Pterocactus - care in first 6 months

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Cidermanrolls
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Pterocactus - care in first 6 months

Post by Cidermanrolls »

Hi
I’ve been having good germination results from ADLPS Pterocactus seed this year and am looking for top tips on post germination care.
The first batch of seed germinated well in the heated and illuminated propagator, but losses post germination were higher than expected.
I’ve seen tips to prick out straight away and others to remove from the humidity of the propagator. I’m still losing young seedlings at higher rate than other genera.
The photo is an example pot from my next attempt where I have germinated under ambient conditions. Germination is excellent. The soil is high mineral, well drained.
How do you recommend I take them from here to next summer?
I’ve also got several Austrocacti going. Are they best treated the same as Pterocacti, or are there better ways?
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AndrewB
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Re: Pterocactus - care in first 6 months

Post by AndrewB »

Hi,

I found they need to be transplanted as soon as possible otherwise they rot.

Then let them dry out between watering/feeding.

Oh and do not transplant again during late summer, if you do they struggle to make new roots at the time and it sets them back.
Andrew

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Re: Pterocactus - care in first 6 months

Post by Christian »

If these are out of a bag/propagator I would let them grow on normally in the pot they are in now. Based on my (limited) experience with Ptero seedlings, they cope well even with light frost in their first winter. It is humid conditions after germination that I found need to be avoided.
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ralphrmartin
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Re: Pterocactus - care in first 6 months

Post by ralphrmartin »

I potted mine on rather sooner than other cacti, and amazingly, by the end of the first growing season, I had a plant over 2" (5cm) long. They seem to grow very quickly if given enough root room, watering and feeding.

They die back quite a lot in the winter, but grow new shoots the next year from the fleshy roots.
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