Astrophytum caput-medusae; second generation

[Tina]

Hi
I don't think the three lobed seedling will be different, I had a pachy namaquanum come up like this but it was normal once it got it's true growth started .

Do you have any theories why the scion sometimes ends up wonky once the stock & scion start to grow, do you think it's lack of moisture when they are joining together or ??.

I'm glad it's not a competition as I have to wait for my offcuts to root as I wasn't intending to graft pereskiopsis.

[IanW]

It'll be interesting to see how it goes Christer, I've always found them easy to grow on their own roots from seed but have never found them to respond well to grafting on small fast stocks like Pereskiopsis. I have however had a lot of success on larger stocks like Myrtillocactus and Trichocereus, they seem to respond extremely well on these stocks.

That seedling that's only just hanging may do the same as one of my Micranthocereus violaciflorus seedlings of a similar size did, it stayed plump but just wouldn't grow properly at all, over a year I got maybe 1 - 2mm of growth out of it. I regrasted it just before Christmas onto Myrtillocactus as a last ditch effort and it now has 3 offsets growing from it about 1cm wide by 1inch high showing the more grown up traits the species is meant to have so in the worst case you may just need to carefully regraft it and will probably save it if it's not happy as is.

[AnTTun]

I'd say that, besides the stock/scion combo, growth will also depend on how 'many' vascular threads took between two plants. I had one gymno grafted on trichocereus, it was about 3 cms in diameter, graft seemed OK, and all of the sudden scion went up in the air. It was connected to stock in the middle, but except that 3-5 mms connection, bottom of scion was 3-5 mms away from stock top. It stood that way for about a month or two, and all of the sudden scion started growing. Was pretty cool thing to wach actually Anyway, my opinion is that it doesn't matter much how tight scion sits, as long as vascular threads have connected. After all, when scion starts growing it wont connect to stock with more than vascular, and small surrounding area. Degrafting older plants shows that quite well.

I wish you luck with all of them Christer, I still don't feel ready for grafting play with rare-slash-expensive seedlings but will tune in when I get brave enough

[ralphrmartin]

There's no need to graft it. It grows very well on its own roots.

[Aiko]

There's no need to graft it. It grows very well on its own roots.

But what makes it die of easily (as from what I have heard)?

[sechjoh]

There's no need to graft it. It grows very well on its own roots.

I grow Eriosyce, Copiapoa, and all other Astrophytum but this one, but can't keep this alive on it's own root. Tell me your secret I still have some seedlings left

[IanW]

I think the biggest problem is being careful when watering it. I've got a few of these left on their own roots, and I think they just like more drought than most cacti.

I do wonder if water getting stuck between the arms of this species and leading to rot is an issue too to be honest so best to becareful when watering it.

I find it hard to keep this plant happy when I'm used to growing plants right at the other end of the spectrum like Pilosocereus leucocephalus which frankly just wont grow at all unless you keep it nearly permanently wet through the summer (but at least rockets up in growth when you do!), but I think giving A. caput-medusae the growing requirements of those species of much drier preferences is the key.

[Tina]

Hi
I grafted mine so I had a fast grower that could produce seeds earlier, I will do another once I have some rooted peresky.
I have a couple of 2 yr old seedlings but wouldn't say I was sure about them, I did ask somewhere else about anyone's oldest /largest plant on own roots.

[ralphrmartin]

There's no need to graft it. It grows very well on its own roots.

But what makes it die of easily (as from what I have heard)?

Grafting?

I've had no problems with it at all, even in this cold winter when temperatures went pretty low.
When it was a seedling, I watered it through the winter to keep it growing. Now it is mature, I just treat it "like any other cactus" - well watered in summer, dry in winter. It's on the top shelf so gets plenty of light, and it's in a small pot, so I suppose that stops it being too wet for too long, although it must have stayed wet all winter when a seedling.

[Trevor]

I agree with Ralph, they are pretty easy on their own roots. No need for those mutant graft things ! I still have three from my original sowings back in 2007 http://www.bcss.org.uk/foruma/viewtopic ... ilit=caput and they're just treated like everything else, even watered overhead (!!)
After reading other's problems I'm inclined to think that the key may be a bright and warm/hot location as mine are on the upper shelf and seem to love it. They've usually flower twice each spring/summer and it's just a pity the seed isn't still 5 Euro a pop !!