First grown from seed attempt

[Peterthecactusguy]

Ok, for years I have put off growing cacti from seeds. I will be doing some of that very soon. I am in the process of mixing my dirt, and right now have been busy nuking the soil. I am making sure it gets to at least 180F to kill all the bad crap that grows in the soil. I am pretty much using a standard mix like I would for potting a cacti, except I am screening out the bigger rocks (there is some DG mixed in with the dirt) I just dont want big chunks in the mix. I do have a brief question, if I am going to use aluminum pans with plastic covers how deep should the dirt be? The best ones I got have around a 2-3 inch depth and have a lid that gives some space on top. For the rest I will be of course using the baggie method with pots so I am not really worried about the soil depth. I also will be doing growing at two or three different locations to see the results.. I will use my grow chamber at my house, and will use an E. exposure window for the rest. I will include pictures as they become available as I work on my seed growing project. BTW there will also be some non cactus plants that are going to be planted, some herbs, ya know catnip that type of stuff, peppers, potatoes and a few other things we will be planting as well. Wish me luck cause I will need it. I really don't know what I am doing. So around a year from now if I has 17million cacti, I will blame my ignorance, or if I have 3.. I don't know. My guess is I will get somewhere in between those numbers

[iann]

I like to choose pots that will be large enough to allow the roots free growth for 2-3 years. I also try to pick a size that will support the expected amount of germination for those 2-3 years. It never works of course; I either end up with three specks lost on a huge pot, or a forest of tap-rooted monsters breaking out of the pot after 6 months.

I don't have such good results in natural lighting conditions. Sometimes there is germination, occasionally even good germination, but more often that there should be I get nothing. Subsequent growth is even more difficult. Cactus seedlings like constant warmth and humidity, but I have nowhere to offer this except the inside of my seed-starting box. I can get the right level of warmth in the greenhouse in summer, but not every day, the nights are too cold, and the light is too harsh. Sticking them in a box under lights is a no-brainer and it gives me something to do in winter.

[promethean_spark]

Spending dark winter evenings with your head in a propagator counting seedlings feels like visiting summer too!

[hoteidoc]

Iann - Very succintly put w/o a lot of details -- which I know you are also quite capable of! When Pete 1st put up the question, I sort of threw my hands up, not wanting to get bogged down in a LOT of details.
@Spark -- Oh so true! Of course what Iann said @ plans vs. #'s also very true! Same as Iann, I wouldn't even dream of trying germination a la windowsill!

[iann]

Spending dark winter evenings with your head in a propagator counting seedlings feels like visiting summer too!

Keeps me alive

[Peterthecactusguy]

ok, so I guess I will just do what will fit in my propagator then, which is nothing more than a cabinet with my lights. IT should now be above 50 F in there until next winter baring any changes in weather. (it was below freezing last night and the night before, but day time temps were warm enough that it was in the 50s inside my house, with the area near my cabinet having a heater so it was even warmer in there

[hoteidoc]

Wow - Someone else "living" in my home temp range! Of course, I don't live in AZ & Winter only last 6 mos. here!

[Peterthecactusguy]

lol I dont know. my house has been over 90F before, when using the swamp cooler when it got really hot AND very humid quickly. I have an AC unit, but yes it's cold in the winter and hot in the summer in my house. I am hoping it will stay warm enough. If I think it's too cold I might get a little heat lamp. They had ones at walmart for like 5 bucks or something. I didnt really read them but I saw they had them.

[iann]

Seedlings should do OK if they get warm during the day, although there are some that really like it tropical day and night. 50F isn't so cold that it would damage most cactus seedlings, but if they don't get nice and warm during the day then they will stagnate.

[Peterthecactusguy]

Ian,
thanks. I am more worried about germination, but it will be warm in around 2-3 weeks and in a month or so it will be not that cold at night either. I just am a worry wart. I got all of them in that will fit in my grow chamber so...

[Peterthecactusguy]

Ok here is what I planted today in 5 containers
1. Fero. cylindraceus from 2-3 local plants
2. C. gigantea mostly from my own huge multibracned one. I think some seed from one of my dead ones was also mixed in
3. probably just screwed up but it goes as follows
1. Epithelantha micromeris
2. Corypantha macromeris
3. Mamm. yaquensis (M. thornberi)
4. Mamm tetracistra
5. Mamm muehlenpfordii
6. Mamm columbiana ssp yucatanensis
7. Mamm gemispinia
8. Mamm prolifera
9. ? probably fero cactus, maybe I shouldn't have put that in there. I do not know tons about growing mamms from seeds so I will find out the hard way if I screwed up. Next time I think I will use more smaller containers.
4. 1. Fero wislenzii
2. Echinocactus grusonii
5. Fero. cylindraceus (more seed from the same 3 plants as the first one, I will try this one out on a windowsill, mostly cause I had so much seed. It's an exeriment, if it fails, it fails .. also if I have more space in my grow chamber than I thought I will likely add it in there.

[promethean_spark]

Mamm tetrancistra demands dry summers, I don't think it will get along with those others. It's one of those near impossible plants along with Ecac polycephalus and various Sclerocactus, Pediocactus and Echinomastus. I'm sure Ian can grow it though.

[Peterthecactusguy]

lol well I am sure that it will be impossible for me to grow then, and once I say that EVERY single one will germinate I will see what happens. It's an experiment. And like I said it was probably stupid to put them all in there. Oh well I will find out soon enough

[hoteidoc]

PCG - One thing I have learned -- until I really get to "know" each species' germination & growth characteristics -- put them in single species pots for 2 reasons. 1) If you get fungal contamination, it will only potentially wipe (or not even, if successful "countermeasures employed") out one set; 2) even this past Oct's start-ups with same genus & only 2 species, still can get vary divergent germination & growth rates. I know some growers do put in very different plants, but I'm assuming they understand the growth rates are similar for each Just don't tell yourself NEVER! -- as you said, this is "experimenting" or "acquiring experience". No problems is great, but we don't necessarily learn anything Of course like most of us, I just want to GROW PLANTS, not sure @ "wanting to learn" anything

[iann]

Mamm tetrancistra demands dry summers, I don't think it will get along with those others. It's one of those near impossible plants along with Ecac polycephalus and various Sclerocactus, Pediocactus and Echinomastus. I'm sure Ian can grow it though.

You know it

These can be germinated in the same conditions as other cacti though, and grow well with heat and humidity for at least the first few months.