Setiechinopsis mirabilis ..... and quite a few questions

[el48tel]

setie-2-plus-copyright.mp4

(5.97 MiB) Downloaded 37 times

I was attempting to video another genus ..... unsuccessfully .... and noticed that there was a bud opening on this Setiechinopsis mirabilis. Change of plan, equipment, location. Noticed that the bud was opening, IMHO, a little earlier than expected, in terms of the time of day. The kit was duly set up. The background was better than last time. The filming was proceeding better than last time. The new (expensive) lighting gear was performing properly. I didn’t have to change gear and tactics mid video like last time. It was looking so good. I was so smug. Doing the post video production was going to be so easy. I thought ......... and spoke ........... too soon. Normally by about 3 hours into videoing Setiechinopsis, the flower is pretty much open. Hence the set of parameters I’d calculated. I’d calculated in some slippage time to allow for longer opening, but what occurred was not what I expected. After a while the flower started to close, turn, and reopen. Towards 1am, I expected to see the flower fully open, but it wasn’t. In fact, the equipment had finished filming, the light was fully illuminating the plant, and the flower was only partly open. I shut off the lighting jig and the flower opened in the next couple of hours. By 6am, based on previous experience, I would have expected the flower to be closed or nearly so, but it was fully open.
Lots of questions started to flood my mind.
It had been a dull day, the flower began to open sooner than I’d expected. Did my transfer from bright(ish) GH to house initiate the flowering process?
Previously, my Setiechinopsis lighting had been a different setup, because of technical issues. Was it the light intensity or colour temperature of the light which caused the plant to stop and restart?
Does the plant need very low light intensity to flower, because it struggled to flower with the new jig, but the old dimmer light later in the video process of last time allowed the flower to fully open?
And so my thoughts continued.
I thought (and still think) the adjacent bud will abort, but I am not so sure in the light of the new day. I may have the opportunity for further investigation this evening/weekend.
Recollection of filming Rebutia, and observation of Gymnocalycium earlier in the year with its poor weather records, lends further credence to light intensity AND temperature as initiators of flowering.
Further thoughts from forum members before 6pm would be much appreciated.

Regardless ............ enjoy the video.

[Stuart]

I'd hurry, it's a very short-lived plant, once they've flowered, usually in the second year from seed, they've done all they need and don't make it to the next year. There is a theory that cutting off the flowers might keep the plant alive longer.

Stuart

[el48tel]

I'd hurry, it's a very short-lived plant, once they've flowered, usually in the second year from seed, they've done all they need and don't make it to the next year. There is a theory that cutting off the flowers might keep the plant alive longer.

Stuart

Yup I know that .... but don't think the plants does .... 4 years old
And it's sibling .... has had pups!

[KarlR]

I'd hurry, it's a very short-lived plant, once they've flowered, usually in the second year from seed, they've done all they need and don't make it to the next year. There is a theory that cutting off the flowers might keep the plant alive longer.

Stuart

I've heard this said by many, and seen it mentioned in books too. Has anybody done any kind of research on this in habitat? My experience with them is that they can easily live for 10 years with regular flowering. My oldest was 15 years old before it died, but I suspect a cold snap killed it, not old age.

[el48tel]

I'd hurry, it's a very short-lived plant, once they've flowered, usually in the second year from seed, they've done all they need and don't make it to the next year. There is a theory that cutting off the flowers might keep the plant alive longer.

Stuart

I've heard this said by many, and seen it mentioned in books too. Has anybody done any kind of research on this in habitat? My experience with them is that they can easily live for 10 years with regular flowering. My oldest was 15 years old before it died, but I suspect a cold snap killed it, not old age.

I think my post title is correct .... questions questions questions

[ralphrmartin]

I find it short lived. I've grown it 3 or 4 times, but I have never managed to keep it more than a few years (under 5). It seems to put all its energy into flowering and setting seed. The way I grow it at least, its perhaps as near as we get to a biennial in cacti!

[Phil_SK]

Here are mine, photographed just a few minutes ago. One was grafted onto Opuntia humifusa (the left one, I think) though the stock may have died and the scion rooted - it's happened with many of the grafts I did when I used that stock. They were grown from seed sown in January 2009. As cacti go, I suspect they are short-lived but not very short-lived. Rather, they quickly become very scruffy and reach a point that most people would dispose of them.

[Ali Baba]

My first Setiechinopsis was about 15 years old when it died. As it’s propagated exclusively from seed and self pollinates perhaps there are longer lived seed strains.

[nobby]

Hello,

perhaps this story that Roberto Kiesling told us explains the questions around Setiechinopsis mirabilis:

The plants usually grow in slightly saline soil. When it rains heavily, the salt is washed into the lower layers, the seeds germinate and the plants grow, flower and produce vast quantities of seeds. Slowly, the salt rises from the lower layers back up to the surface. The conditions become hostile for Setiechinopsis mirabilis. The plants slowly die - until the next heavy rain. An event that occurs approximately every three to four years.

A story - but perhaps with a true background.

Kind regards
Nobby

[el48tel]

Hello,

perhaps this story that Roberto Kiesling told us explains the questions around Setiechinopsis mirabilis:

The plants usually grow in slightly saline soil. When it rains heavily, the salt is washed into the lower layers, the seeds germinate and the plants grow, flower and produce vast quantities of seeds. Slowly, the salt rises from the lower layers back up to the surface. The conditions become hostile for Setiechinopsis mirabilis. The plants slowly die - until the next heavy rain. An event that occurs approximately every three to four years.

A story - but perhaps with a true background.

Kind regards
Nobby

Perhaps new compost every year? Water from the top?