Spring is not faraway

When winter has come, spring is not faraway. Last two days were quite cold in the morning. I think winter has been in here.
We have to wait another 3 months for the cactus season but it is not faraway.
Currently autumn flowers and spring flowers are mixed in my greenhouse.
The photo is Mammillaria lauii dasyacantha, sown seeds on 31/08/06 and grafted seedling. Other Mammillarias also have many flower buds.

We have had buckets and buckets of rain here in Sydney and it has been pretty cold too. The last of my flower buds failed to open. Nice shot btw.

I'm sorry to say we haven't has much rain at all here in Melbourne.

Hanazono - I haven't got any Mamms that are grafted, does this influence when or how much they flower. I wouldn't have thought that they would flower in weather this cold.
I was under the impression that in the wild mamm flowers are pollinated by different types of bees in warmer temperatures. I might be wrong here.

KanJe
It depends upon the type of root stocks but the grafting will influence:
Early flowering (Very young plant will got flower. Earliest one in my plants got flowers 3 months after germination.)
Numbers of flowers (Normally more flowers than own-root plant)
I think flowering season is not affected by grafting. Some of own-root Mammillarias have flowers currently in my greenhouse.
Hanazono

I have 2 plants of Mammillaria albata.
Both of plants are in flower.

Although morning was quite cold yesterday, we have a good sunshine in the afternoon.
Some of cactus opened flowers.
Turbinicarpus valdezianus

Astrophytum asterias (medium size seedlings, around 8cm diameter)

Medium size, wtf? lol
Really nice shots, i love the turb flower. great colour.

KanJe wrote:

Medium size, wtf? lol

hehehehe I agree mate

Kanje & Hellonasty
Plants on the attached photo are not a simple asterias and they are asterias cv kabuto.
There are around 300 cv called ****kabuto.
The life of kabuto is around 20 yeas and grown upto 20 cm diameter.
I started to collect cactus in 2003 and I do not have 20 cm one yet.
I have around 20 large size kabutos, 13-16 cm diameter. They were grafted once and degrfted.
I have more than 300 medium size kabutos, shown in the photo, sown seeds in 2003 and grown by own root.
They are flowering size but diameter is around 8 cm.
Hanazono

They are great plants Hanazono I wish I had something to match it. My collection is mostly Myriostigma CV's. I think this year I will put some asterias seed down. Do you have any available ?

It became a bit warm in the afternoon today.
Several cacti were in bloom this afternoon.
Mammillaria sanchez-majoradae


Turbinicarpus riverdensis f MZ276

That Mamm is beautiful. The geometry of the spines are really nice.

I woke up this morning and I can now feel spring is not too far away.......finally. I also have a Turb flower just about to open which is a good sign. I think it will be a good season this year....I'm very keen to get it started.


That Turbinicarpus valdezianus flower is really something such an intense colour.

Two asterias cultivas were in flower this afternoon.
asterias cv Yatagai-miracle x Sano tokunow kabuto.
This is not a super kabuto.

This is a super kabuto. The pattern is not so good.

Quote :

The pattern is not so good.

No so good? I reckon that's an awesome specimen.

I have never heard of cv Yatagai-miracle let alone Sano tokunow kabuto. Is this just me? CV are being created faster than I can memorise them.

The flower really is something else though. Very distinctive from SK IMO.

Kanje
There are around 300 asterias cultivas in Japan.
Mr. Yatagai developped his miracle kabuto.
Mr. Sano developped his tokunow kabuto.
The plant in the attached photo is crossed these two plants.
Hanazono

Lachy
I think each person has different opinion for the pattern of super kabuto.
The original super kabuto was found by Mr. Takeo in 1980 from imported asterias. It was a monstrosa with large white fleckings.
Since it was just one plant, crossed with many asterias later and so the current all super kabutos are cultivas.
You can adjust the degree of fleckings by crossing eg A and B.
Some persons may look at special flecking pattern eg C.
I like a super kabuto with thick fleckings eg D.
I think fleckings of the super kabuto with flowes, attached on forum yesterday was not thick enough.
A:Very thick flecking super kabuto (Megane hakuten super kabuto)

B:Nudum (Ruri kabuto)

C: Tiger super kabuto

D: I like this degree of fleckings

Really nice plants Hanazono and some interesting info thanks.

Yesterday morning was cold, temperature went down to 3 'C.
Asterias are continuing to open flowers.
The flower in the photo is large, around 10 cm diameter.

Beautiful as always, mate. Your astrophytums have got to be among some of the best that I have seen.

Some Mammillarias added flowers yesterday.
senilis albiflora, sown seeds 06/08/07 and grafted seeling

Normal senilis

sanchez-mejoradae, grafted pups