Grow Your Own!

All about seed grown plants. How-to information, progress reports, show of your results.
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peterb
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Grow Your Own!

Post by peterb »

Hi-

A tribute to one of my favorite aspects of the cactus passion: growing from seed.

The advantages of growing from seed are numerous. If you buy your seed from a reputable source (correct data, painstaking pollination techniques, viability, etc.) you know exactly what you have from day one. Also, you can grow several different forms, collections, or geographical phenotypes of the "same" species. There are often noticeable flower, spine and even cultivation differences depending on where the parents grew.

Some cacti are dependably cold hardy from certain locations and not as much from others. For example, the Epithelantha micromeris from near Belen, NM can be overwintered outside here in Santa Fe if kept relatively dry, whereas the clones from farther south cannot. There's also some interesting localized forms available through Mesa Garden of plants such as Escobaria sanbergii, villardii, organensis, orcuttii, etc.-- plants that aren't even recognized by many "experts" but are in fact unique.

I used to try very slow growing species from seed-- Ariocarpi, Strombocactus, Aztekium, etc.-- but I recently changed my mind and now grow more Escobarias, Echinocerei, Mammillarias and others who can go from seed to flower in 3-5 years. The most recent sowing was June 1, a $25 order from Mesa Garden, and I have 150 little seedlings now, (15 cents a plant, haha) including rare guys like Echinocereus waldeisii (a yellow flowered "synonym" with E. poselgeri), Ancistrocactus tobuschii, Echinomastus mariposensis, johnsonii and warnockii, Mammillaria setispina, Neoevansia (Peniocereus) viperina and diguetii, etc.

I'll post some pictures of a few mature 5-12 year old plants from seed soon. I'm interested in hearing about other growers' experiences with seed growing.

Happy growing,

Peter
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Bill in SC
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Post by Bill in SC »

I have a few friends who are real experts at seed propagation. I want a greenhouse specifically for seed propagation and grafting. Seeds is a good way to go for all the reasons you described above, and some of the slower growing plants can be grafted to really make them grow/flower faster.. Do you do any grafting Peter?
Bill in SC
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Hey Peter,
There are a few other posts on the subject floating around. TimV is one who comes to mind that documented his experience here with photos and all.

I on the other hand have the oft mentioned poor results from seed. I've never been able to get them much past germination. I do have some in the ground that seeded on their own and they are fine. So I can grow them from seeds on accident, but not intentionally. :roll:

Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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hob
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Post by hob »

we talked a little about it here

seedlings
incurable cactoholic
growing rebutia's with a mix of others.
peterb
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Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA

Post by peterb »

Hi Bill and Daiv-

Bill, I have tried grafting with uneven results, but want to give it a go again, especially with Blossfeldias. Also, one that rots on its own roots for me at an alarming rate is Opuntia pulchella, so I'm considering grafting.

Daiv- I'll post separately how I do the seed thing, just as an FYI. It's a procedure that works well here in the high desert, so of course the usual grain of salt for those in other climates.

Peter
ihc6480
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Post by ihc6480 »

I have tried seeds with very limited results. The last I tried was Opuntia pulchella :wink:
I have three growing in my garden on there own roots but believe I may loose them due to winter moisture.
I now have a O. pulchella start that I grafted onto O. compressa, so we'll see if my grafting skills are better than growing from seed.
Bill

If it sticks ya or pokes ya, I like it
GeneS
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Post by GeneS »

Hello, my name is Gene and I am a seed-o-holic :)

At least 95% of my collection has been grown from seed, by me. The balance is mainly from ISI, botanic gardens like HBG, and known reliable growers where the primary reason for purchase was to get an otherwise difficult to obtain plant that could later provide seed for me to grow.

I would add a few other points to Peter's reasons for growing from seed.

Firstly, it's the easiest and often, the only way to get many species. Only a limited number of species are commercially viable. Unless the plant can be grown into a sellable, blooming item within 1-2 years max, the commerical grower can't get sufficient return on his investment in bench space, labor, water etc. Think of it as rental. If the finished product takes 3 years instead of 2, your costs increase 50%. Can you get 50% more for the product?? That balance of cost vs market really determines what is commercially available.

You just won't find plants that take 8-10 years to mature and flower, or are difficult to propagate and maintain or ship (most columnars) in the local big box store. Next recourse for most it to go to the specialty dealer or start growing from seed.

If you choose "specialty dealer" you usually get second or third choice of the propagated stocks. The dealer hi-grades the young plants, keeping the best as future propagation stock or, for collectors willing to pay the extra bit. Things like verigates, crests, monstrose get quickly removed from the normal stream of commerce.

If, you choose "grow seeds", you get lots of plants to choose from at very reasonable prices (Peter's .15US per seed, or less, if you trade seeds or collect from your own plants) And, you get first choice of the goodies. For me, planting 10-25 seed of a rare or unusual material is a method of obtaining the best 2-3 mature plants in the future. The excess is sold off or given away as I make my selections.

That last process is why you join a specialty society or club where you can get access to the members that ARE seed growers, thus greatly broadening your sources.

Lastly, selling off excess of hard to find materials, can help support your library, or photography budgets :)

GeneS
peterb
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Post by peterb »

Gene, you speak my mind. Here's some more thoughts...

sometimes I have made the mistake of thinking I have to baby seeds and seedlings-- the process can lead a control freak like me into fits of distraction. But the best results are when I remember that seeds exist because *plants want to grow*.

Evidence: 9 shiny new little E. micromeris that have sprouted with absolutely no effort (or knowledge, haha) on my part, on the south facing soil underneath mama. Just discovered them today while puttering around.

Many cacti are self-fertile.

anyway, thanks for your thoughts Gene

Peter
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Good points Gene -I am almost ready to start the seeds you gave me. I have been practicing on seeds I've collected from my own Parodia and Astrophytums.

I'm almost ready!

Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
kuni1234567
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Re: Grow Your Own!

Post by kuni1234567 »

I have always purchased plants instead of growing seeds unless the seeds come from my own pollinated plants or are from seed pods from purchased plants. I have realized that growing most plants to an adult size takes many years or sometimes more than ten years and you have to be very patient which is difficult to do when you become older. The only other problem is what to do with excess plants. I have given away many plants and get complaints from my wife about too many plants.
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7george
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Re: Grow Your Own!

Post by 7george »

kuni1234567 wrote:=== The only other problem is what to do with excess plants. I have given away many plants and get complaints from my wife about too many plants.
That's a global problem. :D What we do:
  1. Or local club makes some sales in Edmonton to promote the hobby and fill the budget, 1ce or 2ce a year;
  2. Exchange door prizes (gifts) at club meetings;
  3. Give out live plants to friends instead of flowers;
  4. Send some to the friends abroad;
  5. Plant hardy ones outside.
Still too many left... 8)

Some people open up an online shop as well. :wink:
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
kuni1234567
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Re: Grow Your Own!

Post by kuni1234567 »

I gave away more than fifty triangle palms and some of them were more than six or seven feet tall. I donated some plants to a local cactus society. I am not sure about selling plants online because most cactus are controlled by CITIES. I live within twenty miles were cactus grow naturally and once took an outset of a very nice Opuntia basilaris var. brachyclada and it grew well. I had to throw it away because my wife does not like Opuntias. I should have given it to a cactus collector. I am growing some Pseudolithos migriutinus seedlings from seeds collected from my own plant.
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