How to Germinate Lophophora Cacti.

Nothing is more satisfying to the cacti enthusiast than germinating seeds or caring for peyote seedlings grown from one's own seeds.

Peyote seedlings at (Lophophora Williamsii) one week, one year and two years old

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Care of Lophophora Species (Northern Europe):

Watering:

• Water once every two weeks in the summer.
• Stop watering completely from September onwards.
• Start watering again in spring water sparingly from spring onwards. 

Position:

• Place in a sunny south facing window.

Feeding:

• Use cacti fertiliser at half strength during summer growing period.

•   Lophophora is self pollinating and will produce flowers from approximately year five onwards.

Habitat:

• Lophophora is an extremely slow growing form of spineless cactus found in the denuded soils of Mexico and the southern states of North America such as Texas. This amazing plant can withstand searing heat if acclimatised in the summer months and in winter, if kept bone dry, can survive temperatures well below zero. Of course neither of these extremes are recommended. Grown in an unheated greenhouse in the UK without artificial light, use of grafting or excessive fertilisation it takes about four to five years for peyote plants to reach flowering age from seed.

Warning: Excessive sunlight can burn your cacti! Sudden movement of plants into the outdoors or brighter sunlit place should be gradual. If your plants do get burnt put them into a shadier place, give little water and allow them to rest. Bad sunburn can take years to grow out. 

Lophophora Williamsii blossom with seed pod to the right. The paint brush handle is 3mm in diameter

A mature plant that produces multiple blooms over the summer season and even more than one flower at a time is typically over ten years old. As plants mature they produce multiple blooms simultaneously. Some two to three months after flowering reddish seed pods emerge from the base of the now dried flower. Given time to mature and dry while attached to the plant, these seeds pods can be harvested and provide a ready supply of viable and easy to propagate peyote seeds.

Lophophora Williamsii are self fertile so even if you have only one plant you too can soon have your own little cacti colony.There is some excellent material on the propagation, care and nurturing of peyote cacti on the web so we are not going to try and compete with the excellent sites into which enthusiasts have place so much time and effort.  More information, history and cultivation tips on peyote cultivation will be uploaded in the coming months.

Peyote for Sale: Buy Lophophora Williamsii here.

Information on grafting

When to water Cacti?

When To Re-pot Lophophora?

Rare Cacti such as Peyote have evolved to withstand the harshest of conditions. It's not uncommon to see an old lophophora or ariocarpus cactus in the most denuded soil and toughest conditions flowering freely. Some say that the plant knows when conditions are tough and so chooses this time to flower and produce seed, hence giving itself; via progeny , the chance of survival. Knowing when to re-pot is something to learn through experience but if you want your plants to grow actively re-potting every one or two years seems sensible. If, on the other hand, you live a hectic lifestyle and are away from your plants a lot you might want to consider leaving them in their nutrient denuded soil. Plants in general are susceptible to shock and cacti are not different hence re-potted plants need careful vigilance for a month or so after re-potting to ensure that they are happy in their new soil.

If you want to re pot your collectible cacti  bought from Crazycacti or elsewhere then follow these easy steps. Soils mixes and suggested ratios of loam to sand and other soil additives will be dealt with separately. For the purposes of this re-potting a Lophophora Williamsii Caespitosa has been chosen as an example. For soil John Innes No. 2 mixed with sharp sand and vermiculite has been used.

1.Select the rare cacti to be re-potted and a slightly larger pot perhaps offering 25% extra space. Don't go too big or your plant will run the risk of not being able to fill the surrounding space before that soil is leached by watering. Notice how the plant below has distorted the pot by its growth.

2. Make sure your selected pot is clean and free of pests and old soil. Place a good layer of sharp gravel or small pebbles in the bottom of the pot for drainage and circulation of air (Roots need air to grow healthily).

3. Mix preferred soil in an appropriate tray or bucket. In this case John Inns no.2, sharp sand and vermiculite.

4. Carefully remove cacti from old pot. Lift away as much old soil has you can without breaking the tiny system of roots attached to the main tap root. This is a good time to check for pests such as Mealy bug.

5. Fill the new pot with new soil to a height that allows the plant to sit a centimetre of so from the rim of the pot. Rember that soil will settle and subside over time so dont set it too low. Different cacti enthusiasts have conflicting views as to the appropriate height as in the wild plant such as lophophora will burrow into the gound during drought. I prefer to see my plants sitting above the soil. Whatever works for you...

6. Once happy with the height of the plant fill the surrounding space with soil and firm down around it just enough to ensure the plant is well supported.

7. Top dress with stones as this stops the soil drying out too fast.

Important- do not water straight away. If your normal regime is once a week leave it for two weeks before watering, longer to be safe. This is because the new soil will already have some moisture and will be full of nutrients. If you have damage any roots they might find it hard to absorb moisture for a while.  A sudden increase in water and food can cause cacti to split, rot or even die.

Gradually increase watering to normal levels once you are confident that your rare cacti has settled in.

If you have lots of plants date the re-potting to give you an idea of when next to re-pot although if all goes well your plant will tell you soon enough when it takes up all available space.

Remember to re-pot late spring to mid summer, any time after that it is advisable to wait till the following year- your plant wont mind.

Job Done