Category: Uncategorized

Happy Weekend Everyone!! We Hope you are well. Here is our seed update for this week!! 

Both of the NEW items on our list have never been listed before in the 50 year History of Mesa Garden?!

Shown in photo:  Conophytum ernstii ssp. cerebellum PVB10043 

29.4- Ariocarpus fissuratus v lloydii 

70.03- Astrophytum capricorne ssp. senile v aureum (100s)

83.53- Copiapoa echinoides ‘bridgesii’ KK1399 (100s)

83.78- Copiapoa cinerea ssp. columna-alba  KK611 (10’s and 20’s)

83.8- Copiapoa cinerea KK1434

84.8- Copiapoa haseltoniana ‘gigantea’ KK614

85.71- Copiapoa calderana ‘lembckei’ KK70 

85.8885- Copiapoa desertorum var. rupestris KK195

85.984- Copiapoa echinoides KK93 

87.6- Coryphantha calipensis SB1390 (100s)

89.7- Coryphantha cornifera SB44 (100s)

108.4- Coryphantha laui

114- Coryphantha maiz tablasensis (100s)

117- Coryphantha poselgeriana

135.42- Coryphantha echinoidea ‘schwarziana’

175- Echinocactus horizonthalonius SB710 (100s)

191.2105- Echinocereus coccineus SB236 (100s)

197- Echinocereus engelmannii v variegatus SB481 (100s)

203- Echinocereus enneacanthus SB838 (100s)

207- Echinocereus fendleri SB134 (100s)

262- Echinocereus triglochidiatus SB300 (100s)

283.64- Echinocereus viridiflorus DJF1673 (100s)

299.14- Stenocactus phyllacanthus cv Grandicornus SB437 (100s)

309.47- Stenocactus obvallatus MK104.359

338- Echinomastus laui L1123 (100s)

341.05- Echinomastus unguispinus (100s)

341.3- Echinomastus unguispinus SB1727

410.72- Escobaria vivipara v neomexicana SB129 (100s)

418- Ferocactus acanthodes ‘cylindraceus’  var. leconte

442.75- Glandulicactus uncinatus SB252

444.3- Turbinicarpus beguinii SB1044 (100s)

464.08- Gymnocalycium ferrari ISI1702 

469.63- Gymnocalycium lumbrerasense FR962 (100s)

469.82- Gymnocalycium mazanense (100s)

479.551- Gymnocalycium pflanzii var. albipulpa cv inermis

509.8- Harrisia tetracantha (100s)

858.51- Mammillaria prolifera v haitiensis

1419.51- Conophytum ernstii ssp. cerebellum PVB10043 (NEW)

1430.415- Conophytum maughanii

1516.46- Glottiphyllum carnosum (NEW)

1704.2- Lithops ruschiorum ‘nelii’ C316

1781.04- Namibia ponderosa SB2176 (100s)

Happy Weekend Everyone!! We Hope you are well. We went live with our fall plant sales this week. There are still many plants available. You can find them by clicking the plant tab on the main page of our main webpage. And here is our seed update for this week!

Shown in photo:  Copiapoa haseltoniana

65- Astrophytum myriostigma v tulense 

70.1- Astrophytum hybrid mix (100s)

84.2771- Copiapoa cinerascens KK1863

84.83- Copiapoa haseltoniana (10s)

85.718- Copiapoa megarhiza PV2424

169.9- Echinocactus grusonii (pkts and 100s)

191- Echinocereus russanthus v neocapillus SB395 (100s)

322.6- Echinomastus erectocentrus (100s)

383.86- Escobaria missouriensis var marstonii, RP183

410.141- Escobaria vivipara v. arizonica (NEW) (pkts and 100s)

432- Ferocactus wislizenii SB50 (500s)

442.73- Glandulicactus mathssoni SB1449 (500 and 1000)

469.63- Gymnocalycium lumbrerasense FR962

492.4- Gymnocalycium valnicekianum 

550.7- Lophophora diffusa SB537 

633- Mammillaria egregia SB30

661.6- Mammillaria grahamii DJF1000 (pkts and 100s)

732- Mammillaria lloydii (100s)

741.2- Mammillaria magallanii (pkts and 100s)

