So I decided to sow

All about seed grown plants. How-to information, progress reports, show of your results.
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mmcavall
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by mmcavall »

Vipassana wrote: Those look better than mine! Strong work.
Thanks, but the seeds have done the work alone. Very good germination rate, near 100%, and after sprouting, very little care; they take a good sun during the morning and get some water once a week or less...
Vipassana wrote: I need to plant the rest of the Rhipsalis seeds you sent me soon. My Rhipsalis species collection has been growing lately, but my efforts to grow them from seed have had limited success. I am learning though.
Any time you need more seed, let me know and I'll see what I have to offer.
To be honest, I'm eager to sow, so once you offer, I'll accept any seeds :wink: I have lots of Rhipsalis seeds and similars in my fridge, so I would be glad to send them all to you, you can do some tests and maybe a few will sprout and increase your collection. I'll send you a PM.
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mmcavall
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by mmcavall »

New batch of cacti, sowed a month ago, 20th May.
Seeds were kindly provided by JFabiao, neat species such as Strombocactus disciformis, Epithelantha micromeris, Acharagma aguirreanum and 11 different Turbinicarpus.
Sowing mix is pure mineral, different kinds of gravel and grit, no loam or soil of any kind. Temperatures here ranging from 10 to 25°C.
The sowing method was also suggested by JFabiao and apparently it works fine!
Pots were filled with the prepared sowing mix, and seeds were surface sown. The pots were put in a container with water in such a way that the water level reaches about 1/3 of the pot (substrate) height:

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They were left in the water container for about 15 days, time that showed to be necessary for about half of the seeds to sprout. Then, the pots were taken out of the container and I let them dry until the surface of the substrate looks completely dry, and then the pots were put again in the water container to get damp again.
The idea is to provide short periods of drought between periods of humidity, and slowly increase the drought periods.

Getting dry (the pots on the right side are dry and are going to be immersed in the water container soon):
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No sterilization at all, no caps or bags. Apparently the open pots, with short periods of drought, are not the ideal environment for pathogens' development.


Germination was good, I’m very happy with the results, moreover considering the long trip and delay in Brazilian’ customs:

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Some pictures:

T. valdezianus:
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T. macrochele:
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T. pseudomacrochele:
Just after sprouting
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30 days after
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T. schwarzii:
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E. micromeris:
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Vipassana
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by Vipassana »

Very interesting new method. Different than mine, but your results look good and it's hard to argue with good results.

I admire your record keeping. I need to do this, but I always forget to count how many seeds I start with. I'm at the point where I'm staying to plant some species again and it would be nice to have a record of what worked, or didn't work, the first time I planted them.
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mmcavall
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by mmcavall »

Four months has passed since the last batch (described above).
I must admit that the method did not work very well for me. With no soil in the pots, controlling humidity was very difficult: seedlings suffered from dehidratation and waterlogging alternately, and many died.
So, back again to the old method...
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7george
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by 7george »

I would add some sand to this mix, is bounds water for longer. If you prefer to add some soil it should be sterilized in the beginning, as other components should be.

Getting seeds germinated is just one thing, even easier one. To keep them alive during first months till first and next transplanting is much harder. They will need warmer environment: 30 - 35C and frequent, 2 - 3 times a week watering or spraying. It is like a small farm and you should be around all the time and act if something goes wrong.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
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mmcavall
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by mmcavall »

Thanks, George, for your comments. I use to visit my plants twice a day, but I was really unable to handle that!
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mmcavall
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Re: So I decided to sow

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Some pictures of my seedlings, most are one year old.

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7george
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by 7george »

mmcavall wrote:Notocactus turececkianus:
===
This thing survives like a weed. My seeds germinated all with interval of several months so I have 3 cohorts o different size & age now.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
stefan m.

Re: So I decided to sow

Post by stefan m. »

I hope mine look this good. Sown them this september.
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ElieEstephane
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by ElieEstephane »

These look huge for 1 year seedlings! Great progress marcelo.
Are you using fertilizer or nutrient solutions, compost, wormcastings...?
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
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mmcavall
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by mmcavall »

elieestephane wrote:These look huge for 1 year seedlings! Great progress marcelo.
Are you using fertilizer or nutrient solutions, compost, wormcastings...?
Thanks, Elie,
the mix has nothing special, no fertilizer or wormcastings...just top soil, coarse sand, charcoal and grit. I've recently added some fertilizer in the tap water, but plants already look big before that.

I think the relatively rapid growth is due to my climate. Winter here is not really cold, and is sunny for almost 3 months without overcasted days. So the plants can grow all year round.


A brief history of these seedlongs:
August 2016 (late winter): sowing; open pots (no bags); shade cloths
From September 2016 to Mars 2017 (spring and summer): they remained in the same place; very slow growth
April 2017 (autumn): I begun to give them more and more sun
Until August 2017 (autumn and winter) they were all under full sun
From September until now (Spring): the sun became too strong and I protected them under wooden slats; I increased watering and added fertilizer in the tap water.

They bumped during late winter and spring.

The Astrophytum impresses me everyday:

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stefan m.

Re: So I decided to sow

Post by stefan m. »

I germinated saguaro and stuff in april, and theyre still smaller than marbles.
That troplical brazilian climate is very favorable to seedlings.
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ElieEstephane
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by ElieEstephane »

mmcavall wrote:
elieestephane wrote:These look huge for 1 year seedlings! Great progress marcelo.
Are you using fertilizer or nutrient solutions, compost, wormcastings...?
Thanks, Elie,
the mix has nothing special, no fertilizer or wormcastings...just top soil, coarse sand, charcoal and grit. I've recently added some fertilizer in the tap water, but plants already look big before that.

I think the relatively rapid growth is due to my climate. Winter here is not really cold, and is sunny for almost 3 months without overcasted days. So the plants can grow all year round.


A brief history of these seedlongs:
August 2016 (late winter): sowing; open pots (no bags); shade cloths
From September 2016 to Mars 2017 (spring and summer): they remained in the same place; very slow growth
April 2017 (autumn): I begun to give them more and more sun
Until August 2017 (autumn and winter) they were all under full sun
From September until now (Spring): the sun became too strong and I protected them under wooden slats; I increased watering and added fertilizer in the tap water.

They bumped during late winter and spring.

The Astrophytum impresses me everyday:

Image
That's very impressive! I've got my seedlings under 6 cfl bulbs simulating full sun and they're not even close! Im jealous.
Btw, are these astriphytum ornatum? Or a cross between ornatum and myriostigma?
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
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mmcavall
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Location: São Carlos - SP, Southeast Brazil, Cerrado Region

Re: So I decided to sow

Post by mmcavall »

I'm not sure about their ID. They are from an Aiko's Astro mix. Most looks like those, more to the ornatum side (or pure ornatum? I have no idea, it is my first time growing Astros) and other looks much more to the myriostigma side:

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ElieEstephane
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Re: So I decided to sow

Post by ElieEstephane »

Im curious how Aiko's seeds got through and mine didn't :-k
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
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