At what age do trichs start to display their mature phenotype?

[Quixote]

Well, as the title says, I was wondering how old cacti have to be before they start showing what they really are.

As I understand it, most seedlings look quite similar, but when they grow older, they settle into another and more permanent form. How old do they have to be for this?

[Evil Genius]

That changes from cactus to cactus. Cacti from the Terscheckii/Pasacana Group need to get VERY big before you see some of the most recognizable features. Like a couple meters tall or so. The Peruvianus on the other hand begin to show their traits very early on. Like one meter tall or so. Of course you already see diffrences in smaller plants that allow you to ID some of them very early on but the smaller variations, you only see when they are bigger. bye Eg

[Quixote]

Thank you EG, as always a fount of good information.

I have a seed-grown presumed Pachanoi growing in a pot in the window, when I received it it was about a year old and 10 cm tall. During the following summer, it grew to about 27 cm, so I suppose I will have a few more years to go before it reaches a metre.

Edited June 11, 2013 by Quixote

[CβL]

It's also not just age, but growing conditions. I find that with Peruvianus/Macrogonus plants they usually grow a second long central spine (or two) out of each areole the next growing season (could be around the 2-3 year mark to first start seeing these). There are other factors again, such as Scopulicola seedlings apparently have spines, but as the plant ages it will stop growing the spines. I believe this is the case with some Pachanoi plants too.

[mutant]

I think seedgrown trichocerei will show their mature treats generally after the 5th year. Also I believe they should be put in a large container, so as they can show the real them .

so age and length is not really critical. Hight is pretty critical for it flowering, it seems, which is also the most telling mature characteristic Also, you got to the let it and not cut it for propagation.

Thankfully I have reached a point where I dont cut some of my cacti any more, like the first kk339 motehr plant and omar pachanoi, which are both budding on my roof (yeaaaah) . it was last year when the kk339 showed some pretty long spines at base, first time saw long spines on this strain. I took as a sign of further maturehood.

The kk339 was approx 1.5 y.o from seed when I got it, and have it for 5 years. so 6.5 .. years to mature, even though I have propagated this clone like a mutherfucker

bridgesii and possibly forms of pachanoi are propably pretty faster, might be able to reach mature characteristics in 3 years ungrafted.

Shouldn't flowering be regarded as the most obvious sign of maturehood?

[nitrogen]

It's a variety of factors - but once they get 10-20cm tall or so, and are fully hardened off to sunlight, they will start showing their mature traits (spination, coloring, glaucous, alkaloids, etc).

That's the joy of growing seedlings - as they get to that size, each flush of new spines will be longer and more colorful etc - developing seedlings are so gorgeous!

But yea, within 1 year if grafted or within 2-3 years you can see the mature traits pretty well, if they are growing optimally - but until they are at their full girth there is more changes to come (in terms of spination etc)

I wish I had room for all the seedlings I am growing to reach their full maturity - would love to see large, multibranched motherplants of my seedlings..

Here's a gratuitous shot of my T. bridgesii v "Bruce" X T. macrogonus v. "Sausage" seedlings - what a great cross this is - just starting to see glaucous blooms on a couple of them - these are much greener/light green than most seedlings I have - most of the trichos I grow out (hybrids of bridgesii, peruvianus, pachanoi etc) tend to be darker green and bluish - this cross is much different - till recently when a couple are getting that characteristic aquamarine color of bridgesii..

And here's my SS02 x SS01 seedlings - I started these in 2007 I believe it was - there are two of them in this pot, the only two I kept - one blonde and one brunette - in the first pic, the upper right 3 columns/pups are the blonde, and the left column plus its four pups on the bottom of the pic are the brunette. This plant is fully mature - and I have pruned it back once before already to make some decorative dried cactus chips - I love how these two seedlings look - they are so blue and spiny and outrageous -I have taken so many pics of them and use any opportunity to show them off

Edited June 15, 2013 by nitrogen

[flumsquid]

fucking spectacular!

[Quixote]

Spinetacular