Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
Re: Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
Some excellent warning advice regarding Pseudolithos has been given here: http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... os#p328184
- greenknight
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Re: Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
I'm about ready to give Pseudolithos a try myself, after seeing now well they do in Vancouver. Keep them out of the hot sun? Sure, I can do that!
Spence
Re: Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
So keep warm, regularly a tiny bit of watering for seedlings but don't drown them, no draft, and avoid sun burns. That should be about it for them. They are a bit picky, but not extremely. We would like to have the same treatment for ourselves!
Re: Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
Glad if my cautionary tale can save a few psuedolithos! Considering what the seeds cost its painful to lose these guys. I think Aiko's advice is spot on, its pretty much what I have been doing and so far so good.
In other news, I've had a few more pots germinate, I've noticed germination has been a bit slower this year as it has been unusually cold out and I think my apartment is cooler than normal, I decided to buy another heat mat as I have found this can really speed things up especially for the Mexican cacti. I am thinking of sowing my difficult/tiny seeds later today, so wish me luck!
And given all the talk about LEDs here, I decided to check out the selection at home depot and I came home with this:
For $15 for 2 I figured it was worth a try, they had some pricier specialty bulbs that were intriguing but I decided to start simple. Its a 5K not a 6.5K and I can definitely see the warmth compared to my CFLs but it seems decently bright. Worst case it goes on top of my gecko tank.
While most of my other seedlings aren't looking too interesting just yet, the monster mesemb has sure been growing. Any ideas iann?
In other news, I've had a few more pots germinate, I've noticed germination has been a bit slower this year as it has been unusually cold out and I think my apartment is cooler than normal, I decided to buy another heat mat as I have found this can really speed things up especially for the Mexican cacti. I am thinking of sowing my difficult/tiny seeds later today, so wish me luck!
And given all the talk about LEDs here, I decided to check out the selection at home depot and I came home with this:
For $15 for 2 I figured it was worth a try, they had some pricier specialty bulbs that were intriguing but I decided to start simple. Its a 5K not a 6.5K and I can definitely see the warmth compared to my CFLs but it seems decently bright. Worst case it goes on top of my gecko tank.
While most of my other seedlings aren't looking too interesting just yet, the monster mesemb has sure been growing. Any ideas iann?
Re: Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
It's been a while, but I finally took the time to upload some progress photos of this year's seedlings:
Agave parrasana- had great germination, just repotted as the initial pot was overflowing:
?Alinopsis? had a fading issue with my labels this year
Psuedolithos migurintus- week old sprouts, canada post/cbsa is currently super slow processing parcels from asia, took 5 months in shipment!
Aztekium ritteri- looks like I got a few new late sprouts
Obregonia denegrii- found these were quite photosensitive moved them to weak light
?Copiapoa tenuissima? label issue again
Eriosyce mix- biggest seedlings of the year
Lophoria - from my own seed -lost all but 1 of last years batch to rsm (they seem to pick on the lophs)
A. Asterias - after a string of failed attempts I'm trying a more pH neutral soil and more time in the bag
? - I'm stumped here, can't read the label, it's looking quite columnar
Pachypodium sandersonii
Parodia ayopayana
Gymnocalycium
Lapidaria
Mystery Mesemb:
Strombocactus disciformis - growing pretty fast relative to their initial seed size
Agave parrasana- had great germination, just repotted as the initial pot was overflowing:
?Alinopsis? had a fading issue with my labels this year
Psuedolithos migurintus- week old sprouts, canada post/cbsa is currently super slow processing parcels from asia, took 5 months in shipment!
Aztekium ritteri- looks like I got a few new late sprouts
Obregonia denegrii- found these were quite photosensitive moved them to weak light
?Copiapoa tenuissima? label issue again
Eriosyce mix- biggest seedlings of the year
Lophoria - from my own seed -lost all but 1 of last years batch to rsm (they seem to pick on the lophs)
A. Asterias - after a string of failed attempts I'm trying a more pH neutral soil and more time in the bag
? - I'm stumped here, can't read the label, it's looking quite columnar
Pachypodium sandersonii
Parodia ayopayana
Gymnocalycium
Lapidaria
Mystery Mesemb:
Strombocactus disciformis - growing pretty fast relative to their initial seed size
Re: Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
really good stuff, iris. you give hope to a newbie.
Re: Windowsill seed raising - Small Cacti and Mesembs
Hey Ronald!
Great comment. I agree with your logic, but there’s more that meets the eye than simple color of plants. That’s why we need to turn to science rather than working off of the assumption that if an object is a certain color, than it is reflecting all of that color and absorbing none of it. If plants reflected all green light, they would look like tiny green mirrors.
Plants absorb all colors of light as you can see in the graph on point #2. They only absorb slightly less green light than all other colors (Look at the “Whole Leaf” line). Most of the green light actually goes through the plant rather than being reflected.
Total absorption of light is not the goal, since green light is able to pass through more of the leaf it’s able to light up more cells from the top to the bottom of the leaf, and also to the leaves below so the whole plant gets light.
Here’s another great article that touches on this: https:http://allledgrowlights.com/best-led-grow-lights/
kabir
Great comment. I agree with your logic, but there’s more that meets the eye than simple color of plants. That’s why we need to turn to science rather than working off of the assumption that if an object is a certain color, than it is reflecting all of that color and absorbing none of it. If plants reflected all green light, they would look like tiny green mirrors.
Plants absorb all colors of light as you can see in the graph on point #2. They only absorb slightly less green light than all other colors (Look at the “Whole Leaf” line). Most of the green light actually goes through the plant rather than being reflected.
Total absorption of light is not the goal, since green light is able to pass through more of the leaf it’s able to light up more cells from the top to the bottom of the leaf, and also to the leaves below so the whole plant gets light.
Here’s another great article that touches on this: https:http://allledgrowlights.com/best-led-grow-lights/
kabir