Mrs.Green windowsills-growing cacti against the odds (links on page 9)

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Mon Jan 03, 2022 5:24 pm

Aeonium2003 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:44 pm No, the seeds are a bit larger then your typical cactus seeds. Some species like polyacantha have even larger seeds. You can just sow them without chipping, but you will have to wait for at least 1 year for germination. (tried it myself). But, if you are lucky, they might sprout a bit earlier.

Good Luck!

Thank you

one of the fruits fell off during the transport home. I got curious so I desided to open it now. The seed were indeed quite big and the flesh looked very delicious

If it wasn’t for the fact that I am pretty sure it have been treated with something before I bought it, I would have eaten it.

Now my fingers are red from the crimson red flesh. What is the best way to remove the flesh from the seed? I would guess that in nature the seed gets spread by ‘predators’? Which led to the conclusion or rather belif that an acidic bath would help with the germination? Mimicking a tour trough the digestive system.

Aeonium2003 · Post by **Aeonium2003** » Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:02 pm

I would rinse them on a sieve. Rub the seeds on the sieve, under water. Should get them clean. I have no idea about using acid, I guess it would work. I have always chipped them, because it's easier to control.

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Mon Jan 03, 2022 7:17 pm

Aeonium2003 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 6:02 pm I would rinse them on a sieve. Rub the seeds on the sieve, under water. Should get them clean. I have no idea about using acid, I guess it would work. I have always chipped them, because it's easier to control.

Thank you

Using a sieve sounds like a an easy method. Just to make it clear; I am not doubting the chipping practice it’s more my ability to perform the task without harming the embryo, I am unsure of.

Aeonium2003 · Post by **Aeonium2003** » Mon Jan 03, 2022 7:23 pm

I haven't tried the acid method mostly because I am afraid I might dissolve the embryo, or something weird like that.

jerrytheplater · Post by **jerrytheplater** » Tue Jan 04, 2022 3:42 am

If a bird ate those fruits, it would get processed in its crop where it would get ground a bit. You could mix the seed with coarse sharp sand and rub them all together. Might simulate the crop.

The acid of the digestion may be an idea. I don't know how the digestive systems of birds work though.

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Tue Jan 04, 2022 9:20 am

Aeonium2003 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 7:23 pm I haven't tried the acid method mostly because I am afraid I might dissolve the embryo, or something weird like that.

Yes, always a possibility for failure, whatever one does

jerrytheplater wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 3:42 am If a bird ate those fruits, it would get processed in its crop where it would get ground a bit. You could mix the seed with coarse sharp sand and rub them all together. Might simulate the crop.

The acid of the digestion may be an idea. I don't know how the digestive systems of birds work though.

Thank you Jerrytheplater

Great idea! Luckily I have a friend with chickens. I will feed the fruits to the chickens and ask my friend to go trough the chicken droppings, peeling out the seeds. That can’t be to much to ask for from a friend?

To be a bit more serious, I belive you are on to something there and I think with a few ‘modifications’ ( leaving out the feeding the chickens part) it may work. Question is ,is it only the grounding part that helps or it is a combination of several factors?

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:59 am

Links

mikethecactusguy · Post by **mikethecactusguy** » Sun Jan 16, 2022 7:18 pm

Very nice bunch of links. You should move them over to Reference and Books forum.
Mike M

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:20 am

mikethecactusguy wrote: ↑Sun Jan 16, 2022 7:18 pm Very nice bunch of links. You should move them over to Reference and Books forum.
Mike M

Thank you Mike

I made this list primarily for my own use, so to speak, since I often come across interesting stuff when surfing the net. Remembering were I read it, next time I want to read about it..well.. But if others find it useful, even better!

