Advices request for sowing some (winter active) species

[mmcavall]

Thanks Ian, I'll expect no germination of the Avonia seeds, so I'll be happy even if only one germinates.

About the Othonna: I was wondering that maybe is not the warmth alone that killed your Othonnas, probably a combination of factors; I think that because the seeds I have came from Mesa Garden, which means that their Othonnas survive (and reproduce) in the hot New Mexico (which I believe is hotter than England).

[greenknight]

New Mexico temperatures vary widely, but summers are indeed hot. Mesa Garden is in Belen, not far from Albuquerque, here's climate data for that city - http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/al ... 370/2016/1

Yes, it's safe to say that anything they grow can survive some hot weather.

[mmcavall]

That's it, Spence, and that is an interesting perspective...thinking about all the cold lovers dwelling in the New Mexico hot summer. For those that have hot summers as I have, this is encouraging.

Anyway, my condition is different from New Mexico and England, because we dont have cold winters here, and this can be a problem for the cold lovers (I mean, not the hot days, but the lack of cold days)..

I'm growing Mesembs for the first time and until now and even the Monilaria is fine, it has passed October, the hottest month of the year, and did not drop its leaves, to the contrary, if put new ones. But perhaps it will not grow in the winter as it would do, simply because we dont have winter here...lets see what will happen.

[iann]

Hot summers are not much of an issue for obligate winter growers. The ones that become dry and dormant can tolerate quite extreme temperatures and zero water. Most of them are quite thirsty in winter. A Monilaria that doesn't collapse into dried noodles in summer sounds very strange. Maybe a seedling, maybe very risky over-watering.

My Othonnas were killed by Tortrix moth caterpillars. They were doing fine for many years, but one winter I didn't spot the warnings signs until too late and now they are gone. They were O. cacaliodes, which has a very short growing season in winter and is thoroughly dried and dormant in summer. Summer shade is probably a good idea, no risk of the dry caudex etiolating

[mmcavall]

A Monilaria that doesn't collapse into dried noodles in summer sounds very strange. Maybe a seedling, maybe very risky over-watering.

Yes, they seedlings of about 4 months. They are protected from direct sunrays, but in very light place. I just spray some water in intervals of about 4 days, if they are really dry. It is the only mesemb seedling I dont entered a more "adult" wartering regime, because I'm afraid to disturb the plants that seemed to find a way to endure the summer.

[iann]

So I finally got round to looking up São Carlos climate averages. Oh dear. I don't know how things like Monilaria are going to cope as adults. When they are active they aren't very succulent at all. They wilt badly after a few days in dry soil. Or any days at all if it is sunny! Warm nights are stressful for them, that's if they wake up at all. I don't think summer will be a problem - they'll die back and you just leave them alone until it is time to wake up.

[Aiko]

Maybe a stay in the refridgerator during winter nights might do the winter active species some good. If you care for hauling them in and out every night and morning (or build a glass refridgerator, which is not that strange if you compare this to heating greenhouse by those in cold climates)...

[mmcavall]

All this time I was worried about the hot summer...but it seems that the real problem will be the lack of a cold winter! Lets wait a year more and see what happens...please keep following!

[Aiko]

Too bad no one can give me some advice, especially on Peperomia monticola and Rauhia peruviana.

Anyone with some further advice on Rauhia peruviana? I tried sowing it twice before, without any results showing for it. Now I got another small batch to try.

[mdpillet]

Too bad no one can give me some advice, especially on Peperomia monticola and Rauhia peruviana.

Anyone with some further advice on Rauhia peruviana? I tried sowing it twice before, without any results showing for it. Now I got another small batch to try.

No luck here either!

[greenknight]

Anyone with some further advice on Rauhia peruviana? I tried sowing it twice before, without any results showing for it. Now I got another small batch to try.

Maybe you just got unlucky and got bad seed, they're supposed to germinate easily.

[Aiko]

I can use some more advice on sowing some species! It concerns some species of the genera:

Glandulicactus
Ancistrocactus
Echinomastus
Pediocactus
Sclerocactus
Toumeya

Some of these genera I have no experience with (Echinomastus, Toumeya), or only have had mixed results (Glandulicactus, Pediocactus). I usually sow in late April in an unheated greenhouse without additional lightning. We have moderate temperatures year round. Summer hardly gets above 30C, usually it is about 15C to 25C in late spring.

It can be warm in the greenhouse, but just as well I can have quite some dark days and cold nights. For most cacti this is fine enough, such as Gymnocalycium and Mammillaria. May provides more of some real heat in my greenhouse. I do wonder of the above genera will do better when the greenhouse gets really warm in May. Anyone with some specific advice on when to sow?

Glandulicactus, Ancistrocactus and Pediocactus I have tried before. Sometimes I had a good result, but a bit more often nothing at all germinated. Do these genera require really warm weather? Would it be better to wait sowing these in May?

How about Echinomastus? do these required heat specifically? Or will April be "good enough" like for most cacti?

Regarding Sclerocactus and Toumeya I will probably need to chip the seeds first for them to germinate well. Is it also adviced to wait for sowing these when proper spring heat has arrived?

[keith]

How about Echinomastus? do these required heat specifically? Or will April be "good enough" like for most cacti?"

I find Echinomastus seeds easy to germinate but hard to grow to adults. April should work but I think they like hot weather to germinate .

Sclerocactus polyancistrus No luck maybe the seeds were bad ? I collected them out in the Mojave not easy to do the spines are long and hooked .
These are funny plants sometimes large colonies and a few years later all dead just skeletons of spines.

Pediocactus simpsonii not too hard and I seem to remember all the seeds of these 3 cactus above were on the big side and the same general shape. Flat shiny and tear drop shaped. Pediocactus simpsonii easiest of the three to keep alive for me.

[Aiko]

I find Echinomastus seeds easy to germinate but hard to grow to adults. April should work but I think they like hot weather to germinate .

Thanks for supporting my initial idea. I think I will wait for prolonged warmer weather for these specifically.

[Aiko]

I just sowed them in April. Did well for basically all species.

Now I have another question. This time on Fritillaria. When will be the best time to sow these in an unheated greenhouse? Early spring, or would the autumn be better?