My first post and seedlings

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FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by FredBW »

Anyone have any soil recommendations for the next step? They were started in 50 % store bought cactus soil and 50% perlite and I am kind of leaning towards just mixing up some more. But these are kind of practice seedlings. I have everything from chicken grit,to floor dry to coco coir to pro mix seed starting mix to Crump Bonsai soil ,land scape soil with lots of pine bark. I also have a bonsai soil sifter which i have been using WAY more than I thought i would. About the only things I don't have is pumice and vermiculite.
The common sense part of me says just keep going with what I have been using. But I have some Astrophytum seedlings I'll be doing this with in the future. While I have NO experience with them. I keep reading how they wont live with damp roots.So I am kind of thinking about trying a few of these with say 1/3 chicken grit,1/3 perlite and 1/3 coco coir. Just to see how it retains moisture.
Any advice? :)
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greenknight
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Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by greenknight »

Just spread these out in multiple pots or trays using the same mix, an inch or so apart. Then you'll have about a year to figure out what you're going to do with the surplus. :-k

If you experiment with some in a different mix (and you certainly have enough to experiment with), wash the roots of those clean of the old mix before you replant them.

With artificial light and heat you can keep them growing all winter - they don't need a dormant season at this stage. Best to water from below to encourage deep root growth, but don't submerge the pots in any depth of water - you want the mix to be wicking op water from below so it's damp but never saturated. You can use capillary mat for this, either commercial or improvised, or just a thin layer of moisture under the pots - I've used my sprayer bottle to apply a daily few squirts of water at the bottom of each pot.

Astros definitely need a freer-draining mix, especially in areas with high summer humidity.
Spence :mrgreen:
FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by FredBW »

I have given it some thought. And i think I will just stay with my original soil mix. I plan on watering ALL my seedlings with the wicking mat from the other thread as long as i am growing them inside .A gritty mix might be more unpredictable watering that way. I already have 2 types of Astros that i have been watering on there in the soil they were sprouted in. I will hold off on putting them in a gritty mix till I am ready to put them outside. It is extremely humid in the summer here in KC and there is probably a reason Astros are hard to find around here. It will be fun trying to keep them though :wink:
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greenknight
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Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by greenknight »

That's probably the best plan - as long as they're on the wicking mat, I don't think you need to worry about drainage since the mix never gets saturated, just stays evenly damp. Commercial nurseries raise all kinds of cacti that way in a peaty mix. It's when they graduate to normal watering that you need to get moisture-sensitive types like Astros into a very gritty mix.
Spence :mrgreen:
FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by FredBW »

Got them separated last night. I was tempted to toss about half of them,but they are like pets. I just can't do it :)
I decided to put them all in pro mix seed starting mix (2 50% perlite),except the small one is co co coir. The terra cotta pots have wicking cord and are already getting pretty damp from just sitting over night on the wicking mat.
At this rate I might have to get another wicking mat and grow light. :shock: I have more seedlings in need of re potting and more seeds to start.
I had/have big ideas of trying to make a cold hardy spot in the front yard. So I ordered more seeds from mesa gardens ](*,)
I guess when and if these settle in I can just put them in my cold bedroom and let them go dormant. It's a juggling act and only 6 months till spring :)
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greenknight
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Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by greenknight »

Looks good. Best to wait before you cull any out anyway, see how many survive transplant shock - you're likely to have some losses. As for dormancy, I've had surprisingly small seedlings survive it, these should have no problem.
Spence :mrgreen:
FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by FredBW »

Here is a picture of my seedling empire. Grow light in an old shower in the basement that is never used.
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Been seeing some fungus gnats lately. I am keeping an eye on them and not panicking. I don't believe I have lost a single seedling yet,and feel going to all out war with them might be harder on the seedlings than a laid back battle.
There are some big brown spiders,that I go out of my way not to disturb that probably help. I got some mosquito bits and sprinkled that around and put quite a bit in the water in my wicking mat setup. Also some flypaper and an old bug zapper beside the shower. Reading what I jut wrote it kind of sounds like I AM going to all out war. But I am not going to uproot them and change the soil. I would probably have the same problem in short order. And while I am seeing some gnats I don't feel they are taking over.
Of course the obvious thing is let them dry out more between watering. Sounds good on paper,but with the wicking mat it's kind of hard to judge just how damp they are. One thing for sure. If you notice in my picture some plastic pots and some terra cotta. The terra cotta pots are hard to keep damp. I can sit the plastic pots on the wicking mat over night and you can really feel the weight gain the next morning. While the terra cotta pots not so much. In the future I probably won't be using terra cotta on my wicking mat. But then again, I might have tied knots in the wicking cord to keep from pulling out. I have read a knot will greatly reduce flow. So more "experience' may be needed here :) I would have to take everything back apart to know for sure.
FredBW
Posts: 177
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:52 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: My first post and seedlings

Post by FredBW »

Trichocereus huascha andalgala update.
Seedlings are still doing way beyond expectations. Putting most of them in single pots and sneaking them outside.
Still have no idea what I will do with so many cacti. But the are guinea pigs,and it's a long hot summer.
If they are still alive this time next year there are still a couple independent nurseries around I might work out some kind of trade.
I have a LOT of other types besides these. But these go first to bring problems to the surface. My main seedling issue over winter was Fungus gnats. I don't believe I lost any of these to them,because they had grown enough before the infestation really kicked up. But I lost a lot of other varieties. Oddly I don't have many gnats now,and have no idea why. I think February was the worst month for them. I did sprinkle diatoms on top of the soil on some of the seedlings. Maybe it worked. Iduno
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One thing for sure Bottom watering and the wicking mat has been working extremely well.
I don't think I am going to find time to keep bottom watering them in individual pots outside.
Time will tell
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