Germinating cacti in "smoke infused" soil. Update

DWDogwood · Post by **DWDogwood** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 7:10 pm

So I usually put my mix on the weber grill for 25 minutes to about 200 degrees.
My last batch of mix got a little hot.
In fact I inadvertently got it up to 400. Sure killed those bugs!!!
At that temp the grill grease started billowing out. Opps!
Didn't think much about it until the wet soil with sown seeds got tucked into it's closed box. Whow! Kinda stinky. I took them out and garden hose misted all the pots for a little wash and rinse (So much for the sterilized water segment of our operation). Golden brown smoke water flowed out of the drain holes.
I keep thinking it's going to be fine- forest regeneration after a fire and all, but I'm looking for objections, and valid reasons to fetch those $25 Ariocarpus bravoanus seeds, et al, out before some PH monster destroys them.

DWDogwood · Post by **DWDogwood** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:10 am

Soil PH 6.5
I don't know much about the science stuff but since I brought it up I thought I'd buy a test kit with my other sundries and give it a whirl.
Wifes's all excited and now I've gotta check the soil around all of her Hydrangias.

iann · Post by **iann** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:32 pm

The smoke shouldn't be a problem, but soil heated that much may undergo some serious chemical shifts over the next few weeks. If your seedlings come up and rapidly die then that's probably why. The total sterilisation that occurs at those temperatures can also lead to rapid algal or fungal blooms, so watch out for that.

DWDogwood · Post by **DWDogwood** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 2:59 am

Well thanks for that!!!!

My new batch is sitting at 200 and has a few minutes left to go.
I really think I caught it before the average soil temp went stratospheric on the batch in question, but I'll be plucking seeds tonight and start over. I'm sure many will be left and we'll see how they do in comparison. It just smells vile! That's enough to get me to take action.

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 2:14 pm

Yes, the persistent vile smell means that the chemistry and biology has gone all out of whack. The soil should be all right again in a few weeks when it settles down. I microwave my soil moist which limits the temperature to below boiling point until it starts to dry out. That's enough to kill a majority of pests and algae, and the worst fungi and bacteria.

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 1:20 am

Weber grills rock! We have a Weber grill farm. Lime Performer, Smokey Joe on steroids, and a WSM with guru eyelets. But, I've never tried to heat up our cacti dirt on it before.

DWDogwood · Post by **DWDogwood** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:46 am

They're awesome. Got salmon going right this minute.
All the seedlings are coming up, EVEN Pedio and Sclero!!!!!!
We'll see if they go four paws up as Ian suggests.
Magic!

Nord · Post by **Nord** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:40 pm

lol, bet it killed all the fungi... smoke has been used since time lost in memory for preserving foods, as it contains particles germs and things don't like.

DWDogwood · Post by **DWDogwood** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:37 am

Happy to report no ill effects

Must not have gotten that hot. Smoke smell went away, seemingly absorbed by gobs of charcoal in the tub with the pots.
Better than expected germination with the Sclero and Pedio without doing anything tricky. Sowed half in this mix and half in another mix with about the same results: 25 total P. winkleri and 15 S. polyancistrus. I even have one whole Toumeya papyracantha seedling!!
Loph, Arios, also good.

Sclerocactus polyancistrus

Various Neoporteria napina and stuff

Pediocactus winkleri

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:02 am

Nice!
Doesnt look like your using baggies, are you just misting them alot?

DWDogwood · Post by **DWDogwood** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:26 am

No Tony, I use big clear plastic boxes and just keep the lids snapped on. I don't go for the airtight thing for months. Usually by 6-8 weeks they're running free to the breeze (indoors, of course). And in the case of the Pedio and Sclero's in the pictures, I have them open air now, starting at about 3 weeks. I read Steven at Mesa's instructions and he says these don't dig the enclosed humidity for long.
They get a daily misting of Britta filtered tap water.
Let's see, what else do I do wrong..... Oh yeah, about every 5 days they get doused with some pyrethrins insecticde once the're left open.
The Pedio and Sclero, I've been instructed to put outside in a cold frame starting in a couple of months and pray for freezing weather! WOW!

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:25 pm

Let's see, what else do I do wrong.....

Well, whatever it is your doing, keep doing it.

I hope you get a good hard freeze.

Hmmm, I wonder if liquid smoke would work?

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