Seedling Rib Counts & Spine Sizes

[Ishmael Fleishman]

I have a question about seedlings - I have assorted Trichocereus grown from seed.

 

Now I have noted that the spines seem excessively long for these tiny seedlings. So my question is are seedling spine length indicative of their  mature adult state?

 

Also I have a few trichocereus pachanoi matucana the seedlings are 20mm tall but the spines are easy 5-6mm long and the rib count is 9. Will these rib count stay reasonable stable or do seedling loose their ribs as they mature.

[fyzygy]

I have a few varieties that exhibit (relatively) spineless growth when mature -- but emergent pups will usually have spines. Most tricho seedlings (even scopulicola) have spines when young. 

 

The pups on one of my cultivars start off looking like a pineapple, there are so many ribs ... before settling down to the usual 5 or so.

 

Short answer, you'll just have to wait and see. 

 

 

 

[Ishmael Fleishman]

yes - they look like  pineapples with serious attitude. will wait and see.

fyzygy you once posted about a research paper about growing cacti in pots and that a pot above X gallons would allow the cactus to fully grow into its adult form.

 

Do you remember what size the pots was?

 

[fyzygy]

14" diameter - and it was a university or botanical garden in Arizona, where the big ones grow. 

[Ishmael Fleishman]

Thanks - honestly that is not that big my two largest trichos have been planted into 85L - 600mm wide pots so they should be happy in those for sometime.