Pompom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:10 pm
You'll have to graft it or something, sounds like it wants to stay with you.
There were initially 3 but i kept putting off the task until i'm only left with one stubborn baby. I'm guessing if it survived so far, it must have at least some chlorophyll.
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The one in the back started cresting and now settled for 3 heads instead. This is the one that interests me the most!
Pompom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:10 pm
Do I remember correctly, now they start to settle down and don't grow as fast they've grown past two weeks?
The first few weeks they work a little on their roots and start to grow when they collect some nutrients (at least that's what i've seen). In any way, they're not gonna do much in the first 6 months. This grow very slowly during this period. After that, they grow much faster. I've had some Gymnocalycium baldianum grow very slowly until 4 months, and after that, they almost double in size every month. Now they stand at almost 2.5cm tall and 1.5 cm across
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Please excuse my terrible photography skills
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
7george wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 2:02 pm
Those Gymnos look really cool: almost out of kindergarten and needing some fresh black and fertile soil!
Im trying to leave them as long as i can in this pot and they are progressing very well! These were my first all mineral/grit sowing. Here are the roots of a rotted one at 4 months. It has more roots than any 1 year seedling i have in a mineral/compost mix.
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I think these are one of the most gratifying cactus species!
Btw, the smallest one in the initial picture with the notches(along with some unpictured ones) probably came from pollination with G. Damsii
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
Pompom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:10 pm
Do I remember correctly, now they start to settle down and don't grow as fast they've grown past two weeks? Some of them have that little depression on the top so I assume they start to develop spines next? Tiny, mini, precious spines...
Yes, they will start developing spines pretty soon and THEN their growth will significantly slow down. It's normal because they will be concentrating on growing a serious root system. The less organic your soil, the stronger roots they will form (if food is available just about anywhere, the plant isn't compelled to go deeper/wider). At about 3 months is when I would first repot my seedlings. It gives them a substantial boost in growing speed. But it also contains some risk of losing seedlings, but then my philosophy is that weak seedlings need to die - that's how nature works.
Pompom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:10 pm
Do I remember correctly, now they start to settle down and don't grow as fast they've grown past two weeks? Some of them have that little depression on the top so I assume they start to develop spines next? Tiny, mini, precious spines...
Yes, they will start developing spines pretty soon and THEN their growth will significantly slow down. It's normal because they will be concentrating on growing a serious root system. The less organic your soil, the stronger roots they will form (if food is available just about anywhere, the plant isn't compelled to go deeper/wider). At about 3 months is when I would first repot my seedlings. It gives them a substantial boost in growing speed. But it also contains some risk of losing seedlings, but then my philosophy is that weak seedlings need to die - that's how nature works.
Your purpose of slowing down sounds logical to me.
Repot time comes when it comes. I'd love to keep them in bag at least 6 months, but summer is short here so I believe I have to repot on July or early August at the age of 5 months. I don't know if it does really matter if I do or not repotting in summer since they still are just seedlings and can't be in full sun anyways. I'll just wait and see how they grow and develop. Growing speed isn't that important to me as long as they grow strong and healthy. And they're going to stick with me at least till year 2019-2020 summer or maybe even longer, it would be great if they don't eat all my space Some of them I might have to purposely kill since there will be too many of them to keep if all of them survives.
I have all the plans and backup plans but you'll never know what really happens right? They all can suddenly die next week or in a month. Have to go step by step and try see what the plants are telling me to do.
Everything has it's time at some point. Waiting is sometimes just too nervecracking...
You don't have to repot in summer pompom. With such small seedlings, the minor root damage from repottimg will set them back a lot. Cacti seedlings like to grow squeezed together. You can keep them this way until they completely fill the pot. The more plants you have in the pot, the easier it is to control humidity and reduce risk of rot. At some point, you're gonna have to give thrm a tiny bit of fertilizer since they will exhaust all nutrients in the medium
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
ElieEstephane wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2018 3:21 pm
You don't have to repot in summer pompom. With such small seedlings, the minor root damage from repottimg will set them back a lot. Cacti seedlings like to grow squeezed together. You can keep them this way until they completely fill the pot. The more plants you have in the pot, the easier it is to control humidity and reduce risk of rot. At some point, you're gonna have to give thrm a tiny bit of fertilizer since they will exhaust all nutrients in the medium
I see. First seeds in the second pot had germinated now. There is plenty of seeds in there so it can be they have to go out sooner than the first pot since they'll fill their pot earlier. If everything goes right. Can't wait to see the progress!
