Astrophytum asterias

Astrophytum asterias

Tuesday 29 April 2014

Cactus / super kabuto

This super kabuto is just about to open a flower.
Since it is mid of autumn, the flower is very small.

Monday 28 April 2014

Cactus / asterias

When I checked the temperature of greenhouses yesterday afternoon, it was a bit more than 38 'C.
Although the door of greenhouses were closed in this season normally, I opened doors.
It seemed the temperature was good enough asterias to open flowers.


Saturday 26 April 2014

Cactus / furfuraceus

The attached photo is an Ariocarpus  retusus v furfuraceus.
As a trial of degrafting, a short Pereskiopsis stock is remained and buried in the potting-mix.
The plant is 3 years old, 10 cm diameter.

Friday 25 April 2014

Cactus / jauernigi

A Turbinicarpus jauernigi was in flower.
Jauernigi is in flower several times between spring and autumn.
Jauernigi is a small plant, just 4 cm diameter shown in the photo.
I harvested seeds and sowed them on 4th September 2007.

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Cactus / Ariocarpus hybrid

A 1st filial Ariocarpus hybrid, kotschyoubeyanus x bravoanus v hintonii was in flower.
The body shape is similar to the mother but the skin appearance is similar to the father.
I have kept one dozen of plants. All of them have very small body.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Cactus / intermedius

Although it was mid of autumn, the maximum temperature reached to 29 'C yesterday.
A grafted Ariocarpus fissuratus v intermedius was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed on 11th August 2005.
Several young seedlings were grafted but only 2 plants have been alive currently.

Sunday 20 April 2014

Cactus / retusus

I bought seeds of Ariocarpus retusus v major cv Mitsuibo (tri-fingers) and sowed on 11th August 2005.
I grafted several young seedlings.
The photo is one of them.
The character of the cultivar should be appeared when the plant reached to a mature age but unfortunately all of them have never shown it.
It will happen quite often when you started from purchased seeds.

Saturday 19 April 2014

Cactus / retusus

A degrafted and own-rooted Ariocarpus retusus was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed on 30th August 2003.
Several very young seedlings were grafted on Hylocereus stocks.
I degrafted them in 2006.

Friday 18 April 2014

Cactus / furfuraceus

The photo is a grafted Ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv Daruma Seiji.
I grafted a pup on to an Echinopsis stock years ago.
The stock has turned to woody appearance but it has still been alive.
I harvest seeds from this plant every year.

Thursday 17 April 2014

Cactus / bravoanus

A grafted  Ariocarpus bravoanus was in flower.
I bought 20 seeds and sowed on 12th October 2008.
5 young seedlings were grafted.
The photo is one of them.
I have kept them for the harvesting seeds.
Own-root seedlings are growing very slowly.

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

This Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus f Rio Verde is necessary to repot soon
The body has grown too large.
I bought seeds and sowed in 2003.
A young seedling was grafted on a Hylocereus stock.
I degrafted later with a short vascular bundle of the stock.
The plant relies on own-roots currently.

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Cactus / macdowellii

The plant does not look healthy but it is in flower.
I bought seeds of Ariocarpus kotschobeyanus v macdowellii f albiflorus and sowed on 30th Sepember 2004.
I grafted several seedlings but it took only one.
I degrafted it later. The plant relies on own-roots currently.

Monday 14 April 2014

Cactus / trigonus

A grafted Ariocarpus retusus v trigonus was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed 11th August 2005.
Very young seedlings were grafted.
This yellow flower has a nice scent.

Sunday 13 April 2014

Cactus / scapharostroides

A grafted Ariocarpus retusus v scapharostroides was in flower.
Other retusus vars are very similar but scaharostrides is able to recognize easily
I bought seeds and sowed on 31st August 2006.
Several young seedlings were grafted.
The photo is one of them.

Saturday 12 April 2014

Cactus / elongatus

A grafted Ariocarpus retusus v elongatus f CDS45 was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed on 31st August 2006.
Several very young seedlings were grafted.
I have still kept 2 grafted plants for the seed harvesting purpose.
Elongatus is very similar to trigonus on both body appearance and flower.

Friday 11 April 2014

Cactus / Daruma-royal

The attached photo is an Ariocarpus cultivar, retusus v major cv Daruma-royal (round tubercles).
I bought seeds and sowed on 30th September 2004.
Young seedlings were grafted and degrafted later.
The body has been too large against to the pot size.
I think it is necessary to repot soon.

Thursday 10 April 2014

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

Ariocarpus need years from seed to 1st flowering normally.
In case of Kotschoubeyanus, it is relatively short if you could manage the growing of seedling well.
You can see 1st flowering in 3~4 years for the germination.
A kotschoueyanus seedling was in flower. The body size is just 3 cm diameter.

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Cactus / heterochromus

A Thelocactus heterochromus was in flower in off-season.
I assume the setting change of greenhouse done lately may affect on the flowering.
I removed 50% shade cloth covered over the greenhouse for autumn/winter setting.
Cactus receive more sunlight now.

Tuesday 8 April 2014

Cactus / agavoides

Again Ariocarpus agavoides but they are grafted on Pereskiopsis.
Agavoides is in flower in young age if it was grafted.
All of them have not reached 2 years old yet ( one and 6 months old ).
I will degraft them next spring.

Monday 7 April 2014

Cactus / agavoides

Tubercles of Ariocarpus agavoides are thin and long when you propagated it from seed and kept own-root.
The photo is a A. agavoides sown seeds in 2006.
Tubercles are quite thin. I have tried to maintain tips of tubercles without damaging.
Agavoides will be in flower in 4 years after sown seeds.



Sunday 6 April 2014

Cactus / lloydii

A degrafted Ariocarpus fissuratus v lloydii was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed on 11th August 2005.
Several young seedlings were grafted on Hylocereus stocks.
Since fissuratus related species are hard to stop liquid if a part of body was cut, I degraft them with short vascular bundles of stocks.
The plant was repotted last spring. The short vascular bundles died and own roots were developed.

Saturday 5 April 2014

Cactus / scaphirostris

Ariocarpus scaphirostris is not easy to propagate and growing slowly.
I just have two plants.
I bought 25 seeds and sowed 31st October 2003.
I grafted several young seedlings and degrafted later.
The photo is one of two.
It has not been vigorous at all.

Friday 4 April 2014

Cactus / cauliflower

The photo is a grafted Ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv Suguri cauliflower.
It is not showing the character of cauliflower significantly but it is the base plant in my place.
It is the mother plant of all my cauliflower seedlings.

Thursday 3 April 2014

Cactus / elephantideus

This is a variation of Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus, elephantideus.
I bought seeds and sowed on 31st August 2006.
I grafted several young seedlings.
Var. elephantideus grows lager than standard one.
The flower color also is different, darker.

Wednesday 2 April 2014

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

A degrafted Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus, standard form was in flower.
I degrafted this one in 2008 with a short vascular bundle of Hylocereus.
I assume the plant relies on own roots currently.

Tuesday 1 April 2014

Cactus / fissuratus

This is an other A. fissuratus, the mother plant of the fissuratus which was posted yesterday.
It is grafted on an Echinopsis stock. I grafted a pup years ago.
The stock has been old and turned to woody appearance but it has been still alive.