Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

I have a question for everyone now:

So the spring is coming and I was planning to bring out some older seedlings outside, like Lophs, Gymnos and Astros that are all over 6 months old. The problem is not the sun intensity, but the temperature. What would you say is the minimal acceptable night temperature for seedlings, given that it's growing season and they will be protected from the rain, but watered when needed? Should I wait until it's +8°C, +10 or even +15? This is the part when I start being clueless.

For my adult plants, I'll be bringing them outside tomorrow, since night temps are already at +8°C and some already have buds forming.
keith
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by keith »

I'll guess and say +8C ( 45F ) as long as its warm during the day. That's what I do anyway.
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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

keith wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 9:32 pm I'll guess and say +8C ( 45F ) as long as its warm during the day. That's what I do anyway.
Thank you!
Yes, daily temperatures will mostly be above 20°C.
Trickier part is getting them used to the sun. The only place I have for them is an open balcony that has direct sunlight from sunrise until noon, so 6 hours now, more than 7 in the summer. I'll have to find a way to protect them.

How much direct sunlight do you recommend to begin with? I also wanna start some seedlings outside for the first time because I am out of space under LEDs.
keith
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by keith »

For Lophos no direct sun I grow them under 50% shade . I use window screen over the seedling pots with a rubber band holding it on the pot and then put the pots under 50% shade cloth. I have pictures of it under escobaria minima topic.

Other kinds of cactus like Mammillaria Parksonii after a few years from seed half day direct sunlight same with ferocactus.
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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

keith wrote: Tue Mar 30, 2021 3:05 pm For Lophos no direct sun I grow them under 50% shade . I use window screen over the seedling pots with a rubber band holding it on the pot and then put the pots under 50% shade cloth. I have pictures of it under escobaria minima topic.

Other kinds of cactus like Mammillaria Parksonii after a few years from seed half day direct sunlight same with ferocactus.
Thank you! Yes, I remember seeing it, but I will check it out again.
I only have one pot that is a year old, others are 6 months max., most are just starting. There is no more room under grow lights. Maybe I will start another thread for monthly updates on other species I'm growing. Mostly hardy, but there are some Gymnos too.
keith
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by keith »

I find lopho's to grow very slow . Ariocarpus slow. Maybe its the way I grow them ? IDK ?
mcgrath111
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by mcgrath111 »

metsolt wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:43 am I just decided to take another picture, since there are visible changes.

Now they're 3 weeks from first germination.
They look great for 3 weeks. I'd love to see how they're looking in 2021 :)
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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

mcgrath111 wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 6:36 am
metsolt wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:43 am I just decided to take another picture, since there are visible changes.

Now they're 3 weeks from first germination.
They look great for 3 weeks. I'd love to see how they're looking in 2021 :)
Thank you! Well, I don't think I'll be posting updates after last month's since their growth is slowing down. Maybe when they're one year old.
keith wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:48 am I find lopho's to grow very slow . Ariocarpus slow. Maybe its the way I grow them ? IDK ?
Yeah, they are kinda slow. Not at first, given good lighting and warmth, but I see after their 4thmonth they're slowing down, changing their color and possibly focusing growth on their taproots.
Speaking of Arios, here is a pic I took of my seedlings. They're 2 months old. I am not sure about the species, I sowed A. k. elephantidens and A. f. hintonii together so I have no idea which is which. I see already they did grow some taproot. This will feel slower than Lophs, I feel like.
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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

Just a quick update:

They are 7 and a half months old. I brought them outside, they are in a shade of a big pot on a east-facing balcony, they only get sporadic minutes of direct sun at only one bare edge of the pot. They also experienced their first rain last night, yay! I did tap crowns dry with a paper towel, don't worry. The balcony doesn't normally get any rain, but it was very windy so they were watered.
While they were in a controlled environment, I watered them once a weeks and they loved it, but now I'll have to adjust to the natural elements.
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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

Hello, everyone!

It's been roughly 9 months since sowing and they're doing great. Very firm to touch!
They are living outside since May 8th, on an East-facing balcony. They do get some direct sunlight for a month and a half and they didn't complain at all. It's hard to get a spot with no direct light that is also a bright shade so I had to introduce them to early morning sun. I still water them weekly, especially now with this heatwave and temperatures of 35°C today.
That's my pinkie for reference.
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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

Here is an update on some other seedlings
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Steve-0's Escobaria vivipara from Utah, 7 months old
Steve-0's Escobaria vivipara from Utah, 7 months old
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An Ariocarpus, 5 months old, very thick taproot that I couldn't fully capture with a camera
An Ariocarpus, 5 months old, very thick taproot that I couldn't fully capture with a camera
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A Stenocactus, not sure about the species, maybe 6 months old
A Stenocactus, not sure about the species, maybe 6 months old
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Epithelantha micromeris, 5 months old, 7mm wide
Epithelantha micromeris, 5 months old, 7mm wide
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An unidentified Gymnocalycium (lost track of seed bags), roughly 3 months old
An unidentified Gymnocalycium (lost track of seed bags), roughly 3 months old
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An Escobaria vivipara, Colorado variety, around 3 months old
An Escobaria vivipara, Colorado variety, around 3 months old
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Gymnocalycium deeszianum, 10 months old
Gymnocalycium deeszianum, 10 months old
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abhikjha
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by abhikjha »

How long you kept Lophophora seedlings into a humid environment in a closed container?
Tropical weather, no winters! :roll:
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Aiko
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by Aiko »

The Gymnocalycium deeszianum you got from me, have I remembered it right?

They look very well! Unfortunately the mother plants have not flowered for me this year so far, so I assume I will not be able to offer seeds from this one this year.
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metsolt
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by metsolt »

abhikjha wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 3:58 pm How long you kept Lophophora seedlings into a humid environment in a closed container?
If I remember welly, they were a little over 4 months when I opened the bag. I didn't introduce them to dry air gradually (as I don't do it with my other seedlings either), but in one quick, pain-free motion. Even though they were in a humid atmosphere for 4 months, the soil itself wasn't wet, maybe not even moist since I kept opening the bag several times and it got dry as I was admiring the seedlings.

Aiko wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 8:01 pm The Gymnocalycium deeszianum you got from me, have I remembered it right?

They look very well! Unfortunately the mother plants have not flowered for me this year so far, so I assume I will not be able to offer seeds from this one this year.
Yes! There is a great variation in body color and spine color among the seedlings.
Do you happen to have a pic of the mother plant? When I looked online for the species, I found conflicting stuff, some even don't recognize it as a species, but as a variation. There also aren't too many pics online.
abhikjha
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Re: Growing Lophophora williamsii from seed

Post by abhikjha »

metsolt wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:59 am
abhikjha wrote: Wed Aug 11, 2021 3:58 pm How long you kept Lophophora seedlings into a humid environment in a closed container?
If I remember welly, they were a little over 4 months when I opened the bag. I didn't introduce them to dry air gradually (as I don't do it with my other seedlings either), but in one quick, pain-free motion. Even though they were in a humid atmosphere for 4 months, the soil itself wasn't wet, maybe not even moist since I kept opening the bag several times and it got dry as I was admiring the seedlings.
Thanks a lot! I have plans to keep them longer, let's see how do they fare! So, after 4 months when they were out in open, did you daily mist them.or start following dry wet watering regime?
Tropical weather, no winters! :roll:
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