Astrophytum asterias

Astrophytum asterias

Sunday 31 March 2013

Cactus / Big Bend

The degrafting of Ariocarpus fissuratus is difficult.
When you cut a part of the body, liquid comes out continuously and is hard to stop.
As the result, a fissuratus rots out during drying process.

I bought seeds of A. fissuratus f Big Bend and sowed on 31/10/2003.
I grafted young seedlings onto Hylocereus stocks.
I degrafted 3 plants with short vascular bundle of Hylocereus, around 15 mm length some years ago.
This method is not necessary to cut a part of fissuratus body.

This is one of three, was in flower yesterday.

Saturday 30 March 2013

Cactus / intermedius

It is believed Ariocarpus intermedius is a hybrid of fissuratus x lloydii created naturally in habitat.
I bought seeds and sowed on 11/08/2005.
Unfortunately just 2 plants have survived.
This is one of two, grafted plant was in flower yesterday.
I will reserve pollen for the crossing.

Friday 29 March 2013

Cactus / fissuratus

Other Ariocarpus were also in flower.
The photo is a grafted A. fissuratus which I grafted years ago.

Thursday 28 March 2013

March in this yea was hot.
Days, more than 30 C' continued a while but it finished yesterday.
We had a good shower yesterday.
The flowering of Ariocarpus has been resumed.
The photo is a grafted A. bravoanus v hintonii.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Cactus / alonsoi

The body sizes of Turbinicarpus are quite small if they grew naturally.
This one is a T. alonsoi grafted once and degrafted later.
Because of the reason, the plant has grown up to a large size, more than 10 cm diameter.
Alonsois are in flower repeatedly through spring to autumn.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Cactus / myriostigma v nudum

This is an Astrophytum myriostigma v nudum cv khoyo-kikkou.
The plant has been a mature age and so it should not show the khoyo character but the hint of the character has appeared on the top of the plant.

Monday 25 March 2013

Cactus / red flowering asterias

I believe this one is not perfect red but almost.
Although the shape of stigma is normal, this plant is not able to fertilize because the color of stigma is red, abnormal.
Pollen is useful and can cross to other asterias.

Saturday 23 March 2013

Cactus / asterias

It is hard to get true red flowering asterias.
I bought 20 seeds of red flowering asterias in 2008 and sowed.
Just one of them is almost red and all others are different colors.
This one is a pinkish color.

Friday 22 March 2013

Cactus / super kabuto

Since I have removed shadecloth covered over top of greenhouses, the brightness in greenhouses has been increased. Some asterias have been in flower because of the reason.
The photo is one of super kabutos.
It is cloudy day today and flowers can not be opened completely.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Cactus / hintonii

Aztekium grows very slowly.
I sowed A hintonii seeds on 27/07/2012.
The germination was not too bad.
I grafted one of small seedlings in December 2012 onto a Pereskiopsis stock.
The scion has grown slowly but it has been as  like "hintonii".


Monday 18 March 2013

Cactus / myriostigma

The size of cactus flower in autumn is small.
An Astrophytum myriostigma was in flower yesterday with small flowers.
I removed shadecloths covered over my greenhouses yesterday morning to prepare for autumn and winter.

Friday 15 March 2013

Cactus / buiningii

Several grafted Ubelmannia buiningiis were in flower yesterday afternoon.
The attached photo is one of them.
Buiningii is in flower quite often through spring to autumn.
Seeds and seedlings of buiningii are very small. They have also been growing in my greenhouse.

Thursday 14 March 2013

Cactus / ritteri

A grafted Aztekium ritteri was in flower yesterday.
I tried to propagated ritteri from seed in this season but it failed.
Although the germination was all right, tiny seedlings disappeared later.
I will try again in next season.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Cactus / tri-fingers

This grafted Ariocarpus is retusus cv tri-fingers.
Unfortunately the plant has not been showing the original character, tri-fingers yet.
Yesterday was 38 C' but it was cooled down today, 25 C'.


Sunday 10 March 2013

Cactus / fissuratus

It is hard to degraft Ariocarpus fissuratus.
When you cut a part of fissuratus during a normal degrafting, liquid came out from the body and is hard to stop.
One of possible degrafting method is remaining vascular bundle of the grafting stock.
This method is not necessary to cut a part of the body.
The photo is A. fissuratus f Big Bend, degrafted with the vascular bundle years ago.
I assume the vascular bundle has died and roots have come out from the body.

Saturday 9 March 2013

Cactus / hintonii

Although hot days, more than 30 C' have been continued, 2 Ariocarpus bravoanus v hintoniis have been in flower. I hope cooler days will come soon.

Friday 8 March 2013

Cactus / Astrophytum hybrid

An Astrophytum hybrid, capricorne v senill x asterias cv super kabuto was in flower yesterday.
The plant was degrafted and own-rooted.
The rooting of asterias is not so easy but hybrids related asterias are easier.