Astrophytum asterias

Astrophytum asterias

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Cactus / variegated asterias

A variegated asterias was in flower this afternoon.
Since the stigma was still tight, the best timing of pollination would be tomorrow.

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Cactus / buiningii

A grafted Uebelmannia buiningii HU141 was in flower yesterday.
I bought seeds and sowed on 31/08/2006.
Several young seedlings were grafted. This is one of them.
Buiningii is in flower several times between spring and autumn.
I have tried to increase this species and sown seeds every year.
Seeds and seedlings are very small.

Monday 28 January 2013

Cactus / ornatum

I once collected Gymnocalycium with strong spines.
I have not tried to increase numbers but some of plants have still remained.
This is one of them, G. spegazzinii v ornatum.
I bought seeds and sowed on 16/10/2004.
The plant was in flower yesterday.

Sunday 27 January 2013

Cactus / myriostigma

An Astrophytum myriostigma was in flower yeserday afternoon.
I bought a small seedling years ago but I can not remenber exact year.
I think the size of flower is a bit smaller compared to the normal one.

Saturday 26 January 2013

Cactus / aselliformis

A Pelecyphora aselliformis propagated from cuttings was in flower yesterday.
Rooting success rate of aselliformis is quite high when the diameter of cuttings was more than 3 cm.
I am not sure the reason but the plant was in fower during out of flowering season.

Friday 25 January 2013

Cactus / hypogaea

South American cacti is not my main collection.
I just have kept some.
The photo is a Copiapoa hypogaea which is in my greenhouse a while.
Copiapoa is in flower several times between spring and autumn.

Thursday 24 January 2013

Cactus / rioverdensis

I bought seeds of Turbinicarpus rioverdensis f MZ276 and sowed on 06/08/2007.
Several young seedlings were grafted.
The photo is one of them.
T. rioverdensis is a small plant originally but this one has grown to a good size becuase of grafted.

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Cactus / theresai

It was out of flowering season for Mammillaria but a grafted M. theresai f MZ364 was in flower yesterday. The appearance of f MZ364 is very similar to the standard one but the flower color is different. I grafted a small off-set yeras ago.

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Cactus / Hanazno kabuto

Sunrise time has been later and day time has become shoter.
An Astrophytum asterias cv hanazono kabuto was in flower but it was just 1 fower only.

Saturday 19 January 2013

Cactus / myriostigma

This one is also Astrophytum myriostigma v nudum but a cultivar kikko, khoyo.
The plant is a mature age and turning body color is no longer but a khoyo evidence is remained on the top of the plant.

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Cactus / myriostigma

My greenhouse was filled up by citrus scent yesterday afternoon.
The flower of Astrophytum myriostigma v nudum has citrus scent.
Several myriostigma v nudum were in flower yeasterday.
The photo is one of them.

Monday 14 January 2013

Cactus / Pereskiopsis

I grafted 80 seedlings by using Pereskiopsis stocks so far. I will graft  24 more seedlings and will finish for this season. The grafting process is relatively short. It will be completed within 2 weeks including the preparation of stocks from off-set cutting of Pereskiopsis to grafting completion.
Pereskiopsis is not a parmanent stock. I will degraft 2 years later after the grafting.

Friday 11 January 2013

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

Another Ariocarpus, kotschoubeyanus f Rio Verde also pushs buds out.
I grafted a yound seedling onto Pereskiopsis and degrafted 2 years later with a short stock, 15 mm in 2010. The plant relies upon roots coming out from the short stock at moment.

Thursday 10 January 2013

Cactus / retusus

The photo is a grafted Ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv Shinkawa magnificus.
Ariocarpus is in flower in autumn.
It is just passed summer solstice and still hot but the plant may pick up the feeling of autumn.
I can see a small flowering bud.
I sowed seeds on 03/09/2011 and grafted a young seedling.

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Cactus / myriostigma

A matured Astrophytum myriostigma v nudum cv Red-bean khoyo kikkou was in flower yesterday.
I bought seeds and sowed on 17/09/2013.
Young seedlings were grafted and degrafted after grown to "a good size".
Since the plant is a mature age, the body color turns no longer.

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Cactus / super kabuto

It is hard to keep fleckings of asterias as "white".
Stains are accumlated gradually and turend to brown color finally.
My place is dry and dusty. This condition can make easily brown fleckings.
I have to find a method to clean brown fleckings.
Young plants are relatively clean.
The photo is a young super kabuto.

Monday 7 January 2013

Cactus / coahuilense

Several Astrophytum coahuilense were in flower yesterday.
I bought small seedings years ago.
I am not sure the reason but they all were in flower together.
The flower of coahuilense is similar to asterias.
They can make a hybrid easily.

Sunday 6 January 2013

Cactus / cauliflower

The photo is a degrafted Ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv Suguri cauliflower.
A around 15 mm length of pereskiopsis stock is remained and I assume roots come out from the stock.
Since Pereskiopsis is not a parmanent stock, it will die in 2~3 years. Own roots will come out from the scion at that time. The plant is 2 years old, 8 cm diameter.
It was in flwer last autumn.

Saturday 5 January 2013

Cactus / variegated asterias

No cactus flowers opened yeasterday.
The maximum temperature reached to 45 'C and I could not go out from my house.
The temperature returned to a normal summer level in this morning.
The photo is a grafted variegated asterias seedlings.

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Cactus / Astrophytum hybrid

The photo is a grafted  Astrophytum hybrid, hadaka fukuryu banjyaku.
I sowed seeds on 27/07/2012 and grafted young seedlings.
The scion has growon well and current size is 4 cm daimeter.
I expect 1st flowering some time in this year.

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Cactus / seedlings of miracle kabuto

A Happy New Year!
I woke up early in this morning and watched the sunrise of new years day from my backyard.

The photo is seedlings of A. aserias cv miracle kabuto.
I sowed seed on 15/11/2011 and repotted seedlings in September 2012.
I repotted 800 of miracle kabuto seedlings.
The have grown quite well.