Any experience with this Astro seller?

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mmcavall
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Location: São Carlos - SP, Southeast Brazil, Cerrado Region

Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by mmcavall »

I'm considering purchasing seeds of Astrophytum cultivars and found this website from Czech Republic:

www.starastrophytum.com

http://www.starastrophytum.com/S-6.html?lang=en&page=6

Pictures grabbed my attention and I'm very prompt to buy some seeds.

Have anyone ever had any experience with this seller?

Do you guys think it is a good source of Astro seeds?

There are other sellers you would recommend?

Thanks a lot in advance!
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anttisepp
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Location: Suomi - Finland

Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by anttisepp »

I haven't experience, but some well-known cactus growers ordered from Roman Pavlica's net shop and were very satisfied.
Here in Europe cactus world czechs always offer something new and unusual.
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MikeInOz
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by MikeInOz »

I just ordered from them and paid today!
We will see......The way the mail is at the moment I should have them by Xmas.
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mmcavall
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by mmcavall »

Thank you both for replying. I think I will try it. Thanks
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Aiko
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by Aiko »

Which one grabbed your attention?
Or will you go for one of the "books" (that is for me a new way of offering seeds)?
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mmcavall
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by mmcavall »

Hi Aiko,
Most of the types grabbed my attention. Usually I prefer only species, not hybrids, but Astro hybrids are amazing and I imagine how cool it may be to sow several types and see them growing.
For sure the book is the best option in this sense, because you have all the types for less money.
Other packages with 300 seeds are interesting and I could choose 3 or 4 of them.
The options with only 10 seeds of a single type are too expensive.
As you can see, I'm not specialized in Astros, even don't know them by their names...just want to add more diversity to my collection.
(Btw the Astros originated from the seeds you sent me about 3 years ago are growing nicely, thank you!)
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Aiko
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by Aiko »

Good to hear they grow well. I can't recall exactly what I have sent you, if they are A. asterias you should really thank K.W. for those, as he donated them to me to hand them out via my free seed list. I also have some of them growing myself.

Those cultivars are not very appealing to me. I like warty plants like Pseudolithos, but what I see here is just overkill for me. I do wonder in what way they will grow to look like their parents. I assume it is not unlikely a hybrid seed of A. asterias might grow to look like a "normal" A. asterias?
Jangaudi
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by Jangaudi »

Yes, I also remember a thread about it, or some posts, about how hybrid seeds often turn out to be normal, and only a portion jumps to the specific hybrid species. In fact, almost half my nudum seedlings of last year, are in fact... hairy ;) I think Hanazono knows more about this.
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mmcavall
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by mmcavall »

That's getting interesting.

Yes I am aware that the pictures are only a selection of the better among the best, and that there is no guarantee to obtain such a plant. Anyway interesting plants always happen to be.

Aiko the Astros you sent me were ornatuns and myriostigmas, an "astro mix". Most of the plants look alike but there are some very different. Some with spines some without...very interesting variation. I'll show them in my thread.
Thanks
Last edited by mmcavall on Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Aiko
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by Aiko »

I think the mix also came from K.W..
I only ever produced Astrophytum myriostigma seeds from my own plants.
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mmcavall
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by mmcavall »

That's the only picture I have here. One of the different ones, spineless. The others in the background are from the same batch. I'll take more pictures soon .
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Andrzej1972
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by Andrzej1972 »

I was buying about 300 seeds from StarAstrophytum this year. About 80% maybe more germinated.
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mmcavall
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by mmcavall »

Andrzej1972 wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:30 pm I was buying about 300 seeds from StarAstrophytum this year. About 80% maybe more germinated.
Thanks for sharing it. I eventually decided not to buy his seeds because the combos were expensive for me.
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Shane
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by Shane »

They have a lot of interesting seeds, but they're very expensive (about 1 eur per seed). Is this normal for these kinds of seeds?
Los Angeles, California (USA)
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Traveller
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Re: Any experience with this Astro seller?

Post by Traveller »

I have bought seeds from Roman on a several occasions and have never been disappointed. His stock is on the expensive side, but that being said, you get what you pay for and as I type this, I'm already dreaming about what his next set of releases will be in May/June.
Cheers
Traveller.
Zone 10, Sydney Australia
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