1January2009
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Other Succulents; Propagation.
Now we reach the final furlong – the odds and sods that are still hanging around feeling neglected, but which still need to be planted!
From Succseed:
- Lemaireocereus griseus MN306 (Ascension, 10m, Curacao)
- Gymnocalycium marsoneri WR159 (Campo Quijano, Salta, Argentina)
Mammillaria Society 2008 seed distribution:
- Escobaria sandbergii
- Mammillaria mystax FO250
- Mammillaria mathildae
- Mammillaria schiedeana giselae MU677
- Mammillaria canelensis ROG648
- Mammillaria lasiacantha WM941
- Mammillaria marksiana ROG515
- Coryphantha glandulifera KKR20
- Mammillaria duoformis xuchiadensis R1677
- Mammillaria sp. temoris ROG645
- Coryphantha hintonii geofreyii KKR813
- Mammillaria sp. red flowers ROG641
- Mammillaria yoloxis ML359
From Doug & Vivi Rowland:
- Ariocarpus trigonus
- Ariocarpus agavoides
- Lobivia mistiensis
- Lobivia varians
- Lobivia planiceps
- Lobivia zecheri
- Lobivia maximiliana
- Lobivia wrightiana
- Titanopsis calcarea
- Lobivia lateritia
- Lobivia larae
- Lobivia intermedia
- Lobivia crassicaulis
- Lobivia glauca paucicostata
- Lobivia horrida
- Lobivia ferox
- Lobivia famatimensis
- Mammillaria beiselii
- Mammillaria cadereytensis
- Mammillaria tayloriorum
- Mammillaria angularis
- Mammillaria arida
- Mammillaria pilcayensis
- Mammillaria giselae
Own seed
- Setiechinopsis mirabilis
- Escobaria minima
- Melocactus sp.
- Vlokia ater
And that’s the lot. Phew. The mammillarias and lobivias from the Rowlands were bought initially as bulk purchases to try and gain experience with easy species. Having gained a little more confidence I may end up donating them to the BCSS forum seed pool as I don’t have a great deal of interest in raising umpteen lobivia species for their own sake, apart perhaps from Lobivia ferox, or whatever it is now that it’s been swallowed up by the ravenous genus Echinopsis.
31December2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Other Succulents; Propagation.
To give an idea of the space issues I’m going to face with the coming orgy of seed sowing, here’s a view of my “propagator”.
It’s a rather Heath-Robinson affair, with an Envirolite and reflector dangling from an old wooden towel rail that seems just about up to the job. For germination I have the base of an old electric propagator to provide bottom warmth; everything else relies on the ambient temperature of the room.
I know that I could, and probably should, improve this set-up. After all a lot of the light is lost to the room, and this could be remedied easily by making some sort of enclosure. However, results over the past twelve months have been encouraging, as I hope to show…
One of last year’s seedlings that I was determined to keep growing through the winter was this Pygmaeocereus bieblii. This valiant little chap was the only one to germinate from a pack of 10 seeds from Koehres.
I know that other growers have had better luck from the same seed source, and indeed the two other packs of this species which I’ve sown recently have yielded four and five seedlings each. I just didn’t want to lose this one!
Read the rest of this entry »
31December2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Propagation.
- Ariocarpus really do like water. Lots of it.
- Don’t fret if an ariocarpus appears to have done nothing above ground for years. I repotted several of my smaller arios into nice square pots, and found that far from having stagnated, they had simply channelled all of their energy into making huge subterranean turnips. Their root health was extraordinary.
- I can’t keep adult melocacti. At all. I’m not going to buy a large melo again.
- Tunillas will elongate hilariously if planted out in the garden in a shady spot.
- Rhipsalis pilocarpa thrives outdoors in summer when hung up in the shade of an apple tree. I can’t verify that mine were particularly happy because I’ve planted them upside-down in pots with the bases cut out, but they’re happy nonetheless.
- Grafts of digitostigma tubercles do a great impression of having taken, only to shrivel away suddenly when your back is turned. I shall have another go next year.
- When growing epiphyllums from seed, don’t use a loam-based compost. They’ll germinate OK in it, but thereafter growth will be impeded compared with growth in multi-purpose (peat-based) compost.
- Check any turbinicarpus that doesn’t swell dramatically with water after the first couple of waterings in the season. It is more than likely that it has lost its roots.
- It is impossible to overwater a leuchtenbergia. I kept all of mine constantly damp, and really gave them a good soak at each watering. They are thriving.
- The same goes for fraileas. Angie Money’s article in the BCSS journal was absolutely right – treat them as bog plants – they love it, and will oblige with flowers instead of going straight to seed.
30December2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Other Succulents; Propagation.
