Cactus / superkabuto

I was away from home for 3 days. 2 super kabutos were in flower when I came home. The photo is one of them.
The maximum temperature of my greenhous was 37 'C yesterday and cactus thought spring was around corner, I think.

Cactus / dasyacantha

I bought 20 seeds of Mammillaria lauii v dasyacantha and sowed on 31/08/2006. The germairation ratio was very bad because of unknown reason. Only 2 were germinated and I grafted them.
The photo is one of 2 plants. This one can not wait spring and in flower now.

Cactus / valdezianus

This is a Turbinicarpus valdezianus seedling.
I sowed seeds several years ago. They have grown quite well and now have been flowering size.
The seelings of valdezianus are elongated but still have alived more than 20 seedlings. The flower of the cactus is normal color.

Cactus / sanchez-mejoradae

This cactus, Mammillaria sanchez-mejoradae has also flowering buds.
I bought 25 seeds and sowed on 28/09/2005. The germination ratio was not so good but I grafted several young seedlings.

I cut pups and grafted. As the result I could increase my collection numbers.
Last year, I did cuttings 10 pups or so. This is one of them.

Cactus / spring is around the corner

It is winter now but spring is around the corner, I believe.

Some of my small catus have flowering buds. The photo is Turbinicarpus peceudopectinatus which I have propagated from cuttings.
Peceudopectinatus propagated from seed tends to be an elongated shape but you can get round one from cuttings.

Cactus / asterias seedlings

I keep cactus seedlings for 1 year without repotting.
I repot 25 of 1 year old seedlings into 10 cm square pots.
The attached photo is almost 2 years old seedlings, which I sowed seeds on 31/08/2009 and repotted last spring. They are a form of hanazono kabuto x super kabuto.
Generally the appearance of seedlings are similar to the father plant. 18 of 25 seedlings have large white fleckings, the character of super kabuto.
I will select seedlings with large white flecking only and cut roots in August. I cut asterias seedling roots completely when they become 2 years old.

Cactus / Tiger super kabuto

I am not sure why this is called "Tiger" super kabuto but I have a good father plant. This is one of his son/daughter.
Asterias seedlings show similar appearace to the father plant normally.
Many tiger seedlings are growing in my greenhouse.

Cactus / super kabuto

The gene of super kabuto is quite positive.
Whey you sowed seeds, almost all seedlings would be super kabuto.
Since superkabuto started from one plant and crossed with various asterias, appearance of seedlings are varied.
This is a large flecking super kabuto.

Cactus / super kabuto

Astrophytum asterias grows relatively slow.
Because of that, I sow seeds every year. In this case, you can see various ages of plants evenif they grow slowly.
I sowed seeds of super kabuto in past sevral years and collected quite many seedlings.
My greenhouse is not small but it is the time to select good ones.
Here is one of my good ones. Diameter is around 6 cm.

Cactus / Astrophytun hybrid

My greenhouses are closed completely in winter. The feeding water to cactus is also stopped. This condition makes Mealy bugs problem.

The photo is Astrophytum hybrid attacked by Mealy bugs. I used to use diluted methylated sprits but I tried a systemic insecticider in this winter. As shown in the photo it seems working well.(after removed dead mealy bugs)

Cactus / ritteri

Since a pup is harder than a young seedling, you need a pressure on the scion during grafting. It is quite common idea but you do not need any pressure if you used pereskiopsis as grafting stock.

I have achieved quite good success ratio of Aztekium ritteri pups grafting. I just use a wet-box. The photo is grafted ritteri which was grafted around 2 years ago.

Cactus / hintonii

This is a grafted Aztekium hintonii.
Seeds of Aztekium hintonii are very small and seedlings are also. I graft very young seedling, around 1 month old seedling which is around 2 mm diameter. The seedling of hintonii needs for 1 year to reach to 2 mm diameter.
1 year old seedling is harder than that of 1 month and needs a special grafting method to increase the success ratio.
I just have 2 plants grown from seedling graftings. I have seen several flowering buds coming out this plant but they have never opened yet.

Cactus / luetyi

I potted cuttings of Mammillara luethyi, introduced on 04/07/2011.
Each cutting is in 50 mm square tube and 35 tubes are in a pad.
I potted 70 cuttings yesterday.
I will not feed water until warming up in late August.

A tap root should come out from cutting in September.

Cactus / agavoides

It is out of cactus flowering season but just several plants are in flower in my greenhouse.

Ariocarpus agavoides, grafted is one of them. I crossed many times in autumn and I expect to get a lot of seeds in spring.

Cactus / One more asterias

This is the other large asterias.

I sowed seeds in 2003, just after I moved in the current place. This is also 16 cm diameter, sea-star shape.

I am not sure why but this one has grown very quickly compared to others.

Cactus / asterias

My main collection is Astrophytum asterias cv kabuto.
When you cross so many times to create a new cultiva, the size of plant becomes small. I think a typical one is red flower asterias.
I have several red flower asterias but all of them are quite small.
I will cross them with two my large asterias next spring.
The photo is one of them, kikkou-hanazono kabuto, 16 cm diameter.

Cactus / myriostigma

I collect cactus as ornamental plants.
I try to maintain cactus as health as possible but they would be damaged by various reasons.
This Astrophytum myriostigma v nudum cv khoyo was attacked by red-spiders last summer. Bottom of ribs has turend to brown color. I hope the brown color disappears someday.

Cactus / luethyi cuttings

I grafted Mammillaria luethyi several years ago. They have grown well but stocks become weaker. I cut heads and drying for rooting.
I will put them on soil in the begining of September.
The photo is cut heads under drying.