aztekium123 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 5:48 am
The following pictures were taken recently, and I found it unwise to take photos every three months because only minor changes can be seen. The first seed sown on October 3rd last year had white mold in three pots, which has not been completely removed yet. The two pots in the picture are lucky and do not seem to have developed any mold. These two pots contain different varieties. The blue basin is Aztekium ritteri, and the red basin is Aztekium valdezii.
Aztekium 123,
I noticed two interesting things:
- In my experience A. valdezii (at least for the first year) grows significantly faster than A. ritterii; Your plants are approximately the same size after 3 months.
- After three months on my plants only first areoles appear (if any), while on your seedlings there are several already.
It seems that your plants grow almost double the speed of mine! May I ask what are the day/night temperatures in the growing area? Also, what fertilizer do you use (if any), and what type of soil do you use below akadama?
Thank you in advance,
Nino
The outdoor climate here is very cold, and these plant seedlings are kept in a greenhouse. The temperature is around 15-30
I did not use any fertilizer. Because some of the pots have mold inside.
Below Akadama, there is the soil used for normal cactus cultivation.
Growing very fast is not my goal. My goal is to enable them to grow up healthy and reach the age of flowering.