hey- finally got some color pics that show this year's seed flat better than the last ones I sent:
The seedlings, sown June 1, are mostly Echinocereus poselgeri, schmollii, waldeisii, but there's also some Escobarias and "Neoevansias" (Peniocereus). Hard to tell, but there are more than a hundred little dudes in the 12 or so cells shown.
These are all seed grown plants ranging from 3 years to 10 years old:
Yeah, that last picture is the spiniest cadre I have at the moment- Ferocactus sinuatus (the largest)from Texas, two Glandulicactus wrightii (with completely different spine color) and another F. sinuatus from Mexico.
Hi Mark- thanks, they're fun to have around. To the left of the 12 cells shown in the photo are the sparser, tougher ones: Ancistrocactus tobuschii (5) Echinomastus mariposensis (5) Echinomastus warnockii (6) Echinocactus polycephalus (a total of 4, out of 30 seeds) and Echinomastus johnsonii "lutescens" (4). I knew these guys would be tough so I tried them separately from the Echinos and Escobarias. It wasn't possible for me to provide the heat and light levels this summer that really make the sparse ones listed above take off. But the ones that did germinate are okay, except for E. polycephalus which tend to rot if you even just flash the hose in their direction. Sceptical that they will make it over the winter, but we'll see.
Hello peterb
Very Nice Indeed! The first photograph looks like a miniature cactus garden in which people could just walk around and see the different displays, great picture. Maybe I’ll try someday, looks like fun.
I'd like the capability to take some super macro pics of the various seedlings, as their tremendous variety under a magnifying glass is a very entertaining thing.
Hi- yes, that is Maihuenia poeppigii. High Country Gardens is trying them out for cold hardy rock gardening. The seed originally came, I think, from Alplains, a remarkable company that often has seed for all sorts of crazy stuff. The first few trials from seed for the Maihuenia were not so great, but we tried using a lot more moisture and keeping the seedlings really very moist indeed, and now they are growing very quickly. The one in the photo is actually only a little more than two years old.
Some lovely cacti and your 'grown from seed are a bit special, they look extremely healthy
I hope to try growing from seed next year, am practising with half a dozen I bought as minute seedlings, they are doing well!
Perry
'No-one can make me feel inferior without my consent'
Well, when you're in your mid-forties like I am, two years is a loooong time. I'll have to check my records to see if we cold stratified those Maihuenia seeds or presoaked them or gave them special treatment.
one of the tricks I've picked up is to overwinter seedlings as if it isn't winter. Warm, fairly moist (almost daily light spraying). This works here in New Mexico anyway. Actually, for a couple of years they seem to appreciate this trick. By year three they get treated like regular plants, usually.
Sometimes I wish I were 15 years old and could start some of the real slow ones......
Thanks Peter, I will probably try that with the seedlings, it sounds good to me.
Tell me though if you are only in your forties why is two years a long time, and why not grow a long - termer? You've got a while yet, don't deprive yourself
Perry
'No-one can make me feel inferior without my consent'
