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SayN

Pupping mid column

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A number of my cacti have begun pupping from quite high up the column which, to me, is unusual.  Is this just something that naturally happens when they get old enough or possibly something else?

 

midcolumnpup1.thumb.jpg.8a604d4be03618dd40f9abfff5e736d9.jpg  midcolumnpup2.thumb.jpg.b0e0062feb021eb17c345553f2d66a6b.jpg  midcolumnpup3.thumb.jpg.664e297ca8093c7243db69d6b1b38276.jpg

midcolumnpup1.thumb.jpg.8a604d4be03618dd40f9abfff5e736d9.jpg

midcolumnpup2.thumb.jpg.b0e0062feb021eb17c345553f2d66a6b.jpg

midcolumnpup3.thumb.jpg.664e297ca8093c7243db69d6b1b38276.jpg

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midcolumnpup2.thumb.jpg.b0e0062feb021eb17c345553f2d66a6b.jpg

midcolumnpup3.thumb.jpg.664e297ca8093c7243db69d6b1b38276.jpg

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I've found it happens when a column gets a lil lean on, then sort of stays like that. Pups form on the side that has a slightly upward tilt.

But some plants just do it. Rita seems to pup mid column a lot.

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Some do it more than others. I love the tightly packed columns the best, right from the base. You can also achieve this via your pruning technique.

 

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Trichos will start to do this when older, but it is not common for the popular aust clones in my experience until quite advanced (with a few exceptions), they tend to get progressively broader by pupping low off of outside branches, forming a densely packed mass like halycon says. I grew a bunch of seeds from around chavin, Peru, these show mid-column pupping as a trait at an early age, it was surprising. In your case, however, I suspect the plant is seeking light, the lower areoles are too shaded and crowded to produce the hormones for pupping (my guess). If you grow dense bushes at the base of trichos, they will pup higher up, same with any plant really. Shade has big impact on overall plant form, often positive. I have some plants with very interesting shapes because of this, where they pupped 6ft off the ground (PC). When the bushes are removed, the plant starts pupping from the bottom again. In very dense trichos, the lower branches can shade the interior of the plant, so the main columns in the centre, with time will pup higher up. Nice healthy plants.

 

Edit: I have some plants, a Roseii 2 so-called by its owner, that often aborts flower buds and turns them into branches right at the top. it's a consistent trait. I have to cut the buggers off as it's not a stable situation to have branches that high.

Edited by Micromegas
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That's interesting I saw that happening on a big peruv in Traralgon, Victoria. Couldn't figure out what was happening. Like flowers reverting back to pups. Pretty weird to see. Not really a good thing either but maybe they are freaky in other ways too. :) :)  Hey my Roseii-2 ( sister from the same seedbatch) is going hammer and tong mate. 3 big growing columns. It's an absolute ripper, and well worth what I paid for it. Couple other guys are begging for a cut. Can't wait to cross it with something huge. :) 

 

 

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Hey HD you're talking about the one I sent you a few years back, was it for a forum auction? That one the owner called Roseii #1. Maybe they are grown from Field's seed. Anyway that plant is a stunner, it's the better of the two roseiis from that SA garden, i've come to appreciate it more and more. It doesn't have the flower-bud-to-pup trait. Good to hear yours has some columns. Mine grows pretty slow so not much to prop. Here's the tip I planted after it fell down. Took a while to get going but now looks luminescent in the shade.

roseii.jpg

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roseii.thumb.jpg.91f1f427167372ad83437ac4086e76b6.jpg

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Hey Micro, sorry, bit confused now... It was a Rosei#2 label according to your auction thread 

 

 

Is this the same one as your pic above? Anyway, it's an absolute fave and I've not cut it yet as I want to breed with it. I really hope for some blooms this year, I wanna cross it with my 'Halcyon Beast' if possible, I reckon they'd make a good pair.  :)  (Sorry to divert the thread)

    

b d g.jpg     b srggr.jpg

 

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b srggr.jpg

Edited by Halcyon Daze
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Hey HD. Maybe i'm confused. There were two plants from the same garden, roseii #1, roseii #2, that are not like the usual roseiis as far as I can tell. I'm going to say I was probably more correct in 2016 than I am now, and so it must be roseii #2. Same as one in the photo above, yes, that is the tip that broke off the auctioned one. Doesn't flower much, if at all, I can't remember it flowering, now you mention it.

 

Halcyon Beast is awesome, super fat, and that is one of the more unusual cactus-modelling photos I've seen! 

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On 13/06/2020 at 10:51 AM, Micromegas said:

...I suspect the plant is seeking light, the lower areoles are too shaded and crowded to produce the hormones for pupping (my guess). If you grow dense bushes at the base of trichos, they will pup higher up, same with any plant really. Shade has big impact on overall plant form, often positive. I have some plants with very interesting shapes because of this, where they pupped 6ft off the ground (PC). When the bushes are removed, the plant starts pupping from the bottom again.

...

 

Well I was leaning towards this being the most obvious reason because I had indeed planted something in front of them that would be restricting light.  And then this happens:

PC-highpup.thumb.jpg.609d51343a09e10b0f591756219e47f5.jpg PC-lowpup.thumb.jpg.f0ec3e8c9a05ee029838e0d13d27660b.jpg

 

i'm curious about root space...  These guys are getting pretty big and crowded.  If i'd had more foresight ten years ago i might have spaced them out a bit more.

PC-highpup.thumb.jpg.609d51343a09e10b0f591756219e47f5.jpg

PC-lowpup.thumb.jpg.f0ec3e8c9a05ee029838e0d13d27660b.jpg

PC-highpup.thumb.jpg.609d51343a09e10b0f591756219e47f5.jpg

PC-lowpup.thumb.jpg.f0ec3e8c9a05ee029838e0d13d27660b.jpg

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Did you remove the bushes at the base of the plant?

 

I hear you re: what I would have done 10 years ago. 5 years ago I had to get rid of so much cactus, 500m easy, maybe much more. I found in my conditions they all reach a limit of competition and really slow down growing (they slow down with age anyway I reckon, putting energy into flowers). Worse is that with them too close together their individual features disappear into a mass of cactus. These days except in special areas my rule is far enough apart the push mower, if not the ride on, can be got between them for the first 5-10 years of life, and I don't plant eucalyptus near them any more.

 

That being said, too far apart and you lose the instant garden effect. I reckon the ideal is to thin out at five years, remove every second plant like they do in pine plantations.

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Nah - haven't removed the bushes.  That one pupping above the roof line has plenty of light - it shouldn't need to do that. :)  And in the second pic - that is the most inappropriate place to pup from - very limited direct light, if any, there.

 

I really do want to thin out some of those PC's I planted long before I knew what PC was but I'm a little scared it's going to be a huge knot of tangled roots. And i'd have to remove all the terracotta and weedmat I put down.  Clusterfuck for sure.  I suppose it's only going to get worse.  It's a great natural fence too.

 

 

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Nah - haven't removed the bushes.

 

Sayn doesn't trim his bush.

 

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seems like this trait is more common in bridgesii than pachs and perus

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