Astrophytum caput-medusae

Subject: Re: Astrophytum caput-medusae Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:36 pm

I saw some pictures tonight of one year old digi from the same seed source and they sure looked great.

He didn't say what the % was but BTW it looked high as there were four and five digi per pot so I am guessing five seeds in each pot. As he also had ortegocactus pics at 10/10 and they had 5 a pot.
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Betty

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

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! bounce

Got one plant that came up from my bunch of 4 seed. Happy!

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

*edit*

Subject: Re: Astrophytum caput-medusae Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:28 pm

Hey calycium doing well cheers

I have over 20 up now so don't give up will you and I can see more coming through

No torture................. just time Wink

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Betty

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

Subject: Re: Astrophytum caput-medusae Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:28 pm

instead of burning them, try freezing them for a night then try to germinate them again

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

Planted a few more yesterday in the hope that there is something about them talking to each other at night.

Betty, you have to be happy with 20+ up - that's a fantastic effort. I can already see eBay light up at $100 a seedling... sell sell

Subject: Re: Astrophytum caput-medusae Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:43 pm

So what you gunna do with yours $90 and undercut me Laughing

Bloody voices next you are gunna tell me its them talking to you LOL

I am real happy with what I have but more would be even better...........not that I am greedy but I don't imagine they will all live as I usually lose a couple seedlings from each lot........like this week for some reason Sad

friggin flies chewed off the roots Mad

must have been before I drowned them
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Betty

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

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

If they are like the rest of my babies, I'll never get rid of them no matter how many I have. Very Happy

Subject: Re: Astrophytum caput-medusae Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:08 pm

Hey I know a guy in Melb who has his seedling set up in his bedroom, a pretty well know grower too........................ I guess you wouldn't get any sleep at all if you did that you would be too busy listening to them grow Twisted Evil

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Betty

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

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

First planting 3/4 seeds up. One with a red tip and the other 2 green with 3 prongs. Planted another 10 and I have 1 up after a week...

Its exciting and that is 4 more than I had a fortnight ago!

Subject: Re: Astrophytum caput-medusae Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:23 pm

Doing well calycium you are going to end up with better percentage than me Razz

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Betty

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

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

Not sure about that Betty,
but 3 to keep, plus 1 to graft = 4. Any more than that will make their way to the cacti trading area so I can get other varieties of cacti I'd like

(off topic - have 16 germinated Lithop Optica cv Rubra germinated and looking very healthy - 2 have your name on them Smile

)

Subject: Re: Astrophytum caput-medusae Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:42 pm

Well you do have better % than me at this stage. Its strange one pot has 8 germinated and another 4. All same conditions etc so who knows??

Whoo hoo rubra babies Thanks cal so are they called B1 and B2 Laughing

.........something I can't do is get those to grow. Tried awhile ago and got 3 to germinate and then Oooops they disappeared???
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Betty

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

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

Just a note on their soil:

I spent a lot of time with their soil - 30% fine sieved potting mix from the Hortico packet. 30% course washed sand. 30% pertlite and then a large dollop of dolomite lime. All mixed in and then I soaked it in rain water and micro-waved the pots with the soil mix for about 3 minutes before I let them cool. Planted the seed and tamped them down then covered them with a sprinkling of course washed river sand. Stright into the germinator at about 26 degrees with fluro lights at 8 inches for 14/10 hours cycle a day.

Did an aweful lot to make sure there were no gnats and was the right soil composition. Have used it for all my mexican plantings with great success.

Having said that I would have been happy with 40% germination... but am experiencing much higher - around 70+% typically.

Moderator Joined : 06 Apr 2008 Posts : 354 Location : oz

yep, the L. O. Rubra's are doing well - they will probably be a xmas present unless they grow a lot faster than normal.