Many collectors are afraid to occupy themselves with the genus Ariocarpus. Certainly there are some reasons for this timidity as these plants are coming from a special aride region and react over sensitively to a wrong soil composition. For a successful culture one needs a pure mineral soil, much sun and air and modest watering. But the problem is to find out the right moment for watering as this is greatly depending of the local climate and one can't give a general rule. Furthermore it's not a great temptation for a collector waiting ten or twenty years to have the pleasure to see the very nice flowers. So again and again people try to get plants from the habitat - violating the laws for the protection of nature - but because these plants seldom get the appropriate conditions after a short time they die! Founded upon the fact that nearly all problems with Ariocarpus are caused by the vulnerable root system some years ago we started the tests in changing the root system on Ariocarpus seedlings. To achieve this we take only few weeks old seedlings and graft it on equally only few weeks old stock seedlings. You can say you take half a grain of rice and put it on another half grain. For doing this work you need a binocular magnifying-glass, a razor blade, alcohol and a quiet hand! In 24 hours grafting is perfect and some weeks later you recognize a speedy growing. As the grafting cut is made in the hypocotyl tissue (under the first leafs), we call this root changing a "Hypocotylgrafing".

(Click on the picture to see it greater)

The most impressive result of this hypocotyl-grafting is soon flowering of the plants - certainly caused by the very strong growing root system. The first flowering plants are ARIOCARPUS AGAVOIDES ( after 14 months) and a variety of ARIOCARPUS KOTSCHOUBEYANUS (after 11 months). ARIOCARPUS FISSURATUS and ARIOCARPUS TRIGONUS are flowering in the third year, only ARIOCARPUS RETUSUS is lazy it comes after 4 years. 

Ariocarpus trigonus

Ariocarpus fissuratus

Ariocarpus Kotschoubeyanus v.rioverdense

The plants look very good and nobody has the impression, that they are "pushed". We think that this is a contribution to save endangered species if one can get in a short time good seeds for new generations!