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Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 8:37 pm
by iann
The Echinocactus horizonthalonius v. subikii is three years younger than the plain E. horizonthalonius, but it beat it to flowering and now looks like it has overtaken it for size too. Spines are smaller though :)
horizonthalonius-0517.jpg

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 9:29 pm
by Diane
It seems to flower at quite a young age, compared to the type. Mine has also just flowered, but has pink flowers rather than white (grown from David Rushforth's seeds).

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 10:19 pm
by iann
The flowers on mine are a very pale pink, slightly darker when they first open, almost white when fully open. Second one coming soon that hasn't flowered before, I'll compare the colour.

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 4:18 pm
by ralphrmartin
Here's the seedling I'm most proud of from last year (in that it's still alive!)

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 8:29 pm
by iann
ralphrmartin wrote: Sat May 18, 2019 4:18 pm Here's the seedling I'm most proud of from last year (in that it's still alive!)
Still alive is the easy bit. Getting them to germinate at all is the hard bit! Good new growth this spring though, that's a good sign. If it goes from winter to summer without producing new areoles with their bright red spines, then you're in trouble.

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 7:24 pm
by ralphrmartin
I dunno. I've had a few germinate before, and all conk out within 6 months or so. This is the first time I've got one to the one year + stage.

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 9:35 pm
by iann
Here's a growing sequence from my first ever sowing
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polycephalus8.jpg
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polycephalus-0114.jpg

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 10:09 pm
by AnTTun
If it was me, mine would have been grafted at stage 3 :)

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 10:51 pm
by ralphrmartin
Terrific spine! How old's that plant now, Ian?

Re: Echinocactus tortoise and hare

Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 2:32 pm
by iann
ralphrmartin wrote: Tue May 21, 2019 10:51 pm Terrific spine! How old's that plant now, Ian?
That's about 10 years old. They're not fast, only 2-3 new areoles each spring, less when they get big.