* THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF *

* THE CREATION OF HYBRIDS *

I decided in 2024 to separate the various hybrids from the pot and give them their own individual final pot by repotting the 15x15x15 cm square pot.

This was something I should have done earlier, as the pot had become too small for all the seedlings since 2015.

Photo of the pot in which all the hybrids grew from 2015 to 2024.

I started by separating the pot from the root ball to see inside the pot.

The rootball in 2024.

Looking at the rootball, the plants' root systems appear to be in good condition, and no parasites are visible.

But the substrate is wet, and we need to wait for it to dry before separating the plants.

There would be an increased risk of rotting by crumbling the wet rootball.

The dry root ball was crumbled and I only found 4 plants,

the largest of which is the hybrid with white and yellow flower

which I had marked with a permanent marker when it flowered.

I only found 4 plants, so there are 4 that didn't survive.

I pruned the roots by cutting off the lower third,

I'll repot after 2 to 3 days of root healing.

Here are the other three hybrids.

As I had marked them with an indelible marker, I found the two hybrids that flowered in 2020 and 2021,

as well as an unmarked hybrid that never flowered.

Potted hybrid.

This is the largest hybrid repotted in its final pot.

It's a 16 cm diameter hanging pot.

For greater stability, I've stapled the plant to the pot with a polypropylene rope, which can be seen in the middle of the pot

The rope is tied to the water drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

The substrate is my classic one:

1/3 horticultural potting soil, 1/3 heather soil, 1/3 perlite and coarse, non-calcareous sand.

I added Osmocote slow-release cactus fertilizer.

I did the same with the other 3 hybrids,

all I have to do now is wait for further flowerings.

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The next page, which is the last one, is an appendix that gives

the definition I've attributed to the word 'Epicactus'.

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