Re: What would you like to know about Melocactus?
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:27 am
Following are the results of a Melocactus matanzanus rehabilitation project I carried out at Bach's Cactus Nursery (Tucson, Arizona) some twenty years ago. I decapitated the cephaliated aberrant apical offsets from some mature plants that had been damaged by red spider mites. The severed surfaces were dusted with powdered sulphur as a prophylactic and put aside to dry. When sufficiently calloused, the offsets were potted up using my regular soil mix with the surfaces just resting on top of the soil.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata05.JPG[/img] - insect damaged mature plant with two offsets - one with cephalium.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata15.JPG[/img] - double head/double cephaliums on damaged plant.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata04.JPG[/img] - mother plant with offsets removed.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata01.JPG[/img] - severed offsets set aside to dry.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata14.JPG[/img] - 25mm (1") dia rooted plant established in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata07.JPG[/img] - root system on offset after six months.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata27.JPG[/img] - Rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata22.JPG[/img] - Another rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata24.JPG[/img] - Another rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata30.jpg[/img] - Another rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
Please excuse the quality of the photographs - they were taken before the advent of digital cameras.
James
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata05.JPG[/img] - insect damaged mature plant with two offsets - one with cephalium.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata15.JPG[/img] - double head/double cephaliums on damaged plant.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata04.JPG[/img] - mother plant with offsets removed.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata01.JPG[/img] - severed offsets set aside to dry.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata14.JPG[/img] - 25mm (1") dia rooted plant established in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata07.JPG[/img] - root system on offset after six months.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata27.JPG[/img] - Rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata22.JPG[/img] - Another rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata24.JPG[/img] - Another rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
[img]http://jp29.org/mlmata30.jpg[/img] - Another rooted offset potted in 7 cm (2.75") square plastic pot after approx. 1 year.
Please excuse the quality of the photographs - they were taken before the advent of digital cameras.
James