My Micranthocereus hofackerianus seedling Solved

[Tina]

They are looking good, glad you have worked out their ideal growing conditions for your climate.

[kohinoor]

An update.These little baster are difficult to raise .Only 14 seedling remain.
pic of 12 seedling other 2 are kept in grow box.
grafted seedling do nothing better.
THE MOST FRUSTRATED CACTUS i even cultivated.

[kohinoor]

sorry for the picture, they did;t show up.
I do't know why but i can;t edit my post. i can;t fix it.


any way here are pictures from previous up date

2017-11-11


2017-12-21


2017/12/26


I did not see any development of caudex or tap root yet .

[kohinoor]

one of my biggest seedling got a fungi root infection. Pretty sure it;s due to my reckless repoting.

Since it;s winter now (10~20C) i afraid it will not root.So i decide to graft.


i chop it into 4 equal size scion.I did't pressure or fix scion.
Base on my previous experience these hair and spine make vertical graft fixation very hard.
Only horizontal graft can have a nice fixation.
so i just simply put scion on stuck. no fixation at all.

Then put them into a warm humid recovery container with artificial light on.


2 weeks after graft, doing well. Transfer them into my main green house.
Some dense hair come out on top, must be new branch budding.

[kohinoor]

they are doing fine.

[Tina]

They certainly are, well done on the grafting.
I should google these to see what the adult looks like, they are so thin.
Its always useful to have grafts as they may flower earlier and you can take cuttings later in the year.

[kohinoor]

22 month has past.
these little guy prove to be particular problematic .
Only 5 remain on own root.
The grafted one are not doing well either.
Pereskiopsis provide a huge early push,but once it shade all leaf .Pereskiopsis lost most of the juicy and momentum.
These graft on Pereskiopsis grow rapidly in first year and halt after Pereskiopsis lost leaf.
In hind sight i should have use other more persist stuck.

any way this is how the biggest one look like now.(on own root)
it share pot with 3 roommate and a swarm of black crazy ant.
I can see a small bud growing,can't wait to see the flower

BTY crazy ant pollinate all of my Euphorbia,i like them.

[Herts Mike]

Only just come across this thread. Fascinating!

[kohinoor]

full bloom

[kohinoor]

the flower wither a day after.Unusually fast.
Stamen and pistil are all cluster together inside small flower.

I never think about it's fertility before.
Now i think about it, it's small and tub flower do resemble other self-fertile cactus:
Rhipsalis Melocactus.

Any way i found it's ovary begin to swollen. Pretty sure it's self-fertile now.
Probably ant(which i have a lot) or it pollinated itself.


I do a lot of research before i acquire a species.
So this is truly an unexpected surprise.