Strombocactus from seed

Another first for me: Strombocactus from seed. 60something dustlike seed of Strombocactus disciformis ssp. esperanzae (RS 547; Xichu, Guanajuato).

I decided to sow in the same growing medium I'm using for my mature (limestone-loving) plants, i.e. equal parts of:

• Coarse, loamy sand
  
• Limestone gravel
  
• Milled sphagnum moss peat
  

I'm usually not sterilizing my growing medium before sowing, but in this case (extremely small seed and slow growing seedlings) I filled a pot with the compost and let it soak for a couple of minutes, put the pot in a plastic bag (not closed tightly) and brought it to a controlled boil in the microwave.

When everything had cooled down I sowed the seed (using a moist toothpick). The seed were placed directly on the surface of the compost and not covered. The pot was then sprinkled slightly with water and placed in the plastic bag with a bit of water at the bottom. Finally the bag was sealed closely and placed in a heated windowsill.

Now I just have to wait...

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Sclerocactus from seed

January 09, 2005
Today I sowed my first Sclerocactus seed. I'd ordered some S. whipplei (SB472; Navajo Co, Az) and S. parviflorus (SB592; Torrey) seed without realizing they allegedly are very difficult to grow from seed.

I'm following Steven Brack's basic germination tips and his detailed instructions for Pediocactus, Sclerocactus and Toumeya. The seed are grown in a cold house and hopefully the freezing/thawing cycles in Denmark are sufficient for it to germinate.

Köhres's Lophophora information page

I just noticed that Köhres has updated his Lophophora information page.

A lot of Lophophora photos ordered by state, location and species can be found by selecting "Bilder am Standort" (photos from the growing locations) and then "Los geht´s". This takes you to a map of Mexico where you can select a specific state. From the state page you can select a location (from the "Standorte" list). If more than one species grow in a given state, e.g. Coahuila or San Luis Potosi, the locations for the species are differentiated using color.

A very impressive site.

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A field of Cylindropuntia bigelovii photographed during a recent visit to Joshua Tree National Park.

Unique search string: snyrf smldsfiope

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