So my cactus seedlings reach the 3 month mark tomorrow.
From then I'll give them periods out of the bag.
From what i've read you still have to water them daily.
Also they can't take direct sunlight right?
They're are doing really good at the moment and are under artificial light 12 hours a day.
I'd love to hear some tips from the experts.
I used to give 16 hours of light. After the baggy method i moved to bright shade with a hint of early morning sun. As for watering i would water all the mix completely and the older the seedlings got the more i let the mix dry. For example after the baggies, i would let the soil stay a bit humid before watering again.im in month 5 or 6 i think and now i let the mix get dry for a day or 2 then water and occasionally give a very (very) dilute fertilizer
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)
Forget about periods out of the baggy - once they're our, they're out. First open up the baggy for a few days to lower the humidity, get them used to dryer conditions more gradually than if you took them out completely right off. Best to water from below for at least several months, add just a thin film of water to the tray underneath the pot so the soil never becomes saturated.
3 months is rather early to be taking them out, they can stay in the baggies for a year or more as long as there's no mold.
3 months is rather early to be taking them out, they can stay in the baggies for a year or more as long as there's no mold.
I've read that somewhere else too. It seems like half of the people like to take them out once they're 3 months old and the other half tends to take them out much later. What the better method is, I don't know.
I used to give 16 hours of light.
energy bill.
At the moment I'm doing everything based on what I read on cactus forums and some other cactus websites given the fact that I have no experience growing from seed.
Here's a picture of a seedling that resembles most of them
3 months is rather early to be taking them out, they can stay in the baggies for a year or more as long as there's no mold.
I've read that somewhere else too. It seems like half of the people like to take them out once they're 3 months old and the other half tends to take them out much later. What the better method is, I don't know.
I used to give 16 hours of light.
energy bill.
At the moment I'm doing everything based on what I read on cactus forums and some other cactus websites given the fact that I have no experience growing from seed.
Here's a picture of a seedling that resembles most of them
They're looking quite well! I quit at 3 months in mid/late and have had great growth. However i lost 2 months of growth due to my abrupt transition from baggy to outside. So you must absolutely avoid abrupt environmental changes.
As for lighting, i used to have 120 watts worth of cfl bulbs (~8000 lumens) for a ~ 4 square feet box where even adult cacti could grow. That in mind, and a 2200 square feet house with incadescent lighting, my electricity bill never exceeded 50$ (given that lebanon is fairly expensive). So i don't think an extra 4 hours will add much to your bill but it will be good for the seedlings. You coukd line the inside of your box with reflective material such as aluminum foil to improve lighting.
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)
