Astrophytum cultivars

[Guest]

Hi Nick,
My last sowing produced 4 'super kabutos' and one plant which appears to be a capricorne. According to Ariocarpus etc the original 'super k' was found in the wild and I suspect growers hybridize this plant with capricorne or CAP-AS.

Easy to germinate but make sure the seeds are sterilised first as they rot very easily.

Dennis

[CactusChris]

Hi Nick,
My experience from bought in seed and home produced crosses from 'similar' plants is that there is a fair degree of variation, but that it is well worth getting the best seed you can - and that although you will get some variation generally the descriptions are reasonably reliable. Remember these seeds are not F1 where one would expect a high degree of similarity, the are F(n) after many crosses. The variation is part of the fun.

Best regards

Chris

[Guest]

I got a load of seed from Japan a few years ago and most of it was ok but you still have to be selective with the resulting plants. I had seed of a variety called snowball and of the twenty plants only three came out really good and the rest were variously marked and left me as super k', after all snowball is just a selection of super k'.

I also had an ornatum they called candy stripe but it only develops the stripes at about 3 inch diameter. I havce given these to various people and a few have since reported back that they have developed the stipes.

I have no idea what the eBay ones will turn out like

[Guest]

I agree. My super kabuto were nothing to write home about apart from the one variegated which I will have a go at grafting in the spring.

Mike.