One Windowsill · Post by **One Windowsill** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:26 am

There is also the Biodiversity Heritage Library https://biodiversitylibrary.org/

Cactus and Succulent Digital Library https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio/en:accueil

JSTOR needs a free registration but worth the small amount of time it takes. You can access 100 articles per month and they have all the old CactusWorld and predecessor publications of the BCSS and NCSS and CSSGB. If you progress through one journal it only counts as one view. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42794798

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:39 pm

Thank you very much One Windowsill! Interesting links as always from you

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:31 pm

My experience is that if you buy a cactus, in 9 out of 10 cases, you get free ‘interesting’ critters with the cactus. So after much bathing ( the cacti, not me) and repotting last year, I decided not to buy any cacti in the winter. Giving new cacti hot baths and repotting in the middle of winter, doesn’t seems like a good idea?

My good intentions did last a few months..

It isn’t my fault I got a giftcard for a local gardensenter as a xmas gift, is it? Fearing that this giftcard would be invalid suddenly ( not very likely , I have to admit , it is a big chainstore but you never know right? ) I decided to pay the shop a visit. Just to have a look.. Woha! 25% off on all cacti! I couldn’t pass on such an opportunity, could I?

So I did came home with a ehhrm..few cacti

This little fella is one of the new ones, really liked the spines, which reminds me of a mature mans chesthair

It’s labeled Neoporteria nidus v. gerocephala which seems about right?

mikethecactusguy · Post by **mikethecactusguy** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:22 pm

Mrs Green. It must be a Norway thing? Or I have just been plain old lucky. Not a single infested plant has been purchased at any nursery, garden center or big box retailer. On the other hand I had 24 Teddy Bear Cholla cuttings turn bad from mealy bugs. But those came from a plant growing on a friends property.

One Windowsill · Post by **One Windowsill** » Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:53 am

Mrs.Green wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:31 pm This little fella is one of the new ones, really liked the spines, which reminds me of a mature mans chesthair It’s labeled Neoporteria nidus v. gerocephala which seems about right?

Presumably, gerocephala from the ancient Greek, meaning old head? γηρο- (gero-) being old, κεφαλή (kephale) being head. The botanist cannot have been familiar enough with the mature masculine chest.

Mrs.Green · Post by **Mrs.Green** » Wed Jan 19, 2022 5:41 am

mikethecactusguy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:22 pm Mrs Green. It must be a Norway thing? Or I have just been plain old lucky. Not a single infested plant has been purchased at any nursery, garden center or big box retailer. On the other hand I had 24 Teddy Bear Cholla cuttings turn bad from mealy bugs. But those came from a plant growing on a friends property.

Mikethecactusguy; I have wondered about this too. I have a lot of other plants too, not only cacti. Very seldom have they had any ‘passengers’ with them when bought. Some years ago I got mealies with a Phalanopsis orchid I bought and a Hedera helix had RSM. ( stupid of me buying it, since these are known here as RSM magnets)
But apart from these few cases, buying new plants haven’t been a problem.

The cacti on the other hand..as already mentioned, one can be pretty certain they come with passengers. Most commonly mealies or root mealies. One case of scale. Interestingly, very few or any of the epiphytic cacti have had any free critters coming along. So why is it so, are they less prone to pests, are they treated with something before leaving the vendors, or is it that these vendors ( suppliers of epiphytic cacti, mostly Schlumbergeras in my case) do thing differently than the rest?

I have no idea how things are done with cacti intended for the Norwegian market, but we have much strikter laws than many other countries when it comes to different types of pesticides. Could it be that cacti sold in the US f.ex. are treated before they reach the shops/ customer?

One Windowsill wrote: ↑Wed Jan 19, 2022 12:53 am [quote=Mrs.Green post_id=390861 time=<a href="tel:1642527065">1642527065</a> user_id=17196]
This little fella is one of the new ones, really liked the spines, which reminds me of a mature mans chesthair It’s labeled Neoporteria nidus v. gerocephala which seems about right?

Presumably, gerocephala from the ancient Greek, meaning old head? γηρο- (gero-) being old, κεφαλή (kephale) being head. The botanist cannot have been familiar enough with the mature masculine chest.
[/quote]

Thank you One Windowsill!

My bad, I wasn’t referring to the meaning of the name, I was trying to say that the label wasn’t way off when it came to the ID

Mrs.Green windowsills-growing cacti against the odds (links on page 9)

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