"Andine"- Andean cacti

[Hans J]

Hi all ,

I will show you in this year some pics of my cacticollection - but I'm not shure if this is interesting for all .
So -here is a little test :

First some Rebutia :
R.beryllioides
R.masonerii
R.marsonerii x R. beryllioides ( I made this cross before many years )
R.margaretheae

[Hans J]

But also the first Lobivia has start with flowering :

Lobivia einsteinii v. aureiflora
Lobivia famatimensis v. jachalensis

[mark smyth]

My favourite Cactus

[David Nicholson]

Beautiful Hans, more please.

[Michael]

Hans you made a cactus crossing? How can you cross pollinate them and avoid at the same time that the flower get selfed by it's own pollen? Did  you cut off the anthers? And how about to germinate the seeds???

Please show us more pictures!!

I also have a cactus that looks very similar to those you mentioned (rebutia) i will post a picture of it here soon. It is flowering for the first time to me, and the flowers are pale pink.

[Hans J]

Michael ,

Normally I make no crossings - but in this case I would like the see was happens .
But I have regulary collected seeds from my cacti ( partly for me and partly for friends who search for it )
It is not a problem - many of the are not self fertile ..so you must have two plants to get seeds .
I isolate the two plants -and wait until the flowers are closed ( mostly after one day ) - also I have marked the pollinated flowers . In some cases if both flowers are not flowering in same time is it possible to store pollen in the fridge .
If the plants are self-fertile so it is easier !( some Rebutia and Aylostera )
From some really rare plants ( if I have only one ) is it sometimes also possible to get  seeds -it's a bit tricky !
I prefer multiplication not from vegetative multiplication - after some year they are not well -so it is important to make from time to time new seedlings .
I also dont like graftet cacti ( only if it's really nessecary )

I'm interestet to see also pics from your cacti !

[Paul T]

Great stuff Hans.  I love the Rebutia and Lobivia (and Sulcorebutia etc) myself.  They seem to do fairly well for me, although could do with more often repotting than they get.    They're absolutely wonderful for flowers, that is for sure.  Congratulations on your hybrid.... very nice. 

[Michael]

Here is the one i was talking about yesterday. I took the picture, but  the flowers were already closing...
. It is full of buds! The other few cacti i have never flowered to me...

And another one that i have seen at a friend's house, but i have no idea about the I.D.

[Hans J]

Here some Lobivia more :

L. ferox
L.pampana
L.rossii
L.spec.305a
and a pic of my Rebutia collection
L.versicolor

[Michael]

Oh wow! What a collection. Amazing even out of bloom. Were all of those grown up from seed? How many decades do they need to reach blooming?

[Hans J]

Michael ,

Yes - sure they are all growing from seed !
It is not so difficult ( if you know some tricks ) to grow they from seeds - many of them flower after 3 or 4 years ....,the bigger one need about 8 years ....but I have also been waiting for flowers 20 years ( Lobivia bruchii )

[David Nicholson]

Lovely collection Hans, you are a man of infinite patience

[Hans J]

  thanks David 

sometimes we have no other chance

[Michael J Campbell]

Hans ,here are a couple of mine.
Ariocarpus fissuratus, sorry for the bad pick but this was taken before digital and was converted from bitmap.This plant only flowers after about 30 years in captivity, and then only occasionally.

Cephalocereus senilis, This is one from seed sown in 1972.

[Hans J]

Great Michael !

Nice to meet here also some other cactus growers and plantfriends with big patience !