Cactus / asterias

Yesterday was a muggy day but some Astrophytum asterias were in flower.
We have not seen rain a while. We need a good rain.
This asterias is not special but I have propagated from a seed.

Cactus / cauliflower

This grafted 1year and 6 months old Ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv Suguri cauliflower has started to show the character of the cultivar, the appearance of cauliflower.
I sowed seeds on 02/10/2010 and grafted young seedlings onto Pereskiopsis.
The current size is around 6 cm diameter.
21 plants grafted same day are alive at moment.
I grafted 24 more seedlings in this season.

Cactus / retusus cultivar

A grafted Ariocarpus retusus v major cv mitsuibo (tri-fingers) was in flower yesterday.
This should have tri-finger shape tubercles but I can not see them yet.
I hope I could see them in future.

I bought seeds and sowed on 11/08/2005 and grafted young seedlings.

Cactus / super kabuto

It was a bit late for the flowering season of kabutos but an asterias cv hanaizumi super kabuto was in flower yesterday. Hanaizumi means flower springs, multiple flowers coming out from one areole.
The flower was just one but it was unusual shape.

cactus / retusus

My first propagation of Ariocarpus from seed was in 2003.
This retusus is one of them.
I grafted young seedlings onto Hylocereus stocks and degrfted later.
This one, 19 cm diameter was in flower yesterday.

Cactus / fissuratus

The photo is a standard type Ariocarpus fissuratus, was in flower yesterday.
I collected seeds from my plants and sowed on 30/09/2006.
Young seedlings were grafted just after germination.
Since just one plant was in flower, I prserved pollen for the future pollination.

Cactus / fissuratus

This cactus is an Ariocarpus fissuratus f Big Bend, was in flower yesterday afternoon.
I bought seeds and sowed on 31/10/2003.
Young seedlings were grafted on hylocereus stocks just after germination.
I degrafted this in 2007.
Since fussuratus was hard to stop liquid running down from cutting face, I used a special method of degrafting. A short vascular bandole of hylocereus was remained at that time.
I think the short vascular bandle has been dead and the cactus has relied on own roots.

Cactus / riverdensis

A small cactus, Turbinicarpus riverdensis f MZ276 was in flower yesterday afternoon.
The size is 3 cm diameter.
Cuttings of several pups were done 2 years ago.
I was quite sure the cactus was alive but it was no size changeing last 2 years.

Cactus / hintonii

2nd Ariocarpus was in flower today.
It is a bravoanus v hintonii.
I bought 20 seeds and sowed on31/10/2003. I grafted several young seedlings.

Own-rooted hintonii seedlings grow very very slowly.
I have quite many hintonii seedlings, sowed seeds on 12/11/2006.
They are still very small.

Cactus / bicolor

Plants know autumn is the next corner. Ariocarpus is autumn flowering.
My grafted Ariocarpus retusus v bicolor n. prov. KMR61 was in flower this afternoon.
I bought 10 seeds and sowed on 31/08/2007, and grafted sevral young seedlings.
Just 2 plants have been alive.

Cactus / Tiger super kabuto

I bought seeds and sowed on 08/10/2003.
Several young seedlings were grafted onto hylocereus stocks.
This one was degrafted later.
It alived but was very weak and could not make any flowers at all long time.

I could see 2 flowers this afternoon.
Unfortunately stigmas were abnormal shape but the flowering is a good evidence of  returning to a healthy plant.

Cactus / cuttings of aselliformis

I repotted cuttings of Pelecyphora aselliformis yesterday.
Several cuttings were set for rooting one and a half years ago but only 3 were taken.
I found less than 20 mm diamater of cuttings were difficult to take.

The photo is one of 3 cuttings. I could not see a tap root yet, fine roots only.

Cactus / super kabuto

The weather in this morning was not so good but one super kabuto started to open a flower.
I propagated this super kabuto from seed.
This super kabuto is not red flowering form but the flower color becomes reddish in late summer and autumn.

Cactus / another red flower asterias

This is another red flower asterias, was in flower same day as the asterias posted yeaterday.
This asterias is var nudum.
The color of the flower is very nice but the body size is quite small.

Cactus / Red flower asterias

This grafted Astrophytum asterias red flower was in flower 2 days ago.
I believe this one is almost true red and the stigam is also red color.
I found this one could not use as a mother plant because the color of stigma was abnormal.
I think the body size of red flower asterias is quite small.

Cactus / super kabuto

A grafted super kabuto was in flower today.
I kept quite many grafted super kabuto for the purpose of seeds collection before.
I currently have enough numbers of own-rooted super kabuto and reduced numbers of grafted ones.

It depends upon the type of grafting stock but the appearance of grafted super kabuto is beter than natural
own-rooted plant. This one also is affected the grafting, I think.

Cactus / another Ariocarpus hybrid

This is an Ariocarpus hybrid, retusus v elongatus x fissuratus.
I sowed seeds on 17 th  October 2010 and grafted several yound seedlings.
I tried to make an Ariocarpus with deep wrinkles over slender tubercles.
Unfortunately the appearance of the scion is unlike.

Cactus / Ariocarpus hybrid

This cactus is a grafted Ariocarpus 1st filial hybrid, kotschoubeyanus x scaphirostris.
I sowed seeds on 25th November 2010 and grafted very young seedlings.
If you grafted a young seeding of small type Ariocarpus in spring, the scion is in flower in autumn, within 6 month.

Unfortunately the growing speed of this scion was not fast enogh, it missed the chance of flowering in the 1st autumn. Several flowering buds have come out. I think I can see some flowers soon.