Germination Time

[tom_212]

Hello cactus friends,

I was wondering what the average germination time is for the Echinocereus pentalophus, Echinopsis huascha and Parodia allosiphon.
I planted these 4 weeks ago but nothing has happened so far.
I know some species take months to germinate but I wouldn't like to be waiting for nothing.

[Vipassana]

In my experience with Echinocereus (including pentalophus), I've always had germination in 5 to 15 days unless the seeds are bad.

[tom_212]

I forgot the stratification but that isn't really necessary is it?

[Vipassana]

No, that should not be necessary. I only prepare the soil substrate (in my case, desert loam & sand, no organic) and then surface sow the seeds. I keep them very moist for the first month, then damp for a year after that or until they are big enough to be exposed to outside air.

[tom_212]

Yep exact same methode i'm using.

[tom_212]

So maybe anyone got an idea to boost the germination chance Just a little?
Maybe open the box, give them some fresh air and give them some more water?

[greenknight]

Fresh air won't help, you'd just let in spores of mold, moss, etc. Could they be too cool, or too hot?

[esp_imaging]

Zero germination after 4 weeks isn't a good sign.
As Greenknight says, vary something! Hot days, cooler nights, or just a bit cooler overall may just trigger some of them.
Surface sowing is really important. Bury the seeds and they won't germinate.

[tom_212]

Alright thanks for the advice guys!
The temperature varies from 18ºC in the night to a maximum of 25ºC at day.
They seeds arent buried so that's not what could be the problem.
Also the the soil is not the problem. One week earlier I sowed a cactusmix that I bought 2 years ago.
They all germinated and are growing really fast.
Only thing I can think of is that the seeds are dead.

[7george]

Alright thanks for the advice guys!
The temperature varies from 18ºC in the night to a maximum of 25ºC at day.
===
Only thing I can think of is that the seeds are dead.

Possibly. But you can give them another try after some dry period of rest.
I have some Mammillaria seeds germinated in mass during the 2nd summer with highs 30 deg. or more, but first summer was cooler with few only hatched. Some Parodia (Notocactus) also can appear a year or more after sowing. Good luck!

[tom_212]

Thank you for commenting.
So are you suggesting that after this summer I should let the soil dry out.
And then re-water it the next summer?

[Vipassana]

Sometimes you also just get bad seeds. I'm getting decently adept at my planting method at this point. Enough so that I can reasonably assume there is something wrong with the seeds if I don't get germination with my setup within 3 weeks.

[Wilk]

I don't expect much germination beyond 2-3 weeks and your temperature seems perfect to expect good results. I suspect the seed is bad. Seed is cheap. Move on, buy some more.

[Shmuel]

I find that high temps can really make a huge difference. A pot of Echinocactus ingens germinated in a week (!) when we got temps in teh low to mid 30's centigrade. That was last year, and now we have again temps around 32 - 35 and more of the seeds from last years sowing are germinating. BTW, no stratification, open to the air - I rely on air circulation to keep down any fungus problems. Kept pretty dry in winter, but I spray w/ water a lot (like dew). Maybe add some heat by a light bulb in a reflector for your coolish summer. My seed pots are on an east facing window sill.

BTW where do you get desert loam in the Netherlands?

Shmuel
Jerusalem, Isreal
Zone 9

[tom_212]

Schmuel thank you for the tips.
But I unfortunatly don't have the equipment or the money to reach those temperatures.
I get my soil from a local garden centre.