New article on seed raising

Post by **daiv** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:33 pm

Well take a look. Please feel free to comment or point out errors!

http://www.cactiguide.com/article/?arti ... icle21.php

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:52 am

That seems like a clear, simple and straightforward article. My only reservation is related to the sowing mix you use and show in the pictures. I would avoid perlite and try to use even finer materials than sifted regular mix. Using one's regular mix of course has the advantage of not very much additional prep time or purchase of additional materials, but I have found the seed pots to be such a funny little long term environment that a special seed raising mix is highly useful and effective.

Also, I do recommend a significantly different mix for Echinomastus, Ancistrocactus, some Escobaria, etc, much higher in mineral components such as coarse sand and turface and with a much lower proportion of seed raising medium.

I admire the baggie method for the patience it takes. I like to remove the humidity dome on my open air set up and look at all the tiny plants several times a day, as early as a week after sowing. I just don't have the discipline for the baggies!

peterb

Peterthecactusguy · Post by **Peterthecactusguy** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 9:50 am

actually after reading that article I think I wanna try seeds soon. I just need to get a job and money first hahaha

also I need to talk to a local around here who does the saguaro seeds. My first experiment with that failed cause I forgot to take the fruits out of a plastic bag and they got moldy

Post by **daiv** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:52 pm

Thanks for the points, Peter - I will add a paragraph about that. The white is pummice in my mix, not perlite by the way.

king_hedes · Post by **king_hedes** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:57 pm

all this seed talk is getting me antsy my seed order should be here monday or Tuesday cant wait to see how many of them i get to grow
theres a good variety of seeds i'm ordering

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:36 am

Thanks for adding in the article Daiv! I find it very helpful.

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:14 pm

I like your article. But I need more information on the next stages:

How long do you wait to remove seedlings from their baggies? When you get them out of the baggies what do you do with them? Move them outside? To a greenhouse? Leave them in a propogator? How do you transition from 100% humidity to "normal" humidity? Do seelings need to remain in an environment with higher humidity fo a while? How long? When do you start treating them like adults? When are they big enough to repot? Where do you get the patience to do this?

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:53 pm

I have no patience for baggies. I use Saran wrap over the top of each pot so I can examine the seedlings. This stays on until the seedlings press into the plastic which can be anything from a month to maybe a year.

I sow into my standard soil mix, but I take a little extra care to remove any big lumps. I use the same soil for all seeds, including the more succulent mesembs. Shrubby mesembs get a mix with more peat, but then they aren't really much like a cactus and can just be sown in an open pot in the sun.

I don't repot until I have to. A year minimum, preferably two or even three. I try to give plants with taproots a deep enough pot that I don't get an L-shaped root after a year. Some species don't seem to mind being disturbed when they're tiny, but some hate it.

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:13 pm

When my life has been stable enough, the cool thing is to sow every year, so you have plants from, say, 5 years old down to "infants." That way there's always something going on and it takes less patience. The other thing I like to do is observe the young plants and spend a lot of time with them, not waiting for them to get bigger or be flowering size, but just enjoying having them around. That way I don't get quite as antsy.

Ian, does putting saran wrap on the pots lock in the humidity? It must be affixed very tightly. Rubber bands?

Growing in a tray with a humidity dome, I begin to prop it up after about 3 weeks. Then at about 5-6 weeks it's off entirely and the seedlings are outside here in Phoenix. So they get hardened off very quickly. So far this early "dehumidifying" has had no ill effect, as long as I'm not miserly with water.

peterb

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:47 pm

Thanks guys. Now I have something more to go on. I had already decided to leave them alone for now, I'm not one to disturb a happy baby. (Or should that be a 'sleeping dog'?)

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:23 pm

does putting saran wrap on the pots lock in the humidity?

They don't call it cling film for nothing

I find it too much like hard work to look after small seedlings in the open. There also isn't much room for error.

Post by **daiv** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:20 pm

Harriet wrote:I'm not one to disturb a happy baby. (Or should that be a 'sleeping dog'?)

I think it is a happily sleeping baby dog.

Those are good questions, Harriet. I do believe a "part 2" will be in order when I get a little more comfortable with the task. So this is part one - pre germination and part 2 will be post germination.

Stay tuned!

Avirosa · Post by **Avirosa** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 3:18 pm

Cool article Daiv, nice to have the info condensed in one spot

Post by **daiv** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 11:29 pm

Thanks Tony. Of course, once someone gets "hands-on" with this, all of the questions I didn't answer in the article will become very obvious. That's when the forum comes in really handy.