is my fertiliser encouraging pups????

[2XB]

So all my plants have been typically grown without fertilisers but this season I started using a liquid fertiliser. 1/2 strength and used once every 2 to 3 weeks, and building up to almost weekly since hot weather has hit hot. Not every water has the fertz tho... Havent had too much rain but with my waterings theyve been getting plenty enough.

So anyway theyve all started pupping like crazy. All shapes and sizes, cuts and from seed... all of my cacti are giving pups. And im finding new ones almost every couple days....

So I guess my question is;

Is this happening because of the type of fertiliser im using. Or that im simply using fertiliser at all??

[coolname]

that seems to happen when you use high nitrogen fertilizer. i have noticed the same thing using miracle grow

[2XB]

So coolname;

Would you reckon that is a good or bad practice?? I love my plants pupping but are there negatives to forcing it to do so with high nitrogen??

[cactuscarl]

Mine are doing the same but I've been giving them less fertilizer I think it's probably a combination of plant health, weather conditions and fertilizer rather than just fert but I assume its probably helping tho

BTW I give my cacti heaps of fert ppl say not to but mine seem to love it.

Edited November 14, 2013 by cactuscarl

[bullit]

drug them up we love it so do the plants

Edited November 14, 2013 by bullit

[2XB]

Dunno if we have similar weather at the moment or not cactuscarl.. I thought the same about weather. That is its been a fuckin hot and dry spring. sweet for cacti here. Now its getting humid..... I hope the sudden transition doesnt fuck with them...

I thought the optimal conditions theory was out for me because ive got indoor outdoor and all sorts of different sun aspects going on and they all going off tap. Major constant is the food...

[2XB]

Also do cacti shit themselves and pup if conditions are shit??? Like a last flourish/ hu-ra..

[bullit]

we live on the sunnycoast right?? anywho i hit my trichos with ferts [ seasol,blood n bone liquid, and a lil thrive now and then] and they love it!!

[dawnbeaver]

I find my trics dont flower when the nitrogen is high. Awesome growth and lot's of pups though.

[2XB]

Ok Sweet. Ill keep giving them the supplents ;)

[2XB]

Oh shit hang on.. spanner in the works...

[GoOnThen]

The first 3 years of my addiction my Trichs were fed full strength miracle grow and week about seasole and other than having very healthy looking Trichs with plenty of pups there wasn't a problem. I have since changed to a lower N fertiliser to try and promote more flowering over the last season and this one.

The first three years was a good test for what I was doing with them as I didn't move them at all but last year I moved the whole lot from one end of my yard to the other and so with the loss of all of the roots from under the pots and a lot sunnier location It will be a another year or so before I can tell if there is any real benefit as far as changing the fertiliser and growth / flowers go.

Cheers

Got

[2XB]

Ps im talking all my cacti.. not just tric. Pup city...

I guess I havent been able to gauge tric flowering as I have only a couple over a metre which I thought would flower this year.. but no signs so far... however all my other cactus flower fine with this diet.. I did see an interesting post today though from change that showed a tric super pedro with flowers and fruit which looked about 60cm in a pot.... I thought they needed to be much bigger...

So, like adding nitrogen for growth and pupping is there a mineral to induce flowering????

[GoOnThen]

There is definitely more to getting Trichs to flower than just hight. The age of the original tip cutting can make a big difference in the first year. I have had and seen many times tip cuttings that are not even rooted or have just rooted flower but then not flower the next year.

I have six foot Trichs that haven't flowered but I also have a 50 cm Yowie that flowered last year. The season before last the only Trich that flowered was a six foot plus Pach cutting then last year after the move I had six Trichs flower and now this year I mite get one or two to flower but if they do they will be very late.

Cheers

Got

[Halcyon Daze]

Also do cacti shit themselves and pup if conditions are shit??? Like a last flourish/ hu-ra..

You can definitely make the smaller type Echinopsis pup like mad by (fatally) damaging the core of the mother plant. -She'll put all her strength into the pups while dying her slow cruel death, enabling the pups to thrive.

I'd say a combo of high temps, sunlight, water, nutrients and perhaps stresses would all contribute to cause a trich to pup like mad. And I think if these conditions continued for a while you would have a huge monster of a plant in no time.

So what I'm saying is I think what you are doing is essentially fine and you should keep it up, but be careful not to over do it. Too much of any of these factors could become detrimental pretty darn quick. You can be walking a fine line when trying to maximise growth, especially when using ferts.

Good luck

[bullit]

Ps im talking all my cacti.. not just tric. Pup city...

I guess I havent been able to gauge tric flowering as I have only a couple over a metre which I thought would flower this year.. but no signs so far... however all my other cactus flower fine with this diet.. I did see an interesting post today though from change that showed a tric super pedro with flowers and fruit which looked about 60cm in a pot.... I thought they needed to be much bigger...

So, like adding nitrogen for growth and pupping is there a mineral to induce flowering????

im not a cacti freak but with my trichs i hit them [like all my flowerin plants] hard with N based fert then when i c my plants wanting to branch and flower i hit it hard with potasium . potasuim = flowers !!

[terracottacactus]

This is exactly what I was looking for. I'm about to go seasol crazy with all my trichs. I've watched my one really established scop double in size in the last 2 months, just by seasoling half strength every other week.

[Hellonasty]

Just remember season is NOT a fertiliser.

[GoOnThen]

Nor is seasole

Cheers

Got

[Hellonasty]

Lol GOT bloody autocorrect !! I won't fix it now or your post will be weird.

[tripsis]

Or even Seasol, GOT.

[2XB]

Sweet bullit thanks for the potasium tip.

And halcyon daze great heads up I immediately think of 2 echinopsis I need to put in the infirmary.

As for seasol, I dont use it but whats wrong with it?

[GoOnThen]

Nothing wrong with seesol

I love it but its not a fert but more of a tonic. Does wonders for stressed plants and just seems to make most plants look healthier. Seems to work on the root systems and make them perform better.

This is all just my opinion and I am a mechanic not a horticulturist

Cheers

Got

Edited November 14, 2013 by GoOnThen

[Stillman]

Triple boost 10 10 10 has made mine pup like mad I think the key is a balance nute for pupping and most probably the specific genetics of the cultivar.

URL=http://s111.photobucket.com/user/stillmanz/media/Cacti/DSCF2534_zps435ab55b.jpg.html][/url] .

[Hellonasty]

Nice looking trichos stillman