Here's what I'm using for a seed propagator. Not the best setup, but hey it works. It is a egg incubator. It can be found at most feed stores in the springtime. It cost around 20.00. It has a heat cable in the lid and if you use 3" pots or 8.5 oz coffee cups they fit underneath without touching the heat source and haven't melted one yet. You have to use a thermometer to get the desired temp.It holds humidity, so don't do any bagging until after removing pots that have germinated. It has 2 rather useless windows and there is no room for a light, but I just use it only for germination as I have a bright, un-airconditioned room upstairs that gets quite warm this time of year for the seedlings to grow in.
Here are some of the results. This is Trichocereus huascha var. robusta, Ferocactus rectispinus, and Coryphantha tripugionacantha from early last year. I have some serious separating to do. This shows Oreocereus maximus, Echinocactus horizonthalonius, Glandulicactus uncinatus and my lone Echinomastus johnsonii. All from last August
Although barely visible, the center cup has about 15 Mammillaria tetrancitra seedlings from March. Top cup shows Epithelantha rufispina and bottom cup has Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus.
This cups holds those cacti the DEA says I shouldn't grow!
This cup holds Melocactus conoideus and a few Uebelmannia flavispina.
Although doesn't look like much, this is one I'm most proud of, it contains well over a hundred year old Blossfeldia liliputana. I had a similar cup of Aztekium ritteri, but were touchy to keep going over the winter and have 2 seedlings left(more seed coming next week ).
Sorry about pic quality, I really pushed what my cheap camera is able to do, but feel you can at least see the green blobs and in many cases that is all you can see for the first year or so.
Chris
Here's my propagator
- CoronaCactus
- Posts: 10421
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 6:16 pm
- Location: Corona, California USA [Zone 10]
- Contact:
Chris, I used a plastic dessert cup, somewhat shallow, that came with its own tightly fitting clear lid. (I think it was rice pudding...might have been flan
The mix was 5 parts Jiffy seed starter, 3 parts coarse sand, 2 parts turface. I sterilized the cup and mix in the microwave. Then I used a single layer of turface and sowed the seeds right onto it, spraying them down between the small rocks. The lid is still on, I've bottom watered maybe 3 times in 7 months (with purified water). Bright light only, no direct sun.
They're still tiny, but look good.
peterb
The mix was 5 parts Jiffy seed starter, 3 parts coarse sand, 2 parts turface. I sterilized the cup and mix in the microwave. Then I used a single layer of turface and sowed the seeds right onto it, spraying them down between the small rocks. The lid is still on, I've bottom watered maybe 3 times in 7 months (with purified water). Bright light only, no direct sun.
They're still tiny, but look good.
peterb
Zone 9
-
- Posts: 87
- Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 4:36 am
Re: Here's my propagator
I am thinking about buying a different egg propagator that has much better temperature control and humidity control. I have used many different seed propagators, but did not buy a commercial seed germinator. I will experiment with different temperature settings and see what works best.
-
- Posts: 87
- Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 4:36 am
Re: Here's my propagator
I have done some research on different egg propagators and found a company called Brinsea that sells a number of different size propagators. I have tried to germinate cactus, succulent and cycad seeds using many methods and will try using a Brinsea egg propagator. I am tired of low germination rates and low seedling survival rates.