Mostly opuntioids from Koehres
I’ve sown a few pots of seed from this delivery already – mostly hardy opuntias which haven’t done anything yet. They are still in their sealed polythene bags, not being fast ‘n’ bulbous. I did have a Grusonia bradtiana germinate, but it didn’t last long, for some reason. I’m looking forward to trying Tephrocactus geometricus and T. bonnieae in particular:
- Cylindropuntia versicolor
- Tephrocactus bonnieae
- Tephrocactus aoracanthus
- Tephrocactus alexanderi
- Tephrocactus geometricus
- Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa
- Micropuntia pulchella
- Tephrocactus bruchii
- Austrocylindropuntia humahuacana
- Cumulopuntia boliviana
- Maihueniopsis glomerata ‘longispina’
- Maihueniopsis subterranea
- Tephrocactus weberi
- Maihueniopsis atacamensis
- Austrocylindropuntia weingartiana
- Maihueniopsis glomerata ‘atrospinosa’
- Haageocereus achaetus
- Corryocactus urmiriensis
30December2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Other Succulents; Propagation.
I get the impression that people don’t always believe me when I talk about the coming “seed-raising campaign”. You see, I have stacks of seed. I am clearly going to have to prioritise at some point. I thought it might be fun to list everything (by source) that is currently unsown for your and my amusement. I’m going to list them in the order in which they present themselves from their various envelopes, boxes, and other miscellaneous packaging…
From individuals
Seed obtained from non-commercial/non-society sources, either as gifts or as swaps.
- Frailea tenuissima
- Frailea sp. Argentinien f. Hlinecki
- Frailea sp GF272B
- Frailea pumila FS21
- Frailea pumila
- Frailea pulcherrima
- Frailea columbiana
- Lithops otzeniana
- Rhinephyllum broomii
- Lapidaria margaretae
- Lithops verruculosa
- Lithops gracidelineata
- Lithops hermetica
- Lithops dorotheae
- Ariocarpus fissuratus
- Ariocarpus retusus SB68
- Conophytum devium ssp stiriiferum
- Conophytum obcordellum ‘ursprungianum’ CR1306 Lokenburg
- Conophytum stephanii ssp helmutii CR1439 NW Kabinaberg
- Conophytum pellucidum CR1332 Witwater, Khamiesberg
- Conophytum obcordellum ‘mundum’ LAV28653 Snorkfontein, Gifberg
- Conophytum luckhoffii EVJ8226 Eagle’s Pride, Piketberg
- Conophytum minimum ‘wittebergense’ NBG322/94 Klein Spreeufontein
- Conophytum praesectum CR1281 3.5km E. Pofadder
From the 2008 BCSS seed list
- Aeonium nobile
- Ariocarpus bravoanus
- Ariocarpus bravoanus v. hintonii
- Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus
- Ariocarpus trigonus v. minimus
- Ariocarpus retusus “huge tubercle form”
- Aztekium hintonii
- Aztekium ritteri
- Avonia albissima
- Avonia quinaria ssp alstonii
- Ferobergia (Leuchtenbergia x Ferocactus fordii)
- Turbinicarpus alonsoi
- Avonia dinteri
- Miqueliopuntia miquelii long spined form
- Obregonia denegrii
- Tephrocactus fiambalensis nom. prov.
- Tephrocactus alexanderi
I haven’t even nearly finished yet 
21December2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Propagation.
I was recently sent some Tacinga cuttings, with field data, and due to the vagaries of the postal system, they took two months to reach me. I subsequently found out that the cuttings had been taken two months prior to being sent, and so had been four months detached from their parent plants.
When they did finally turn up, they were severely dessiccated, and as a result I decided it would be a better idea to get them rooting under lights indoors than to leave them in the greenhouse minding their own business until Spring.
This I did; I used my usual John Innes no.2/grit/cat litter mixture, gave them a good dousing with water and left them with my seedlings under the artificial lights in my spare bedroom.
Imagine my surprise when, just two days after potting, one Tacinga inamoena ssp. subcylindrica was noticeably plumper than when it arrived. I was so incredulous that I had to pull it out of its pot as I didn’t believe it could have rooted so quickly – and yet it had. The others followed suit very quickly afterwards. It makes me think that I might follow some advice Terry Edney gave me at the BCSS National Show earlier this year and try taking some cuttings in January when plants are thoroughly shrivelled, to see whether that improves the speed with which they root. It should be of particular interest when I get round to chopping up my graft of Mammillaria luethyi.
21October2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Propagation.
I sowed some frailea seeds just over a week ago from freshly-harvested seed. The seed came from my own plants, which have been proper little seed factories this year. All of the plants came originally from Richard and Wendy Edginton, apart from Frailea angelesiae from Nick Evens.
