New Member

Hi all,
I started collecting cacti approx 10 yrs ago and have amassed around 50 plants. Surprisingly, -or not- I have acquired little knowledge of said plants 😳 and hope to learn a thing or two here. Thanks.
B2

Welcome to the forum B2!
What kinds of cacti make up your collection?

Welcome !

Thanks guys.
My collection is a mixed bag really, some ferocactus, espostoa, trichos, lophs among many others. A couple of unknown notocactus as well. I've recently tried my hand at seed raising with varying degrees of success (read mostly failure lol).

Great, sounds like you have a good mix there!
If you would like any help id'ing the Notocactus just let me know, I have quiet a few of them.
Seed raising is fun but a real test of patience, i've used the baggie method with mixed thoughts and have recently switched to open sowing just to see what happens - so far I am pleased with the results and the seedlings seem to be stronger than their baggie brothers.

Thanks for the id offer Walker, that would be great. I've been using the takeaway tek method. 0% germ on lophs but ok to good on other species (E.Grusonii, N.Lenniggnhausii, my own Noto seeds and couple others). So not sure if lophs dislike the takeaway tek or I'm more than likely doing something wrong. Well done on the open sow, very interesting to hear better results. Sounds quite involved tho?

Welcome friend!

Thank you Sneaky

Open sowing is quiet simply planting seeds with no cover on them. Very much the same as you would plant regular seeds like flowers or veggies. I have done this with some self produced stenocactus and echinopsis so far the results have been better than expected.
Sorry to hear about your lophs my advice would be to up the temperature, I have found lophs germinate better with high temperatures.
You could put the trays on top of a water heater or somewhere else warm, I personally use a heating cable the kind that are used for reptiles under my seedlings and the results are quiet good of course you may have dud seeds in which case it's not going to matter what you do.

Hi all, I have been growing cacti and succulents for 60 years. I have been grafting and growing from seeds from when I left Holland.
I have now got something I have not seen before and need some other opinion or advice. I have a yellow grafted gymno that has  a red offset that is completely different than the yellow offsets. the rest of the offsets have been yellow. I first thought it was a flower when it first grew, about two months ago, but it is continuing to grow and it is completely different to anything I have ever seen and is not a disease.
Any help would be appreciated.