6 March 2009
That’s how seedlings grow up…
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti .
I’m rather pleased that my Echinocactus grusonii seedlings, which didn’t have the best care in their first couple of years, have produced good strong spination which catches the spring light nicely.
They’re in 2 1/2″ pots – well, actually, whatever the closest metric equivalent is – and are much, much spinier than plants of a similar size that are found in garden centres. Why would you want a plant all lush and pumped up with water when you can have something as dangerous-looking as these?
If you’re wondering, the plant growing in the washing powder container below is a cutting of Opuntia quimilo, which produces robust roots very quickly indeed. And spines like knitting needles that appear to never stop growing.
My first year’s worth of juvenile lithops are now progressing well with their second true pair of leaves. These are Lithops julii ssp fulleri, one of three pots of that subspecies from different localities.
Given my disastrous track-record with mesembs prior to the last couple of seasons, I’m really pleased that I’ve kept these going through their first winter.
They are starting to get a little crowded though – I suspect I may have to prick them out in the summer.
Here’s another group shot of seedlings sown between December 2007 and March 2008. You’ll need to click on the photo to get a bigger version of the image to see the detail.
Mammillaria perbella ‘infernillensis’ (two pots on the right) are proving to be really attractive young plants, while the three adjacent pots of Pygmaeocereus bylesianus ‘akersii’ have grown rather better than expected and left me with an awful lot of plants to dispose of!