Astrophytum asterias

Astrophytum asterias

Sunday 26 April 2015

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

Grafted small type of Ariocarpus such as agavoides, kotschoubeyanus will be in flower in young age.
The photo is grafted kotschoubeyanus f  Rio Verde.
I sowed seeds in August last year and grafted 24 of young seedlings in September.
Stocks are Pereskiopsis.
They all 8 months old.

Saturday 25 April 2015

Cactus / fissuratus

A young Aiocarpus fissuratus was in flower yesterday.
This is also 2nd flowering for the cactus in this autumn.
We had  unusual heavy rain yesterday.


Friday 24 April 2015

Cactus / hintonii

Ariocarpus are in flower several times in autumn.
The photo is a A. bravoanus v hintonii, 2nd flowering in this autumn.
The plant is quite small, in a 7 cm square pots.

Wednesday 22 April 2015

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

An Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus v macdowellii albiflorus was in flower yesterday afternoon.
I only have one plant of this species.
It was very weak a while but it seems recovered now because of making flowers.

Sunday 19 April 2015

Cactus / retusus

This young Ariocarpus, 3 years old is a retusu v furfuraceus cv Daruma-seiji.
The character of this cultivar is seiji-color body wit round tubercles.
I degrafted with a short Pereskiopsis stock when it was 2 years old.
I have not check it yet but I assume the plant have still relied on the stock.


Saturday 18 April 2015

Cactus / Ariocarpus hybrid

This is an Ariocarpus hybrid, kotschoubeyanus x bravoanus v hintonii.
It seems very large flowers but it is not true.
The body is quite small because of hybridization effect, I think.

Thursday 16 April 2015

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

A degrafted Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus v elephuntideus was in flower.
The elephuntideus has larger tubercles than other variations.
The flower color is also darker than others.


Wednesday 15 April 2015

Cactus / scaphirostris

A degrafted Ariocapus scaphirostris was in flower.
It was so weak last year and I could not see any flowers.
It seems still not perfect but making flower means under recovering.

Monday 13 April 2015

Cactus / intermedius

Some grafted Ariocarpus will be in flower in young age.
The photo is a grafted A. fissuratus v intermedius.
I sowed seeds on 22nd August last year and grafted a young seedling onto Pereskiopsis.
The scion is just 8 months old, 3 cm diameter.

Saturday 11 April 2015

Cactus / lloydii

An Ariocarpus fissuratus v lloydii was in flower.
I have 2 plants of this species.
Since just 1 plant was in flower and I could not do the pollination unfortunately.


Friday 10 April 2015

Cactus / Agavoides

Several Ariocarpus agavoides are also in flower.
The photo is one of them.
Agavoides seedlings are also in flower relatively young ages, around 4 years old.
Tubercle tips of agavoides tend to damage and looses a good appearance.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

Although Ariocarpus need years to see flowers normally if you propagated from seeds and kept own-roots, small types of ones are possible to see flowers in 3~4 years.
Kotschoubeyanus is one of small types.
It depends upon how you can propagate but I could see flowers on several 3 years old kotschoubeyanus.
The photo is a kotschoubeyanus seedling with a flower.


Wednesday 8 April 2015

Cactus / kotschoubeyanus

A degrafted Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus was in flower.
There are several ways to make a clustered form in reasonable period.
This one was formed as a cluster by grafting.
The scion was degrafed with a short vascular bundle later.
The plant relies on own-roots currently, the vascular bundle died already.



Tuesday 7 April 2015

Cactus / super kauto

Yesterday was quite cool day and rain.
The maximum temperature was just 17 'C.
It will be the last flowering of asterias in this season.
The attached photo is a super kabuto.


Monday 6 April 2015

Cactus / asterias

This variegated asterias grows slower compared to others but it is growing surely.
I repotted this last spring.
It is in flower quit often.


Sunday 5 April 2015

Cactus / miracle kabuto

Several miracle kabuto were also in flower.
Since I removed shade-cloths covered over greenhouses lately, the volume of light was increased.
This change affects on the flowering of asterias, I assume.

Saturday 4 April 2015

Cactus / asterias

An asterias was in flower yesterday.
This one is not a super kabto or a miracle kabuto.
It has fluffy flecking.
It has come out from my seedlings.


Thursday 2 April 2015

Cactus / retusus

A degrafted young Ariocarpus retusus v fufuraceus cv Suguri-cauliflower was in flower.
This is one of descendants of the cactus posted on 29th March.
It is just 4 years old, 12 cm in diameter.
A very young seedling was grafted onto a  Pereskiopsis stock and degrafted 2 years ago.
A short stock, 15 mm length has still remained and buried in the potting-mix.