ASTROPHYTUM ASTERIAS SEED FULL

The flowers are ‘perfect’, as in they have both male and female parts, but they can’t fertilize themselves.

You’ll need at least two to get fertile seeds. These little cacti start blooming in spring, and can continue through summer if kept watered (but not overwatered!). While these can be relatively short lived for a cactus, one of the most delightful aspects of growing them is how easy they are to breed and grow from seed! The easy nature of pollinating and germinating seeds, and that they reach flowering size within 3 to 5 years, makes them ideal candidates for selective breeding for unique characteristics. Pollination, Seed Collection, and Germination

ASTROPHYTUM ASTERIAS SEED FULL

It is certainly possible to grow them indoors – many in colder climates do – but here in San Diego, if you have the opportunity to grow them outdoors in nearly full sun, they will do much better for it.

These are not well suited for indoor growing unless you’re able to keep them in a south facing window, and are willing and able to provide supplemental lighting when the sun is not in view. Typically, the concern is over too little light rather than too much. The further inland you go, the more likely you are to need to provide shade during the hottest part of the day, or risk scorching. In cloudy or mild coastal areas, you can keep them in pretty much full sun and see good growth, with some sun-stress darkening of deep green or even reddish-brown blushing. In winter, you shouldn’t be fertilizing them at all, because you shouldn’t be watering them! If you do provide a light winter spritz for unusual warm stretches, you shouldn’t include any fertilizer when you do so.ĭepending on the high temperatures where you keep them, the light preferences for this cactus vary. If you are growing in more typical patio or outdoor conditions, fertilizing once a month during summer is more than enough. I offer more fertilizer in high temperatures and long summer days as that’s when the cacti use the nutrition most! I grow mine in a greenhouse, and during peak summer weeks when the greenhouse is over 115F every day, I may fertilize as often as once a week! I don’t do this for more than a few weeks, however, and it’s important to note I use a highly inorganic mix with my cacti. I’ve seen the most consistent blooming and robust growth with a balanced 1:1:1 fertilizer at half strength used about once a month. The less organic material in your soil mix, the more fertilizer you should expect to provide your Astrophytum asterias. If you have a particularly warm day or few days in a row, a light sprinkle would be appreciated by the plant, but don’t sweat if you miss it. If growing outdoors, bring under eaves or sheltered so that the cactus doesn’t get rained on. In winter, while nights are below 50F, avoid watering at all. If you’re in a mild microclimate, this may be as little as once a month! That’s okay.

This is an indication that it’s using internal water reserves and is ready for a drink. Water sparingly during the months with nights above 50F, watching carefully for the cactus to show signs of deflating somewhat, or getting a starfish-like shape. Well loved, well-cared for asterias are prone to dying young (according to the internet), and to extend their life, a bit of benign neglect is ideal. The pictures of plump, round asterias you often see? Typically overwatered or young plants. In summer, their active growing season, watering can be regular but should not be often. They need far less water than you might think, and in my experience, this is the hardest part of growing them. The more organic material in your mix (such as pure miracle grow, for example), the less often you should water, while more inorganic material (such as pumice) means you can water more often. The trickiest part of growing these is watering, which is heavily influenced by how you have them potted.

Astrophytum asterias seed