CactiGuide.com

Aiko wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 3:03 pm
Then I would just try my luck with one of the Czech seed sellers. They offer basically all you want, and for much more reasonable prices.

Yeah, that's pretty much my plan once I get all the seeds I currently have all sown and once I get around to filling out the Small Lots of Seed Permit. Aiko, were you the one who has the thread on seed suppliers somewhere on here? If so, thank you for that, it's incredibly helpful.

Keith, I'll do that, thanks.

Great germination projects, Keith. I'd be interested in seeing the Ariocarpus as they grow.

Bret

Some seedling cactus from about 2011-2015 potted up in single rose pots ( plastic pots 2.25 x 3" deep ) not all single but most are. Slow growers.

The Mammillaria herrerea from 2011 these were the runts the other bigger ones in another bench and are flowering size. These almost never rot or give me problems just grow slow.

Ariocarpus grow incredible slow for me and if I try and speed them up with extra water it often causes rot and death. Its a life time project I started many in 2006. I still plant a few but IDK if I'll live to see them at a size worth talking about. Ario retusus is the faster and most rot prone of the genus at least for me.

These all grow in a sandy soil mixed with pumice and small gravel and very little store bought soil or none at all. But some seem to need a lower PH like the ones in the lower right hand corner Turbinicarpus ysabelae and benefit from adding a little store bought soil or they get orange cankers on the stems. Werid. Turbinicarpus puesdopectinitus same thing.

Great looking seedlings. Interesting observation:

keith wrote: ↑Tue Feb 14, 2023 10:35 pm But some seem to need a lower PH like the ones in the lower right hand corner Turbinicarpus ysabelae and benefit from adding a little store bought soil or they get orange cankers on the stems. Werid. Turbinicarpus puesdopectinitus same thing.

I noticed something similar going on with my Rapicactus/Turbinicarpus zaragosae plant and booleanus graft. I assumed it was mites, but I never saw any with a magnifying glass (sprayed with miticide anyway). I'll be repotting them soon, so I'm gonna try adding a bit more organic material to my mix.

Question for both Keith and Eric: You are both talking about adding organic material to a mix containing a range of particle sizes. I'm assuming the organics are fine-maybe I'm wrong.

I'm wondering if you experience any sorting of your potting media over time as you water and move and jostle the pots. The fine particles drifting down to the bottom of the pot limiting drainage. Do you notice anything like this?

hi Jerry, the fine particles mostly sand fall out of the drain holes on my benches is what I notice. Sand works great for seedlings and Lithops which have fine roots. larger cactus don't need fine sand maybe that's the problem of clogging pots ? larger sized gravel like 1/4" replaces sand then.

jerrytheplater wrote: ↑Wed Feb 15, 2023 3:37 pm Question for both Keith and Eric: You are both talking about adding organic material to a mix containing a range of particle sizes. I'm assuming the organics are fine-maybe I'm wrong.

I'm wondering if you experience any sorting of your potting media over time as you water and move and jostle the pots. The fine particles drifting down to the bottom of the pot limiting drainage. Do you notice anything like this?

The peat I use comes from Home Depot or Lowe's, probably Miracle-Gro, so yes it's finely ground. When I still had some left, the pine coir I used was a mix of dust to some larger pieces of bark. I've also used worm castings, which is basically moist dust. But no, I have not experienced any issues with compaction or clogged pot drainage holes using these materials. Probably because at most they make up 20% by volume of the whole mix (usually around 10-15%). I also moisten the substrate when mixing the components together. The fine organics stick to the porous components and for the most part stay fixed even when dry. I do notice some fine material come out of the drainage when watering. I've only had clogging and compaction when I used fine sand for mesembs. They seemed to like it, though a bit too much, judging by conophytum leaves bursting too soon without forming dry sheathes. Eventually those pots stopped draining on their own and I had to pour out the water by tipping the pot on its side.

Conophytum seedlings almost 2 years old. Sown 10/20/2021 Winter growers.

More seed germination. The coryphantha retusa came up 100% , the lophos look pertty good too, Mammillaria roseocentra a few, the others pots of M. lenta, Epi bokeii, M. herrerae nothing yet. I just planted some Astrophytum coahuilense seeds which rotted shortly after germination last year hoping for better luck this year with desert soil and desert sand.

Planted all of them except astrophytum around middle of March. Had some cold rainy weather so hard to get set-up outside.

Have you attempted aztekium or strobocactus? I'll go thru this thread again in the future since you've already inspired me with your escobaria minima maybe another cactus will catch my eye.

aztekium no , strobocactus yes but zero germination . Mostly now its seeds from my own plants or a trade with other hobbyists and I don't have either of those species. When I get lots of extra plants I can sell or trade for what I don't have and strobocactus is one I would like to find.

keith wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 8:47 pm aztekium no , strobocactus yes but zero germination . Mostly now its seeds from my own plants or a trade with other hobbyists and I don't have either of those species. When I get lots of extra plants I can sell or trade for what I don't have and strobocactus is one I would like to find.

I should have enough Strombocactus seeds from my own plants again to trade this summer.

Aiko wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 8:52 pm

keith wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 8:47 pm aztekium no , strobocactus yes but zero germination . Mostly now its seeds from my own plants or a trade with other hobbyists and I don't have either of those species. When I get lots of extra plants I can sell or trade for what I don't have and strobocactus is one I would like to find.

I should have enough Strombocactus seeds from my own plants again to trade this summer.

I just checked, and I had still some seeds lying on top of the plants. About 40 seeds or so that I could send you imediately, if you are interested.

Hi Aiko yes interested I sent you a PM .

Mammillaria theresae old seed grown plant next to a seedling grown with a Turbinicapus not exactly the fastest growing cactus either. Seed germination is poor and lasts multiple years. I got these seeds out of a older dead plant back around 2015. Two sprouted out of maybe 20 over a two year period. This is the bigger one

Very nice compact theresae Makes the flower even more impressive when they come.