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Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 5:38 pm
by Eric Williams
Hi all, having read that this plant needs some water during Winter, I decided to bring a plant into the house to keep under observation. This one is seed raised and on its own roots. After a bottom watering I was pleasantly suprised how quick a response the plant made. Tubercles that were about 50 degrees to the vertical moved very quickley to nearer the vertical position. Never seen such a response to a drop of water. LoL. Cheers

Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:57 pm
by Stuart
Mine dries back to a woody caudex in winter, just has annual growth each year, strange plant!

Stuart

Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:08 pm
by Ali Baba
That’s interesting Stuart my plants never lose more than one or two old tubercles in the winter, and I keep them bone dry in winter. Mind you I water them a bit earlier in spring than my other cacti


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Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:32 pm
by Eric Williams
Just wondered if grafted plants need a different Winter stratergy ? Cheers

Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 8:46 am
by Ali Baba
All mine are on their own roots so can’t comment on grafted ones. They don’t seem difficult to grow on their own roots so I don’t see the advantage of grafting


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Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:56 am
by Eric Williams
Thanks AB. You are right, they seem to grow well on their own roots as you say. Could be quicker growth on a graft to allow quicker sale. Just a thought. Cheers

Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:33 pm
by D^L
Perhaps I am alone in this but I don't find them easy. They tend to dry up overwinter for me. I get Stuart's woody caudex but they struggle to regenerate. I only have relatively young seedlings (perhaps a few years) - mainly because they don't last much longer for me. :smile:
I've been wondering about a little water during the winter but that seems counter-intuitive for a plant which is largely a root - we historically used to say that plants with large roots need more drainage and dry during winter. This of course just be an old husband's tale. I have it is fairly dry compost, does it need a richer soil to develop bulk?
Cheers
David Lambie
Bristol

Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:40 pm
by Diane
I've just lost my small seedling (a few years old) - just completely dried up - I don't have much luck with this plant...

Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:12 pm
by Ali Baba
Hmm. My oldest plants date back to 2010 so not that old, the others are seedlings from my oldest plants, and all have flowered. Only 2 of my original 5 seedlings survives, the others dried up slowly which I belatedly realised was due to WFT. The subsequent seedlings were loads more successful, I kept them in a propagator and watered all year round until they had been through 2 winters. That kept the thrips off, and I spray regularly in the growing season if I see live thrips on them. They’re in my standard cactus compost but I never let them dry out too long between watering. Hope that helps [emoji3]


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Re: Astrophytum cap. med.

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:04 pm
by Chris in Leeds
I have given up on this plant now as I got some in 2007 (elk) grafted and they just packed up over winter even inside on a windowsill then got a couple more in 2009 (elk) one bigger one on a graft and a seedling but lasted first winter then lost the bigger one in the summer and smaller in the winter then I got some at the national show last year and the final seedling has just given up and I don't know why as it has looked ok and well all summer then all of a sudden it looked like it was drying up from all the tips and it doesn't look like it will revive