My Seedlings

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Mon May 15, 2006 7:13 pm

I'm wondering when to remove my seedlings from their enclosed containers and plant them into little pots. (in groups)

Here is a pic of one to get an idea of their size and growth stage.

I sowed the seeds on the surface of the soil, I'm wondering, should most of the stem be under the surface?

Also, when should I allow them to have more sunlight? (bare in mind I live in north england, sun doesn't show itself much here!)

Thanks in advance for any comments!!

The ruler is in cm.

Eustace · Post by **Eustace** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:08 pm

whow! I've never seen a cactus grown from seed before! Thank you for those photos!

Turtleman · Post by **Turtleman** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:53 am

They look fine to me Wayne, speaking for myself I'd have them under a 50% shade cloth outside, and I'd keep them in the container there in for about another month or a couple weeks. If all the seeds are about germaninted I'd start to cut back on the watering a little, young seedlings have a tendancy to rot quickly (but they dry out quickly also) but it looks like there doing just fine to me. I dont know how the UV is there in the UK but here in Arizona we pertty much just cook! I'd start getting them to harden off some myself.

Ken1983 · Post by **Ken1983** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:22 am

Yeah they look fine, i guess i shall update my thread too. Check it out soon~

templegatejohn · Post by **templegatejohn** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:27 am

Leave them as they are for as long as possible, the shock of transplanting will be too great for the young roots. Anyway cacti seedlings are one of the few plants that actually like to be 'crowded' together so there is not a problem. Leaving them for 12 months is not unusual, depending on how fast they grow. Globular ones will certainly stand that amount of time in their original containers.

John

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:06 am

Here is an update on my seedlings, couple of photos.
Taken with my new macro lens, they are a lot smaller than they seem

- Wayne

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:05 am

I'll agree with John 100%. No need to rush seedlings into a transplant. As he said, they like being crowded.. 12 months in the propagation tray would be fine and dandy..
Bill in SC

DieTer-Xz · Post by **DieTer-Xz** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:03 am

A grower told me he tries to keep his seedlings in the tray as long as possible, mostly about two years. This means that all the "unhealthy" seedlings die in the process and you keep the healthy plants. If you try to move them after about 6-12 months, you destroy the roots of even the healthy ones and some will die together will the unhealthy ones. So keep them together as long as possible.

Congratulations Wayne: you've done a good job. They're starting to look like cacti

.

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:40 pm

Congratulations Wayne: you've done a good job. They're starting to look like cacti

Hurrah!!

Is it ok that the mini-cacti are on the end of long stem-like things?

I wasn't sure when to remove them, so I took 4 out and re-potted them together to see what happened

I'll leave the rest in their trays now though.

I water them every few days, but I dont soak them as the trays dont have drainage holes. Also I removed the lids a while ago. I hope I'm doing it right!

- Wayne

DieTer-Xz · Post by **DieTer-Xz** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:42 pm

Yup, it's normal. You're doing it right.

hob · Post by **hob** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:58 pm

mine don't have those long stems.........am i doing something wrong ??

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:43 pm

Hob, I have some that look the same as yours, so I think they must be normal

- Wayne

aajoo · Post by **aajoo** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:51 pm

I agree with you about the suggestions given to Waine but when the pot is really overcrowded like here, what should we do? Remove some of them or live them all together?

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:57 pm

Ohh man Aajoo what are you going to do with all of them when they grow up!

faslimy · Post by **faslimy** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:39 am

wow thats crazy, i'd wet the soil and slowly prick out the less developed ones.

nice going on your seedlings wayne