I said earlier I won't post pictures that often here, but I'm so proud of the seedlings right now!! I have to post pictures of them.
Nothing has significantly changed in the first pot. There's 17 seedlings now and I'm pretty sure no more is coming. Germination rate was good though, planted 18 or 19 and seventeen germinated.
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The second pot has started to live. 23 seeds have germinated now and more is coming if germination rate is as good as in the first pot. Got a new favorite seedling again. You can clearly see (hopefully) that one of them is peachy orange colored. I really, really hope it has enough chlorophyll to grow strong just like the others. It's too cute! And if it becomes green one day, I hope it still has some of the orange left. I love the oddities.
Got my first tiny spines in one seedling. The seedlings seem to grow slowly, but in fact they really do stuff and are different every day. I won't even try to take picture of the tiny spines since they are visible only in certain light and angle. Well you probably know what I mean
Try to keep daytime temps inside high, 25 - 30( -35) degr. This will speed up growth and prevent fungi or other pathogens appearance. And do not open bags without a serious reason. If you need to add some sterile water do it very quick.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
Today the seedlings are about a month old! The final seedling germinated in the first pot. They are getting the cute little spines.
The orange one didn't stay orange and turned to be pale.
I hate I can't take clear pictures of them through plastic bag...
7george wrote: ↑Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:46 pm
Hey, Pom: nice little seedlings!
Try to keep daytime temps inside high, 25 - 30( -35) degr. This will speed up growth and prevent fungi or other pathogens appearance. And do not open bags without a serious reason. If you need to add some sterile water do it very quick.
Thank you!
Unfortunately only place they get enough light is where I can't get temperatures any more up than 20-22 without heating mats. And now I actually got little troubles with the first pot. As you can see from the picture, something small and white has started to grow on the soil. Do you know if it's dangerous and if it is, how to get rid of it?
Thank you in advance!
I'm not sure those spots are from dangerous stuff but is good idea to divide seeds into several pots, that leave you some survivors if something goes wrong with some of them. Summer is coming, in 2 - 3 months (or when seedlings reach 3 - 5 mm size) you will be able to open the bags and treat them almost like grown up cacti. That means to get substrate almost dry between waterings. Your summer is hot and this will help to rise those with success. Some slower growing species need also to spend next winter under lamps.
BTW mats rise temperature with ~5 C and an insulated box can add 5 - 10° more, esp. if lamps are inside it.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
7george wrote: ↑Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:52 am
I'm not sure those spots are from dangerous stuff but is good idea to divide seeds into several pots, that leave you some survivors if something goes wrong with some of them. Summer is coming, in 2 - 3 months (or when seedlings reach 3 - 5 mm size) you will be able to open the bags and treat them almost like grown up cacti. That means to get substrate almost dry between waterings. Your summer is hot and this will help to rise those with success. Some slower growing species need also to spend next winter under lamps.
BTW mats rise temperature with ~5 C and an insulated box can add 5 - 10° more, esp. if lamps are inside it.
I have now two pots and more seeds stored if something goes wrong. The spots are spreading really slowly so I kinda hope everything goes well with that. I'm going to open the bag for a little time if it does seem to make some damage to the seedlings. It looks like it might die immediately if the bag is opened.
I really, really hope next summer is hot. Couple last summers were not, only few days of sunlight with bright sky Here in Finland we have this national joke from one summer in which we had like seriously one day really nice weather and others were cloudy and rainy. We kinda make forecasts for the next summer like "What do you think, which day will be the summer be? I'll go with Thursday." Even TV commercials make jokes about the weather. Lidl makes the best ones in my opinion. Fortunately we have warm inside so it won't be that bad if the weather isn't that great all the times.
