Astrophytum fun

[BarryRice]

Hey Guys,

So I came home from work, expecting to do laundry, when I found this going on in my collection....

Astrophytum asterias 21-10-05-02.JPG (80.11 KiB) Viewed 4020 times

So of course I had to make some crosses.

Next, I found that one of my Astrophytum coahuilense was in fruit--this is the first time I had ever had a chance to see the basal dehiscence of the fruit, that is a character that sets this plant apart from Astrophytum myriostigma....

Astrophytum coahuilense #2 01.JPG (52.72 KiB) Viewed 4020 times

COOL!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, I didn't make this cross--some insect did--so the seed was of an undocumented nature, and was put in the compost bin.

Finally, I gathered up some pollen, and stored it in the freezer, as Craig suggested. I'll see if it has longer viability than the fridge-stored seed has for me in the past.

Cheers

Barry

[Brunãozinho]

Great flowers! but... did you just throw the seeds away because you're not sure of the pollination?

[BarryRice]

Yeah---I don't have room to grow unidentified seed, and in thè past when I offered up seed like that here, few were interested.

[C And D]

Astrophytum corner

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[iann]

I'm still waiting for a pink one like that

[BarryRice]

Nice, Craig!

Ian, I'm making red x red crosses this year. I'm curious if they'll breed true...

[C And D]

I thought it would be fun to put all my Astrophytum seedlings in one flat

IMG_5461.jpg (133.21 KiB) Viewed 3861 times

close up

IMG_5463.jpg (95.06 KiB) Viewed 3861 times

[BarryRice]

Nice, Craig!

By the way, I tried making a cross with freezer-stored pollen, 8 days old. Not sure if it worked, yet, time will tell.

Cheers

Barry

[majcka]

I thought it would be fun to put all my Astrophytum seedlings in one flat

It look fun from where I sit.

Nice.

[majcka]

Hey Guys,

So I came home from work, expecting to do laundry, when I found this going on in my collection....

Hey Barry. That was a nice surprise. I especially like the red one. I still wait for one for miself.

[BarryRice]

Yet more pollinization today!

image.jpg (84.68 KiB) Viewed 3720 times

Unfortunately, despite following a recommendation to store pollen in the freezer, in bits of foil, in a baggie, I've had no luck getting crosses to take with pollen even only 5d old... All my work with fresh pollen produces scads of seed....

[JustSayNotoCactus]

Hello,

Does anybody on here know of a good source for Japanese/Chinese cultivar Astrophytum seeds? I have ordered them from Kohres before, but most failed to germinate and I'd like to find a fresher source.

Thanks.

[Steve Johnson]

Wonderful display, and I just love those asterias flowers, Barry! Although I have only 1, I may be seeing a first-ever experience on mine. And it has something to do its 3rd flower of the year, but I don't want to be premature about this (plus I don't want to steal your thunder either). If that something really is what I think it is, I'll post up a thread with pics in the very near future.

[iann]

I've sent Lithops pollen through the post on a cotton bud, and been told that it resulted in seed. Probably on 2-3 days from flower to flower, but pollen should be viable for a lot longer than that. I'm not sure you need to freeze it though.

[BarryRice]

Hey Iann

I regularly pollinate these plants with success. But no luck with pollen stored in the fridge or freezer. I'm currently trying a method of drying the pollen in room conditions for a few days before putting it in the freezer.

I'll also try simple room conditions storage.

Barry