The cultivation of Lophophora (Peyote).
This description will tell you how to
grow peyote.
You should be aware that peyote is one of the slowest growing cacti.
Don't
let this put you down, I have found a way to speed them up a bit.
In nature they will start flowering
after
about 10 years, in culture about 5 years and in my way 3 years, some
even
in the second year.
The best time to start with
seeds
is in the early spring.
Get cactus earth from your local flower shop
or
nursery, try to work a bit clean, although the whole thing is not very
sensitive.
Put the earth in clean, preferably plastic pots. Make the earth really
soaking
wet. leave the pots for one day to let the excess of water drip out.
Now you can put the seeds in.
They
should be put just under the surface, it is not really necessary
that
they are covered with earth. Cover the pot with a piece of
transparent plastic, which can be fixed under the edge with
elastic or tape. It seems strange to grow cacti in such an extremely
humid atmosphere, but it is o.k..
Put the pots in a sunny place, like behind a window on the south, it is
nice
if there is a radiator under the window, or if you want to do it more
professional,
you can use something that keeps the earth temperature around 22C
(something
like an electric blanket) Keep the pots covered with the plastic,
there
is no need to give water for weeks. Within two weeks tiny green balls
will
appear, the baby peyote's. After 3/4 weeks from the start, you can
start
making very small holes in the plastic, after a few days make
some
more and later make them bigger. In this way get adapted to the dryer
conditions
in this hard, hard world.
Once there are so many holes, that
the
humidity is the same as in the surrounding you can take away the
plastic (this
will be about 8-10 weeks after starting). As long a the cacti are so
small,
they are quit vulnerable, be careful. Once the top layer of the earth
gets
dry, you can start watering, but never let them have "wet feet".
The first two years, warm earth
is
good, as long as they grow (Which depends on the climate in which you
live).
In about the middle of the autumn stop giving water. To get them well
through
the winter you have to keep them dry, most trouble, i.e. rot is caused
by
to much water, remember it is a desert plant, it can stay alive , for a
unbelievable
long time without water, don't worry. In winter, you can let the
temperature
drop to 4 to 5C.
When the sun gets stronger in
spring
they can have water again. You might have to even soak the pots for a
while,
if the first water just runs through the earth, without holding it.
These
plants like it hot. I keep them in a greenhouse and never open
the
windows, sometimes temperature rises to even 50 C, I used
to
keep them in the summer outdoors, in a upside down aquarium, which
worked well . When it is so hot do give enough water, keep them wet. be
careful with
fertilizers, if you give them fresh earth every two/three years, if you
want
to use fertilizer, use cacti fertilizer from a local shop, use half of
the
prescribed amount, if the the plant gets to much, it will burst,
that
won't kill it, but it will take one or two years to overgrow the damage.
After the first year, it is
better
to put them in separate pots (if anything happens you can treat them
individually).
A small pot (5 cm) will do fine, it is best to do this in spring,
before
you start giving water. Press the earth well around the cacti. Keep the
earth
a bit below the edge of the pot, to make giving water easier. The green
part
of the plant should be above the surface, to prevent rot. Bigger plants
should
also be kept in not to big pots, so that they don't stay wet for too
long
a period.
Another way to grow peyote is
by
cutting buttons from a plant. Bigger plants start growing more
and
more buttons and there is also a kind or a variety, which grows
many buttons. Cut
off the button with a real sharp knife and leave the button
to form a callus on the wound, this might take a week or two. Then put
the
button on top of the earth, and it will start growing roots easily
(here
also warm feet will speed up the process).
Peyote can be crafted on different other
cacti,
Trichocereus will do fine. Crafting will speedup growth. Best is to use
young,
growing buttons and craft them on a also young, growing cacti. Use
a
sharp, sterilized knife. The knife can be sterilized with the flame of
a
lighter. In the cutting of both cacti, you will see a ring, it would be
perfect
if the rings are the same size, which usually is not the case. The
plant
transports food and water through this ring, so the rings have to touch
each
other, so that the top can get what it needs. To make sure, that there
will
be a connection the top is placed out of center with the base, then
there
will always be two connection points (see here)
. When the top is placed, it needs a little pressure, this can be done
with
elastic or plastic foil, which can be connected on the needles of the
base
cacti. This can be removed after week.
I wish you success, for questions or
suggestions, please email me
.
One note regarding the 'law', Peyote is
illegal in the US, although it was there long before the recent
'civilization'.
There is an exception for the
Native American Church
, although they have been harassed also recently.
A sad story after all, read about it in
this press release of January 11/1999.
In canada: Drug laws in Canada fall under
the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act-
this
was recently instated in 1996 replacing the Narcotics Control Act.
One of
the
major differences between these acts relates to peyote.
In the
Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act (the new one) Mescaline is
listed
as
a schedule IV drug. This is exactly how it is written out in
the act:
17. Mescaline
(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzeneethanamine)
and any salt thereof,
but not
peyote
(Lophophora)
Peyote
is
exempted from the act-- it is legal in Canada!! regardless of
recreational, religious or whatever use you want. There are no
conditions on possessing or cultivating it.
The
cultivation of
San
Pedro.
links
Pictures
peyote in their
homeland
peyote in Mexico
Peyote
in Texas
oldest find (7000
years)