North-central Californian grower

[fanaticactus]

Aren't waiting games fun, Barry?

[BarryRice]

Hey James

I'm going to do a few things differently!

1) Lay down traps for mice BEFORE I find their nibble marks.

2) Give the plants a tiny touch of water now and then during the long, dry winter--I went too far with the withholding last winter.

3) Move more of my seedlings outside during the winter. Let them harden to the sun over the winter. This will also free up space in my germination tank....

image.jpg (60.88 KiB) Viewed 3226 times

[jp29]

.......... I'm going to do a few things differently!

1) Lay down traps for mice BEFORE I find their nibble marks.

2) Give the plants a tiny touch of water now and then during the long, dry winter--I went too far with the withholding last winter.

3) Move more of my seedlings outside during the winter. Let them harden to the sun over the winter. This will also free up space in my germination tank....

All three excellent!

James

[RichR]

Barry, how old are the seedlings in the picture above?

[BarryRice]

It ranges. Some are about 18 months, other just a few days!

[RichR]

You say that you leave them out in the cold to harden. How old, or how large are the youngest ones that you leave out?

[BarryRice]

Once their fat little bodies start developing structure, like the radial rib lines or tiny little areoles, they're tough enough to acclimate to outside.

But mind you, they need a little more frequent watering than the mature cacti.

This is what works for me with my methods and climate. Your results may vary. I killed a few pots of plants, learning how to do things right!

[BarryRice]

It's a busy day....

[george76904]

Whoo! That's amazing!

[Vipassana]

Incredible. Your collection is impressive.

[fanaticactus]

A visual treat for these winter-weary eyes! Beautiful colors.

[RichR]

Spectacular!

[hegar]

Beautiful collection of Echinopsis spp. plants!
As far as flower size and color is concerned, I doubt, that there is a more spectacular cactus around than an Echinopsis member.
My Echinopsis eyriesii, which has grown into a many-stemmed specimen, is a sight to behold, when it is in full flower! The only reason I am not big-time into Echinopsis growing is the fact, that most species are not cold hardy enough for our high altitude desert in El Paso, TX.
I do cover my E. eyriesii with a tarp, whenever the night temperature falls into the low 20's and it has survived a three-day, below freezing period, where the temperature dropped to about 10 degrees F on one of the nights.

Harald

[BarryRice]

Whoooo hoooooo!!!!

Flowering for the first time!!!! Grown from seed, on their own roots!!!!

[esp_imaging]

Well done with the Astro c-m! They look like great plants!
How long did it take you from seed? Were the seedlings tricky, or did you have good survival rate from them?