Propagating cacti from seeds in 2013/2014

I sow cactus seeds collected from my own plants in spring every year.
Although it is normally around 45 species, reduced numbers to 34 in this year.
As a trial, I sowed seeds of 6 Ariocarpus species only in July. The best timing of seedling grafting is 40 days after germination and I sowed them earlier than normal to meet the timing of seedling grafting.

Sown seeds: 01/07/2013
Heating pad temperature: 33C' ( 30C' on top soil in pot targeted)
Light: Natural
The germination was completed on 17/07/2013 and moved pots to a wet-box.
The photo is one of them, Ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv Daruma Seiji.


Repotting is also carried out in spring.
I repot all 1 year old seedlings.
The repotting job was just started on 30/07/2013 and it will continue a while.
The photo is repotted Astrophytum asterias cv miracle kabuto sown seeds on 15/11/2012. Since I do not use heating pads for asterias and sowing seeds is in summer. Seedlings are actually 9 months old. I repotted 550 miracle kabutos and 50 Ooibo ruri kabutos in total. I selected good ones and repotted. 25 seedlings are in a 10 cm square pot, 150 seedlings in the photo.


Repotting of 2 years old miracle kabuto seedlings becomes a bit serious because I cut tap-roots.
The next photo is before repotting. 25 seedlings in a 10 cm square pot. Since 2 seedlings died, 148 seedlings in total. I have around 600 of 2 years old asterias seedlings.


Removed from pots and washed.


Cut tap-roots and drying before repotting
Potting will be in the end of this month.

Nice work ! What is the purpose of cutting off the roots ? Is it to stop damaged roots causing rot ? Do you find this slows the plant's growth when you repot it ?

Asterias seedlings grow well under the condition of hot and wet.
If you fed a plenty of water in hot summer, they grow with a good speed but it gives a high possibility of rotting from the tap-roots.
When you cut tap-roots once, they never come back, regrowing fine roots only.
In this condition, you can feed water as you like any time, any amount because seedlings have no tap-roots.
The photo is 3 years old asterias, 1 year after cutting tap-roots.

Very interesting ! Thanks H.

The germination of E. horizontharonius seeds are poor normally.
I did a trial to improve the successful germination rate by washing seeds with hydrochloric acid referred to a website information.

Outline of the website information
Washing seeds by concentrated hydrochloric acid, 35%
Washing time: 15~30 minutes
Temperature setting: 25~30 'C
Germination: 75~90%

I could get a bottle of hydrochloric acid but unknown concentration unfortunately.
Washing time: 20 minutes
Temperature setting: 30 'C

I sowed 120 seeds on 17/07/13 and removed them from a heating pad on 09/08/13.
Only 22 were germinated, 18.3%.
It was better than last year which was around 10%.
I assume the hydrochloric acid I got is not concentrated one.
I will extend the washing time for the 2nd trial.

18 pots of Ariocarpus seeds were set on a heating pad on 07/08/13.
Another 6 pots were set on 09/08/13.

G'Day H, Can see this is going to be an interesting thread. I've tried E. hor a number of times with varied success. They are on the difficult side, but I'm not yet convinced that it isn't due to the seed age or possibly germinating conditions. I believe the seed needs to be fresh and that they need considerable heat.

Is this seed you have produced yourself, or bought from a supplier ?

I am sowing some myself this week, not as many as you, only 30, but will let you know how I go. My seed is imported. Will also be sowing E. polycephala which I find probably even more difficult.

Also doing some testing on Mamm. theresae and some others where I have both bought seed and my own that I've collected, so it will be interesting to compare results between the two.

I love growing from seed, especially watching them come up. But the actual sowing operation itself is very tedious - especially if you're doing a lot. Drives me crazy !

Navajoa

I collected E. horizontharonius seeds from my plants last year.
The website I referred said " It does not matter the age of seeds if Hydrochloric acid washing was used." This method is normally used for the germination of lotus seeds.

I bought 20 seeds of E. polycephalus f Las Vegas Nevada and sowed in 2006.
The successful germination rate was around 50%.
Almost all seedlings have survived.

My repotting works for 1 year old Ariocarpus seedlings have been continued.
I have repotted various species of Ariocarpus, 750 seedlings in total but it has been remained many.
Retusus and its related var species become a good size for 1 year if you could manage them well.

The photo is A. retusus v elongatus in 10 cm square pot, sown seeds on 12/10/2012. There are 100 seedlings in the pot.


After repotted, 25 seedlings per pot, 150 seedlings in total
Tap roots should be lifted from soil to minimize rotting out.

Repotting of 2 years old Ariocarpus

Repotted 1 year old Ariocarpus seedlings in 10 cm square pot grow well for one year and need 2nd repotting now.
The photo is 2 years old A. retusus v furfuraceus cv Shinkaw tama-zouge x Sugri cauliflower, sown seeds on 03/09/2011, in a 10 cm square pot, before the repotting.