971.16- Matucana tuberculata

1036.54- Eriosyce ‘Neoporteria’ taltalensis ssp. paucicostata KK67 (100s)

1252.5- Thelocactus bicolor FH64 (100s)

1257.9- Thelocactus bicolor v bolansis (pkts and 100s)

1269.5- Thelocactus hexaedrophorus HAJEK 71 (100s)

1280.2- Sclerocactus ‘Toumeya’ papyracantha  RP50

1444.38- Conophytum pellucidum ssp. pardicolor 

1471.26- Conophytum wettsteinii (NEW)

1513.1- Gibbaeum heathii SB644 

1616.8- Lithops hookeri v susannae C91

1620.2- Lithops julii C349 

1687- Lithops otzeniana C280 (100s)

1731.54- Lithops terricolor C132 (100s)

1731.58- Lithops terricolor C376

1767- Lithops villetii ssp deboeri C230A (100s)

1773- Lithops viridis C127

1774.3- Lithops mix (All seed amounts updated)

1900.52- Agave utahensis v. eborispina

We have had a change of events with the US department of Agriculture. At this time ALL cactus plants are on the CITES 2 listing. BUT at this time, we are in holding to ship any cactus seeds out of the US until they decide what kind of paperwork we need. It is all much more complicated than this but in simplest terms, after 6 years of working with them, they just realized that they were not doing all of the paperwork correctly.

They have given us a task to complete to resume shipping cactus seeds on a Phytosanitary but this take will take us years to complete. Also they have requested that we use CITES 1 paperwork in addition to many Phytosanitary’s which will dramatically increase the cost for everyone all around. In short it has become difficult and there are no easy answers.

So what can we do currently? We can ship most Succulent/Mesemb seeds on a Phytosanitary. I will post a list below of what we cannot include on a Phytosanitary. All other seeds not listed here to the best of our current knowledge, we can include. If you order and something comes up that we cannot include, we will remove it and send you a refund for those items.

What we CANNOT include on a phytosanitary:

• ALL Cactus
• Agave
• Aloe
• Pelargonium
• Fouquieria
• Euphorbia
• Dioscorea
• Tylecodon
• Othonna
• Pachypodium
• Conophytum
• Yucca
• Nolina
• Avonia
• Anacampseros

Please email us if you have any questions and we will try to answer them to the best of our ability.

Aaron and Tarah Morerod

Mesa Garden

A short video showing our Ariocarpus show in October. As we are updating benches, we have started using a different kind of material. We are excited about this update. More videos to come on these benches!

We have a new video up on YouTube today!! Plugging away on our tallest Greenhouse we call the jungle!!

We have learned today from the US Department of Agriculture that as of 2/23/2023, Conophytum are now on the CITES III list and we cannot export seeds without a CITES permit. However you will need a permit that costs $100 and you will need a Phytosanitary which costs $76.00. Our shipping cost is $16.00. So all of the needed things to ship them out of the US will now potentially cost $200.00.

We do not carry CITES permits at this time and the list of reasons why we do not is long and difficult. I am thinking we will make a video soon on this topic.

We are pretty floored but not surprised due to the poaching situation in South Africa that has been an issue for several years now.

Please email if you are outside of the US and have any further questions at this time.

We are starting to feature more on our Youtube Channel!

This week we will have up 3 shorts that are one minute video daily plant features. These videos have brief narrative about that plant.

We are posting our first Genus Feature with Stenocactus. As we create these feature videos we are also going to make a Genus Fact Sheet. I am posting this fact sheet here. As we make more and more fact sheets we will work to attach them to items within the website so you can click the info sheet there as well.

Copy of Stenocactus

Temperature for optimum germination: night minimum to day maximum:

