fungus issues

[claudekim1]

hi guys, i tried to grow some astrophytums last time and they all rotted (orange rot) to death in a container (with a lid). so i tried again with a baggie method, microwaved the soil (crushed granite, garden soil perlite), sterilized the water, and did a h2o2 dip for the seeds. put them in a new baggie and sealed it for 2 weeks and everything was doing so well, but like in 1 day one of the seedlings just got engulfed in yellow fuzzy mold. (i have noidea where it came from). i immediately pulled the seedlings out to prevent it from spreading like wildfire again. I have them left outside of the bag and too scared to put them back in. I lost 1 more. (probs dried out idk) and another one had this orange spot so i grafted it.

how do you guys sow seeds so well in a baggie without it all rotting away? what am i doing wrong?

should i place it back in the bag?
whats bad about pulling them out before 6mts ot a year? growth speed or?

i also saved the fraileas from the first time and they've been outside for about a month. (2mts old now). they seem to be doing well with their 2nd growth spurt taking place.

i cant get fungicides cuz im from commuinistic canada. but once the us border opens im gonna get a few from the usa homedepot.

[Aiko]

I have them left outside of the bag and too scared to put them back in.

Don't! Never put them back in once out.

Unless you grow Blossfeldia and Aztekium, don't keep them in bags for many months. Usually until you are satisfied with the germination rate and you don't expect any more to germinate, you can take them out of the bag. The bag is ontly there to prevent the soil from drying out when the seedlings are at their most fragile stage. Once the have a first root, you can already start to allow the soil to dry out a bit every now and then for a short time.

how do you guys sow seeds so well in a baggie without it all rotting away? what am i doing wrong?

What soil are you using?
You said you microwaved the soil. Was the soil wet / moist well during microwaving? Was it microwaved well? I usually use an old pan and cook the soil. I don't have a microwave, but even then I would not use it for this. It is imporant to keep the soil moist to sterilize well. While cooking the soil I can always easily add some water and keep stiring a bit (my soil is like thick soup when I cook it)

[claudekim1]

yea thanks this makes so much sense to me. i see hundreds of posts where people just get terrible rot and such. it doesnt even mimic natural habitat. (unless your in the flood planes where some lophs grow from).

the one thing i dont get is, how can there be no fungus for 2 weeks straight and then poof horrible fungus. my buddy also does the method of removing after full germination. he seems to have decent success.

i microwave for 2 mins on high, theres no water in the soil. i add that after. i sowed some lophs today along with some copias. i added almost no water. maybe 2 bottlecap fulls in a 2 x 4 x 1 inch mix medium. the soils bearly wet. but im probably gonna pull them out once the germination is done.

[MikeInOz]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you are losing seedlings to rot you have not prepared the mix correctly. I sowed 150 baggies this season. Not one seedling lost to rot. Please see... https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewto ... 24#p376624

[claudekim1]

ohh... i feel like your right. tho i ordered some systemic fungicide.. i don't really know where to get this organic mix since its too cold now to even make my own. would regular garden soil be okay? straight from my flower bed?