Astrophytum asterias question

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:42 pm

This is my first batch of A. asterias and I am wondering is this just normal variation in these seedlings or is something else going on here?
three of them look stretched and are turning red and yellow.
The seed came from my own normal looking stock plants and should not be hybridized but Im beginning to have my doubts.

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:53 pm

They all look like hybrids. Standard A. asterias seedlings are pretty smooth without pronounced ribs. Maybe there is something in the growing conditions, but I think foreign genes is more likely.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:10 pm

I agree, those pointy like ribs do not fit asterias. Some capricorne and myriostigma might have gotten in there?

PapaBearJay · Post by **PapaBearJay** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 4:23 pm

Those are mutants Tony. MUTANTS!

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 7:54 pm

Ya, thats what I was thinking.

I guess I will grow the taller freaky ones and blow out the rest.

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:24 pm

Tony wrote:Ya, thats what I was thinking.
I guess I will grow the taller freaky ones and blow out the rest.

If you do, blow them my way!

PapaBearJay · Post by **PapaBearJay** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:58 pm

How old are those A. asterias in the pictures?

I'm looking for a time frame to compare to my own asterias sowed just before Christmas.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:36 am

You can have as many as you want Harriet.

Josh, These were sown in october 2009.

PapaBearJay · Post by **PapaBearJay** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:55 am

Is that a 2",3", or 4" square pot?

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:38 am

Three inch pot.

PapaBearJay · Post by **PapaBearJay** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:39 am

Nicely done, did you just cook up that picture?

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 4:40 am

madadi · Post by **madadi** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:28 pm

did you repot them at one point or did you plant the seeds in neat rows like that?

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:40 pm

They were repotted at the begining of last summer because I had dropped the original pot they were sown in and they all went flying.
usually I leave seedlings in their original containers until there literally is no more room for them to grow.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:46 pm

I'd hazard the guess that some capricorne genes got mixed in.

I think they're cool. I'd grow them on.

peterb