Cylindropuntia germination experiment

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ilariav
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu May 07, 2020 4:05 pm
Location: SW Washington zone 8a

Re: Cylindropuntia germination experiment

Post by ilariav »

I don't have much experience with cactus seed, but 10 weeks in the freezer seems like a long time. It does get cold in the desert, but many deserts don't stay cold day and night. Other types of plants that need cold stratification frequently do fine in the fridge. They need the winter, or something that makes them think they have gone thru a winter. Is it possible that opuntiads need some sort of cold/warm cycling? freezing or just cold(high 30-40s F) at night and warm(ish) during the day? Since the original questioner is in Los Angeles, maybe try starting them outside in the fall?
Re-thinking those prickly pear seeds I'm trying.

Opuntiads may just have a cruddy germination rate, or maybe they don't keep well. Some wildflower and garden seeds need to be planted immediately to have good success. If the O. basilaris were freshly harvested and planted immediately that might be an answer.
samhain
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 4:28 am
Location: Lucerne valley, ca

Re: Cylindropuntia germination experiment

Post by samhain »

Just wanted to chime back in. the other batch of seeds I’d mentioned, put them in the baggie in September had one sprout shortly there after and two more just in the last week. No treatment, fruit was still fresh, seeds into the baggie and have left closed on an indoor windowsill that gets a few hours sunlight.
15F-110F. 14” annual rainfall. 8b. 3000’
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Shane
Posts: 1075
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Re: Cylindropuntia germination experiment

Post by Shane »

Due to being in bright light, the soil stated to dry out and I opened the bags and added more water last week. There have been a few new sprouts in one of the pots since then. I've been thinking more and more that moisture/humidity is what my seeds and seedlings that haven't done well lack. I have trouble keeping the posts moist even in bags
ilariav wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2020 1:28 am I don't have much experience with cactus seed, but 10 weeks in the freezer seems like a long time. It does get cold in the desert, but many deserts don't stay cold day and night. Other types of plants that need cold stratification frequently do fine in the fridge. They need the winter, or something that makes them think they have gone thru a winter. Is it possible that opuntiads need some sort of cold/warm cycling? freezing or just cold(high 30-40s F) at night and warm(ish) during the day? Since the original questioner is in Los Angeles, maybe try starting them outside in the fall?
Re-thinking those prickly pear seeds I'm trying
It is a long time (I originally planned for 8, which according to a source I forget is the magic number). Especially since my freezer's temperature is close to the annual low in their habitat. I think your idea to start them outside in the fall is good. The one germination I had outside has grown really well, much better than the spindly seedlings inside under lights. Maybe I'll do bags outside to keep humidity high. I think low humidity is why I had such meager germination outside
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
ilariav
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu May 07, 2020 4:05 pm
Location: SW Washington zone 8a

Re: Cylindropuntia germination experiment

Post by ilariav »

I had a couple of my prickly pears bloom and set seed last summer. I treated the fruit more or less like I would save tomato seeds. Lay them out on a plate, in the shade, and let them do their thing. It's dry around here all summer, so they sort of rot-dry. Then I put them into pots barely covered with soil, and tented them, and left them near a window in an unheated room. (very chilly when cold, never quite freezing) I found one sprouting yesterday and another looks likely. So far so good.
I keep my plants in a greenhouse except for the 2-3 months of dry weather we will be getting soon.
I read on llifle yesterday that Pediocactus can take over a year to germinate, so maybe just don't give up. There might also be some cultural thing that we don't know about. Some seeds need to "go through" an animal, some need to be exposed to fire.
In my "so not a cactus" environment, I'm pleased to get them to grow.
CactiJim
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:33 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Cylindropuntia germination experiment

Post by CactiJim »

I’m an amateur when it comes to comes to sowing cactus seeds, for I’ve only been doing it for about 2 months now. I was wondering if all cacti seeds benefit from either:

1) soaking the seeds before sowing
2) scarification

I know some, like opuntias, do well with stratification, but I guess what I’m asking is that does it “hurt” to soak seeds and/or scarify any type of cactus seed? Even such common ones like Echinocactus grusonii or even some Mammillaria or Ferocactus?

I recently sowed some Ferocactus Macrodiscus and some Rebutia theresae seeds about 12 days ago (I know, a relatively small amount of time) and I’ve yet to see even 1 seed germinate from either pot. I also sowed some Mammillaria Alamensis from the same soil mixture (1 part perlite, 1 part coconut coir, 1 part vermicompost) and same date, and I have about 20/50 seeds that have sprouted so far. So I don’t think it was my soil mixture or conditions. No mold on any either, at least not yet.

Additionally, I sowed 5 Ferocactus Johnstonianus seeds on the same day from the same batch of soil mixture (like 12 days ago) and same method (baggie) and—Thank God!—one has germinated. I wonder if I would have scarified or soaked some of the macrodiscus or theresae or even the F. Johnstonianus seeds, more would have germinated so far, or at least would they have possibly germinated faster.

We did have some pretty brutally hot days here in SoCal during the time some of these seed were sitting on my patio away from direct sunlight, around 106° during the peak. Maybe that messed them up.

I appreciate any feedback/tips/suggestions guys. I know this is a long comment.
-Jimmy, Phoenix, AZ
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