1. 60’s to mid 70’s F (approx. 17 to low 20’s C)
2. 60’s to mid 80’s F (approx. 17 to upper 20’s C)
3. 70’s to mid 80’s F (approx. 20 to low 30’s C)
4. 60’s to near 105F (approx. 17 to near 40 C)
5. 70’s to near 100F (approx. 20 to upper 30’s C)
   Time to plant seeds:
6. any time of year with proper temperatures and day length (ca.13-14 hours); you can extend day length with artificial lights.
7. fall and winter are best time, avoid heat of summer, short day length (ca. 11 hours)
   Special notes:
8. remove from closed humid atmosphere soon after germination (ca.3 days)
9. slow to germinate, scarification and stratification help, freeze and thaw both wet and dry. Don’t keep wet, but alternate wet and dry with changing temperature. No luck? Save pot and try again next year.
10. closed humid atmosphere important, distilled water useful with tiny seeds.
11. rot easily, right after germination: not too wet, dry air and stronger light.
12. soak in warm (approx. 80F, 27C) distilled water about 12 hours before planting the seeds; do not allow to dry between soaking and planting.
13. needs soil with basic pH when first transplanted (add limestone), especially in areas with acidic water.
    Hardiness of strong seedlings or adults in good health and culture:
14. no frost at all, fatal, keep above approx. 40F (approx. 5C)
15. occasional light frost, above 28F (-2C)
16. frequent moderate frost, above approx. 20F (-7C)
17. very frost hardy, above approx. 10F (-12C)
18. often snow-covered, safe easily to -10F (-23C)

Cultivation codes for mesembs and some other succulents: (germination temps)
A-robust shrubby spring growers that grow rapidly and flower in the spring. When the heat of summer comes they go dormant. Some will grow only as annuals and die in the summer heat (50-65F, 10-18C)
B-spring growers that stay compact, actively grow and flower in the spring, needing deep soaking waterings. They can be cool to cold and dry in the dead of winter. (60-75F, 16-25C)
C-grows in the fall and winter when cool with short days. They like frequent light waterings and lots of mist, mosts come from regions with fog appearing at night. They go dormant in late spring when hot conditions arrive. During the heat of summer often shade is very helpful. Very little water given all summer long. (50-65F, 10-18C)
D-opportunistic, will grow anytime from fall to spring when moisture is given. Grow and water them when you have periods of sunshine, and they go dormant in the heat of summer when less water is needed. (60-75F, 16-25C)

Pediocactus, Sclerocactus and Toumeya

With winter approaching in northern latitudes, the best time for sowing Pediocactus, Sclerocacus and Toumeya is here. In places with hard frosts in mid winter, you can sow the pots outdoors to give exposure to multiple freezing/thawing occasions. In habitat there will be more than 100 nights with subfreezing temps, while during the day the sun will warm the air to thaw the ground surface.

Then in most of these habitats there will be some rain or snow in the spring. Then in spring the ground will be cool and very damp. Many seeds will germinate in early spring under cool damp conditions, after the needed freezing/thawing cycles of mid winter.

In the summer often it is dry, occasionally there will be thunderstorms. The ground will experience very high surface temperatures, be mostly dry, but occasionally very wet when thunderstorms come frequently in short bursts.

If you live where sharp frosts occur in the winter, try to sow the seeds by the end of January if possible, so that enough freezing/thawing cycles can occur.

Summary of sowing method used here in New Mexico:

1. sow in mid winter, keep mostly dry, occasionally wet, freeze at night and thaw in day
2. damp in early spring when cool, occasional light frost, warmer in day. Keep evenly moist and germination will start.
3. very hot in mid summer, mostly dry with occasional soaks. More germination will occur after thunderstorms soak the pots. Avoid prolonged soaking now.
4. mostly dry in fall, occasional soak only. Allow to dry out for winter dormancy. Sometimes plants will bud in the fall, do not keep the plant any warmer for the winter, just let the buds sit until spring when it would naturally flower anyway.

We use only the naturally occuring temps, there is no protection from cold at all. The pots are sown outdoors in plastic pots. The pots are housed in wooden boxes which are covered with nylon window screen. Suspended above the boxes is a layer of shade cloth. These two layers will break up heavy rain drops and give protection from hail.

If long heavy rains are possible where you live, it would be best to put the pots under cover after some germination has taken place. The outdoor treatments are designed to accomplish germination. For example the plants do not like long soaking rains in late summer and into the fall, so you might have to move the pots to an unheated greenhouse or coldframe once they have sprouted. However a long soaking rain is very beneficial in promoting germination.

The easiest to sprout are: Pediocactus simpsonii, Sclerocactus spinosior, pubispinus, and brevispinus. They will often sprout in early spring when it still freezes a bit at night. They find early spring a very active growth time when it is cool and moist.