I’ve heard in the past that the fresher frailea seed is, the more quickly it germinates. I’m not sure whether my current observations support this. I sowed seven species; of these, four are yet to sprout, but within 24 hours of sowing I had an alarming number of juvenile Frailea santaritense, which continue to grow apace. There are a couple of Frailea angelesiae emerging, at a much slower rate than seeds from the same plants that were sown earlier in the year, and just one Frailea horstii v. curvispina.
So, is fresh seed more reliable? Perhaps it’s too early to tell at the moment. I’ll reserve judgment until there are – hopefully – small green blobs in each of the seven pots.
19October2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Other Succulents.
On the 5th of October we had our autumn show with the Haworthia Society at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens; there were a lot of particularly fine haworthias on display, and I was finally tempted to join the Haworthia Society. Well, there were free cabbages up for grabs, so I went home with a nice Haworthia cymbiformis, Haworthia reticulata, and another one that I can’t remember off the top of my head.
I entered a few plants in the show this time round, mostly to make up the numbers, which was just as well as I didn’t win anything at all! My Opuntia erinacea v. ursina proved to be the most difficult customer to transport to the show. Not only was it flopping all over the place, as it’s now resting, resulting in my tying it to a couple of canes for support, but it hadn’t occurred to me that planting it in a large and decorative ceramic pot would make the thing fiendishly heavy to transport. You live and learn.
Click the Haworthia to see all the show photos!
21August2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Other Succulents.
Apologies for the protracted silence; it has after all been peak growing season and it’s a good deal more entertaining to be faffing about with plants than faffing about with computers.
Last weekend saw the 2008 British Cactus and Succulent Society National Show in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire – and what a show it was. Needless to say I brought back some new greenhouse inhabitants, including a couple of beautiful Mammillaria luethyi on their own roots from David Quail.
Click the massive Pterocactus tuberosus to see my pictures from the show!
17July2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Propagation.
For the first time, I have enough surplus cactus seedlings to actually need to get rid of some. It’s quite a source of pride.
This batch of Echinocactus grusonii seedlings sown in 2006 are destined for the Gardeners’ Weekend held in King’s Heath Park on the 30th and 31st of August, where they’ll be sitting among plants for sale from other members of the Birmingham Branch of the British Cactus and Succulent Society.
15July2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti.
I’m currently experimenting with a few plants of Rhipsalis pilocarpa outdoors; I’ve cut holes in the bottom of some pots just big enough to thread the plants’ root balls through, and then packed them in with a mixture of sphagnum moss and compost.
I’ve read that the capillary action of rhipsalis is quite poor if they are grown normally and that this method, with the roots above the stems of the plants, keeps them much happier. Time will tell…
15July2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti.
I’ve noticed this week that the small piece of Puna clavarioides that I’ve been establishing has begun to grow, sending a small shoot out of its side. It took a good long while to want to send roots out, and in fact several pieces from the same cutting are still yet to root, more than 7 months after I received them.
It does seem to be behaving slightly differently to a single-joint piece of Puna bonnieae that I’ve rooted. It seems to have diverted most of its energy into the production of a tuber, and has shown no signs of vegetative growth this year, although it’s clearly reasonably happy and plump. The clavarioides is on the left, of course.
7July2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti; Propagation.
I know it’s received wisdom that opuntias generally grow like weeds, but I always find it interesting that so many of the smaller members of the Opuntioideae can sit around for such a long time before they deign to throw down roots. Bottom warmth doesn’t always help, either.
All three of these cuttings were received towards the end of last year, and it’s only in the past month that they have done anything other than sitting there grinning.
As quite often happens (I have an Airampoa erectoclada cutting currently doing the same thing) the Airampoa nigrispina pictured below came into growth before rooting.
From left to right: Tephrocactus weberi, Cumulopuntia sphaerica, and Airampoa nigrispina.
6July2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti.
I recently picked up a small collection of opuntioids that were being disposed of – a handful of tunillas, a very short-spined form of Cumulopuntia sphaerica, a Tephrocactus molinensis and this Maihueniopsis minuta WG299 (the WG number indicating a René Geissler accession code).
Quite where it had been growing, I’m not sure, but it clearly hadn’t had enough light.
If you think the basal joints are elongated you should have seen the top growth that I pruned off it!
However, it’s obviously a pretty robust specimen as just a few weeks later it has sprung into growth, and this time round it’s up on the top shelf, and the new segments are that pleasing egg-shape that they’re supposed to be.
For contrast, here’s a plant that I’ve had for years, bought directly from René Geissler himself, which I’ve grown in strong light throughout. As a result its habit is far more compact.
6July2008
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti.
I’m becoming more and more convinced that the plant I have labelled as Selenicereus pteranthus is in fact the same thing as the one I have labelled as Selenicereus spinulosus. The "pteranthus" has proved to be self-fertile, with almost identical flowers, and it looks as though even the fruits are identical.
On the left, Selenicereus spinulosus, with a fruit from last year, and on the right, S. "pteranthus".