Repotted ones, in 5cm square tubes, 35 seedlings in total.
1~4 mm pumice sand is used for the main pottingmix.
Top dressing is crashed scoria for holding light pumice sand over.

The drying process was finished and repotting of 2 years old miracle kabutos were completed. Since the mutation of flecking had not appeared  on 2years old seedlings yet, I just did sizing only.
1. Special : 35 seedlings ( large size showing some special evidences)
2. Large: 72 seedlings
3. Medium: 189 seedlings
4. Small:107 seedlings

1. Special ones
The mutation of flecking on miracle kabuto will appear suddenly and so nudum forms are also possible candidates of good miracle kabutos.
Seedlings are in 50 mm square tubes.

1.1 Typical miracle Kabuto seedling
You can see clear white lines along the rib-top. This seedling will be a very good miracle kabuto in future.

1.2 Calles kabuto
Since miracle kabuto was started from just one plant, various kabutos were mixed in history. One of them is Calles kabuto which grows very quickly and will reach 20 cm diameter. This seedling shows a hint of Calles kabuto.

3. Medium size seedlings
Seedlings are in a pan. It is easy to alien seedlings neatly because they have no roots.

The germination of Obregonia denegrii seeds have almost completed, which I sowed on 9th in this month. I will keep them on the heating pad 10 more days or so and will move into a wet-box. I have enough seeds for one more pot and will be sown soon. All seeds are collected from my plants.
1. Seedlings sown seeds on 09/08/2013.

2. Seedlings repotted lately, sown seeds on 13/11 /2012.
   There were 48 seedlings but I grafted 24 of them and remained 24.

3. Plants which I collected seeds from.
   I bought seeds and sowed on 28/09/2005.
   I have 2 more grafted flowering size plants.

12 pots, sown Ariocarpus seeds on 07/08/2013 were completed germination and removed from the heating pad last Friday. 6 pots of super kabuto and 6 pots of miracle kabuto, 12 pots in total went onto the heating pad same day.

The photo is one of 12 pots, Ariocarpus bravoanus seedlings.

So So good Hanazono, I love them all. Suck love and attention you give these amazing plants. A credit to you.

HN

I removed 4 pots including obregonia from the heating pad and moved into the wet-box yesterday. My plan was 6 pots together but 2 of them were remained because of slower germination process.
The photo is 1 of 4, Discocactus hostii.

I moved remained 2 pots from the heating pad to the wet-box in this morning.
I also set new 6 pots onto the heating pad after that.
The photo is one of two, Ubelmannia buiningii.
It is quite poor result of the germination.

Very nice pictures Hanazono, I have sown also some different discocacti in june/juli this year and grafted every seedling when it was
out of it´s shell.

I have 3 species of Discocactus, horstii, heptacanthus v griseus and placentiformis v latispinus.
I have not seen flowers of the placentiformis yet.

What is the species shown on your photo?

These are:
Discocactus placentiformis /pugionacanthus HU462
Discocactus zehntneri ssp. boomianus HU222
Discocactus catingicola /nigrisaetosus HU448
D. horstii

6 each pots of miracle kabuto and super kabuto sown seeds on 23/08/2013 were completed germination process and removed from the heating pad in this morning. These pots were moved into the wet-box.
Miracle kabuto seedlings

Super kabuto seedlings

I repot firstly when seedlings are 1 year old, which is my standard practice.
Seedlings grow rapidly after the repotting but you have to count significant number of casualties.
As a trial, I started to do a different way from last year, kept seedlings for 2 years without the repotting.

I use a 200 mm x 300 mm x 100 mm depth plastic food container instead of 100 mm square pot.
The photo is Ariocarpus retusus v jarmilae sown seeds on 12/10/2012.
I set 2 containers on the heating pad for Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus v elephantideus and retusus v furfuraceus v Daruma Royal in this morning.

I removed 6 pots set-up on 4th in this month from the heating pad and moved into the wet-box yesterday.
New 6 pots were set on the heating pad after that.

1. Variegated asterias x ruri kabuto
Well balanced variegation should be the vest but I can see some of completely pale seedlings.
They can survive If you could graft them.

Reference of a grafted pale seedling

2. Hybrid, Ferocactus glaucescens x Astrophytum caput-medusae
I am not sure hybridized well but they are germinated. I will graft several of them.

Hi Hanazone,

please could you give us a close up photo of the Fero-seedlings? Nobody before was lucky enough to
produce ACM hybrids - as far as I know.
You have to graft them to get them together.

Interesting work Toro

Thanks, in fact this is a chimera between Fero + ACM.

Torro

Here is the closed up photo of Fero x ACM.
I can not say any at moment because seedlings are too young.