Sowing cacti seeds during offseason?
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 10:11 pm
We all usually sow seeds spring or summer when temps are hot and for the most part this works perfectly however with the few 'difficult' seeds like saboae complex and E. horizonthalonius many growers have difficulty getting acceptable germination rates.
I have tried shaving seeds with success however with smaller seeds like bertholdii and even theresae this was too hard and I just sowed them without it since I had a fair amount even with lower germination I would have been satisfied.
I sowed the seeds first month of fall and have had a few very cold nights with most being around 10C. The seller mentioned that the seeds only had 6 months from harvest date and suggested I wait until they were a year old. This has shown to be effective when sowing these therasae and other saboae sp. with older seeds doing well and fresh seeds having very low germ rate.
HOWEVER don't most cacti fruits mature in the summer meaning they would be 'naturally sown' in fall/winter months? I believe that sowing during these months would result in more favorable conditions then sowing during the very hot temps. I haven't been able to test this theory with a control however my saboae seeds are all around 70% germ rate despite them all being fresh. I am still getting odd germination but perhaps cooler temps work better with some species similar to how poppy seeds need cold temps to germinate?
If someone that harvests own seeds could test this by sowing during different seasons to see if they break dormancy naturally without our help that would be awesome... I know many people sow during spring/summer due to extreme winter temps however maybe even a protected mid winter sowing indoors without additional heating?
Anyone already test this or have experience? I've sown in the winter last year without issues however had low germination which I think were seed quality.
I have tried shaving seeds with success however with smaller seeds like bertholdii and even theresae this was too hard and I just sowed them without it since I had a fair amount even with lower germination I would have been satisfied.
I sowed the seeds first month of fall and have had a few very cold nights with most being around 10C. The seller mentioned that the seeds only had 6 months from harvest date and suggested I wait until they were a year old. This has shown to be effective when sowing these therasae and other saboae sp. with older seeds doing well and fresh seeds having very low germ rate.
HOWEVER don't most cacti fruits mature in the summer meaning they would be 'naturally sown' in fall/winter months? I believe that sowing during these months would result in more favorable conditions then sowing during the very hot temps. I haven't been able to test this theory with a control however my saboae seeds are all around 70% germ rate despite them all being fresh. I am still getting odd germination but perhaps cooler temps work better with some species similar to how poppy seeds need cold temps to germinate?
If someone that harvests own seeds could test this by sowing during different seasons to see if they break dormancy naturally without our help that would be awesome... I know many people sow during spring/summer due to extreme winter temps however maybe even a protected mid winter sowing indoors without additional heating?
Anyone already test this or have experience? I've sown in the winter last year without issues however had low germination which I think were seed quality.