pete666 said:
Wakinyan, I often read that red color is bad for small seedlings and they should be placed under reduced light to avoid such coloration, as it is recognized as something wrong. I see you don't bother and have them under full sun. Let me ask few questions :
1. I understand you found it beneficial, so it has to have some pros. Does it have any cons?
2. is it just for some kind of cactus or for all? I am particularly asking about Trichocereus
3. is it in fact good for every graft to be under full sun from the start or is it just a part of your selection strategy to find the strongest specimen?
4. when you use peres as a rootstock, do you grow it under full sun as well before you graft onto it?
First, while I do grow many seedlings in full sun to get them to that nice red color or purple if a little less sun. I don’t worry if I forget and leave some seedlings in the shade and they get a bit etoliated. But, here it is in a nutshell. You see many people growing etiolated seedlings whether they be Trichocereus or Lophophora that appear very pale green and long. My preference, is for nice thick fat seedlings whether they are Trichocereus, Lophophora, or any other cacti. I want them to have some girth.
1st pro…. Red or purple seedlings if grown in full sun from the start will rapidly turn their adult color within 1 month of being grafted if they are actively growing whether that is a Trichocereus, Lophophora, etc.
2nd pro…. Your seedings will not be etoliated.
1st Con… if your grafting without parafilm… many will move those grafts to the shade and put them in humid environment. Note, that is only a con if your not using parafilm to graft.
As regards your second question, I can’t speak for every cacti as I haven’t grown each and every cacti. I can say that you will have fine results with Trichocereus seedlings or Lophophora this way.
3rd question. If your not grafting with parafilm you are likely going to want to move to the shade once you have grafted. This slows down the drying out process of the tissues with grafts not protected with parafilm.
If your using parafilm, you will want to keep your grafts in full sun and water them before, during, and after grafting to ensure you get rapid growth.
4th. I grow Pereskiopsis in full sun and in the shade. The later is largely out of laziness. I sometimes till a row or two outside in full sun and plant my Pereskiopsis like one might plant rows of tomato plants in full sun to get a few going for propagation. I may graft to some of those or I may not. Left unattended some of my Pereskiopsis plants have a tendency to grow like brambles while others will reach heights of 5-6 feet without branching.
With that said... one of these hybrids is not like the others. That one shall be grafted. Notice how these seedlings are not bright red... they have been neglected and allowed to grow only a few hours in direct sunlight each day.
