Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds

Subject: Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:24 pm

Hi all,
I recently planted a number of these seeds and found that about 6 of them have germinated. They are tiny, smaller than a pin head after 4 months. Surprisingly I didn't know that they were there for a while and stopped watering. I read that they can be left to dry out completely as seedlinds and dehydrate, but then rehydrate with some water and continue growing fine - they don't miss a heart beat.

I've also heard that they can be left in plastic bags for up to two years and all but ignored.
Has anyone had any experience growing these beauties - I believe that they are the smallest species of all the cacti's.

(would include a pic, but the dots would make a pathetic photo)

regards,

Calycium
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Ariocarpus rock!

Joined : 16 Apr 2008 Posts : 20 Location : A-Town

thanks for the post calycium.

i dont have any but am going to get some seeds now. they look like a really nice cactus.

here is a cool graft i found a picture of on the net

Subject: Re: Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:59 pm

Hi Haga,
and welcome. Yeah the blossfeldias are really cool - really small. Hoping that mine get through the winter okay. But they are the greenhouse in a plastic tub.

cheers,
Calycium
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Ariocarpus rock!

Joined : 26 Apr 2008 Posts : 119 Location : brisbane

i have about 100 seeds of this species, could someone give me tips on germinating them and their cultivation?

Subject: Re: Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds Sat Apr 26, 2008 7:24 pm

Same as the way to grow lithops - listed in a different part of the forum - but only have a few mm of sand. Leave it in the baggie for up to 2 years. open the bag every month to give them air, and some fresh water - then close it again.
They are sooooo sloooooow growing it will take them forever.
Great thing is that they can dry out as well and then "come back to life" with a dose of water.
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Ariocarpus rock!

Joined : 26 Apr 2008 Posts : 119 Location : brisbane

took your advice and 1 month after planting have 1 seedling up, hopefully more to come

Subject: Re: Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:43 am

well done hornet, just keep at it, worse case, only one will grow - best you'll have a few more (that at this stage you might not really distinguish from grains of sand)
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Ariocarpus rock!

Joined : 26 Apr 2008 Posts : 119 Location : brisbane

the one i can see is easy to tell apart, bout the size of a sand grain but green lol

Joined : 07 May 2008 Posts : 273 Location : Melbourne

i just put some blossfeldias in my propagator. using the baggie method, my first time ever using that technique. i sifted the soil mix about 5 times before use to make sure there are no big particles. then sow the seed on the surface with minimal - no covering. then mist away! how long do they usually take to germinate?

Subject: Re: Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:41 pm

Baggies are easy Smile

just make sure the soil has drain well before you put them in.
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Betty

http://community.webshots.com/user/parrotsheaven

Joined : 07 May 2008 Posts : 273 Location : Melbourne

yep, sounds like i did it correctly. so if they germinate they can live in there for up to 2 years? wow, thats quite a while.

Subject: Re: Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:35 pm

While 2 years sounds like a jail sentence - you can open the baggie and have a look. I have one and its the size of a pin head now - has doubled in size over the last few months and I don't need the hubble telescope to see it.
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Ariocarpus rock!

Subject: Re: Blossfeldia Lilliputana seeds Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:37 pm

I might add that the only one that grew was in a depression in the soil. Next time I will be tempted to make small bumps in one half of the pot as an experiment
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Ariocarpus rock!