Frank, earlier you said you use pumice sand which you've found is good for root development. How fine are the pumice particles you refer to as "sand." Do you screen your own?

Those are beautiful plants. Thanks for sharing!

Tim, since you're not using baggies, how are you keeping the soil moist? Do you spray them every day? And since they're not in a closed environment I imagine you didn't heat-sterilize the soil or use any fungicides?

Merry Christmas, Dave. Thanks for your contributions to the Cactiguide forums.

This is shifting the topic slightly, but do any of you do the same pH monitoring when you're sowing seeds? I have the same meter as Steve and it's reading distilled water at pH 9.0. Seems Awfully high for distilled water. If I put a few drops of Dyna gro fertilizer in a quart of distilled water it w...

Ben, I have been using Physan 20 for years to control algae, fungus, etc. and have never seen any evidence of it harming seedlings or inhibiting germination. I soak my pots (with soil) in Physan (2.5 ml per quart of distilled water) and spray the seeds on the soil surface with it after sowing them. ...

Frank, Do you sterilize soil mix by heat before sowing? Do you ever use a fungicide on soil mix before sowing seeds? Thanks.

Okay, thanks very much for the advice.

I'm trying out some Turbinicarpus saueri seeds and wonder if they require any special treatment--mineral soil, stratification, and so on.

I suppose there's always a chance but there are several others like this and I can't imagine how I could have gotten them all mixed up.

I have sowed more than 20 different species of Gymnocalycium and most of them look normal. However, some of them look like this and they have been germinating and growing under the same conditions as the normal ones. Is it normal for some gymnos to start out like this?

FWIW, Plants are mixed in with the seeds when they're available.

I have usually received my plants and seeds very promptly since the changeover. Some of the plants are smaller than I was hoping for but are in good shape. One thing I will mention is that they seem to be out of more varieties of cactus seeds every day and don't seem to be replenishing them. I am in...

You have a beautiful collection. I also admire the patience you have in uploading your lovely photos!

That is a beautiful plant, SavageTurtle, with or without flowers.