Evil Genius

Alright, i reconsidered and will be giving you guys one last chance to keep this discussion on track. Therefore you get the oportunity for a fresh clean start! But this Thread is only the CONTINUATION of the old Thread and i dont want you guys to repost all the stuff that was already discussed months ago. This is the old Thread: http://www.shaman-au...showtopic=26444 Please make sure to check if what you wanna say was already discussed there before hitting the post button here. If this thread will look like the old one in a few days, i will not make another one. If someone trolls your Thread, report it and we will make sure the Thread stays on track. bye Eg

Hi Guys, just wanted to let you know that i dug out a technique that may increase the chances of intergeneric breeding greatly. The technique was successfully used to force self-sterile cacti to accept their own pollen by causing some kind of a short-circuit on the stigma. It should actually also work to make cacti accept the pollen of other, sometimes very very unrelated generas. Im not sure if that comes across but this is a very groundbreaking thing and if it really works, it can be used to create some crazy new hybrids. So please try it out and let me know. Will definately do the same. Technique goes like this: Go get a 9V Battery. Braze or wrap a small copper wire on both poles. Put one wire in the ground and cover the second wire with the pollen you want to use as father. Then put the wire with the pollen on the stigma of the flower. Thats it. If you had some electricity going, its possible there will be some freaky seeds later. Technique is extremely experimential but i do know that it definately worked to create seed in case of self sterile cacti and im pretty positive it should at least higher the chances of success. Btw, dont think you´ll get an electric stroke from a small battery like this but if your finger tingles a little bit and shit, you do this on your own risk. ;) bye Eg

This is a mix of extreme scarring after scale and neglect + secondary fungal infections. Scale insects are constantly opening entry doors for pathogens and there's plenty of fungal spots and scars that are a direct result of the scale infestation on the plants. Imo you should probably improve the conditions before you do anything else. More sun, quality fertilizer, mineral soil, regular weeding etc. These kinds of problems are directly connected to poor environmental conditions. Scale is a problem, but healthy plants should be able to suppress them.

Hi mate, it's a Trichocereus peruvianus.

Hi mate, yeah looks nice. There are Scops that look like this. Where is it from?

I have NEVER seen this, and I've seen a lot. I suspect it's from some kind of bug. Can you post some more pics?

Hi mate, this is almost certainly nutrient related or sun-related. Imo it's because the plant was cut and doesn't have roots yet. The alternative is that it was kept in a too dark place for a while. Sudden onset of variegation is definitely possible, but this is probably not one. Bye Patrick

Spidermites are hard to treat and you need an Acaricide to kill them for good. Make a quick Google to find a few pesticides. Personally I spray my plants with 70% alcohol and it usually reduces problems to a minimum. It doesn't kill them entirely, but it reduces their populations dramatically. Can cause burns though, so never do it in full sun.

Hard to identify. Could be something like Trichocereus pallaralensis and Chavin de Huantar. Very spiny Peruvanoids that almost look like Trichocereus bridgesii. Definitely not Trichocereus cuzcoensis because the spines are so different.

It's really borderline. Personally, I think it'll probably progress in the lowest part because you can already see various infected spots. Cutting brings other risks though because it opens wounds for the pathogens. I would probably cut, but it's a thin thin line.

Hi mate, same to you and all the rest of the SAB crew. It really was a crazy year, so let's hope it gets better. Bye Eg

Imo this is a fungal infection that has partially healed, but the problem is that you have no idea what's going on below the skin. Cutting is probably best.

Yes, merry Christmas from me too. Hope you guys have a great time with your loved ones.

I've sown this cross too. It's one of the crosses I am most thrilled about.

All three probably have a Terscheckii like Trichocereus as one parent. Can definitely see similarities to something like Trichocereus validus in 1 and 3. Number 2 could be something like Trichocereus atacamensis, Trichocereus pasacana etc. When breeders put all fruits and seeds from one plant into the same bag, this can be the outcome. Definitely interesting though.

Hi guys, here's some photos of a plant that was described as Trichocereus fabrisii. It is a slightly more columnar version of Trichocereus schickendantzii.

Hey mate, I wouldn't worry too much about mushrooms. Just remove the fruiting body aka the actual mushroom and leave it at that. Mushrooms and mycelium are everywhere in nature and they usually dont kill cacti directly unless they produce toxins. If you mean something like cobweb then the approach would be to remove the starting point and dry it out. But again, only in case of having a spiderweb like mycelium growing all over the container and the seeds.

Hi mate, yes, Trichocereus peruvianus or Trichocereus macrogonus depending on the system you use. Very nice!

Hi mate, super nice Trichocereus terscheckii. Very close to what's commonly referred to as Trichocereus validus. Totally love it.

Hey mate, it definitely happens relatively often on Trichocereus after injuries and insect attacks on the meristem. But yeah, can't really speak about hiw it is with Astrophytum. Pics?

Lets start a thread where we post our best/funniest/weirdest Gifs here! I start:

Wish I could help, but have no idea. Could be something like Crassula.

Hey mate, these belong into the Trichocereus spachianus group. There's quite a few forms and related species that belong to it. I don't think it's the well known Trichocereus spachianus clone that's around, but it's certainly close to it. Please post flower photos when it flowers. Bye Eg

Hey mate, how long has it been since you planted them? At which temperatures did you have them. Personally, I sow out in a mix of Pumice, Lava and Coir and I wouldn't want Vermiculite in my sowing soil. It's not that it kills seeds, but there are minerals that produce much better results. Picking up seeds that were already sown out is possible, but very time consuming. I'd probably rather let everything dry out when nothing shows after 2 months and then start another wet cycle when the weather is hot.

Hey mate, send me your contact email address via pm and I'll pass it on to him. Bye Patrick