Sowing in the rough

If I don’t chicken out, the plants growing from the seeds sown today are going to spend the rest of their lives in an unheated greenhouse in Denmark. 30 seeds of each of the below species were sown.

• Acharagma aguirreana (RSM 396; Sierra Paila, Coahuila)
  
• Acharagma roseana (LX 578; Ramon Arizpe, Coahuila)
  
• Lophophora williamsii v.decipiens
  
• Lophophora williamsii (RS 268; Huizache, San Luis Potosí)
  

I also sowed some leftovers from last year. 10 seeds each of:

• Lophophora diffusa (JR; Higuerillas, Queretaro)
  
• Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas)
  

A cold house batch of the two latter species was also sowed last spring. Most plants survived the winter and are now resuming growth.

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Seedling grafting on Pereskiopsis

Two weeks ago I rooted 4 Pereskiopsis spathulata cuttings and they are now in full growth.

I’ve grafted 4 plants from this year’s batch of Lophophora seedlings on the Pereskiopsis plants – 2 seedlings each of L. williamsii (RS 428A; Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila) and L. diffusa (RS 1193; Peña Miller, Queretaro).


Two Lophophora williamsii seedlings grafted on Pereskiopsis

The Living Rocks web site describes seedling grafting on Pereskiopsis in great detail.

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The power of grafting

One year ago today, I grafted a 50some days old Lophophora williamsii seedling on a well established Trichocereus pachanoi stock. The Lophophora scion has now grown to a height of 3.3 cm (~1.3’’) and a width of 3.2 cm (~1.25’’). The barrel shape is not very becoming to the Lophophora, but hopefully it will flower soon.


Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Tx) - One year old graft

The grafted Lophophora’s siblings (all sowed February 29, 2004) still growing on their own roots are all less than 1 cm (~0.4’’) in both height and width.

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Lophophora from seed – II

A month after sowing the Lophophora seeds the germination rates are:

• 17/30 - L. diffusa (RS 1193; Peña Miller, Queretaro)
  
• 13/30 - L. williamsii (La Soledad, Coahuila)
  
• 23/30 - L. williamsii (RS 428A; Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila)
  

Not impressive rates compared with previous years. I’m using a new seed supplier and a new sowing method – both could be the culprit. Lophophora williamsii seedling a month after sowing Anyway, the seedlings are doing well. Most are growing their first areoles like the L. williamsii (RS 428A; Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila) seedling pictured above. < previous |

Lophophora from seed

Tomorrow my work is taking me to the USA for 9 days, so I decided to sow my Lophophora seed a bit earlier than planned. 30 seeds of each of the species mentioned below were sowed.

• L. diffusa (RS 1193; Peña Miller, Queretaro)
  
• L. williamsii (La Soledad, Coahuila)
  
• L. williamsii (RS 428A; Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila)
  

The seed were handled as described in “Growing cacti from seed”. Later in spring I'll sow another batch of Lophophora seed in a cold house. | next >