Hello all,
I'm aware that you guys have probably been asked similar questions to the one i'm about to ask many times before but its been bugging me for a while. Im thinking about ordering a few seeds from Mesa Garden that I could germinate and grow easily so I could learn abit more about growing Cacti from seed.
Could anyone reccomend any Speicies that are reliable from seed?
Thanks in Advance
All those have relatively large seed/seedlings, which mean they have enough water reserves to survive in a non-high humidity environment relatively soon after germination. Usually the larger the seed, the easier it is to work with as a seedling. They are all relatively fast growing too.
Opuntias are fall off a log easy, but their seedlings are different than other cacti and don't really help learn the ropes. Some germinate poorly, but O. compressa seems to germinate relatively well.
If you use the bag method, any cactus that isn't noted for being tricky will work more or less equally well. You would want to avoid small, slow growing species (aztekium, strombo, pelecyphora, turbinicarpus, many mams) that are small and fragile for a long time.
OTOH, if you learn to graft, you only have to worry about keeping seedlings alive for a week to a month before grafting them. I try to graft at least 2 if I'm un-confident in my ability to raise them on their own roots, then see if I can grow out the rest on their own roots. It's far easier to practice grafting with the seedlings of species like I listed on the top though, and several of them are good rootstocks.
Thanks for the replies guys! Promethean_spark, I have a few Pereskiopsis that I am planning to graft a few of my previous seedlings onto, hopefully that will work as I have heard how reliable Pereskiopsis are for bulking up young seedlings.
These have grown the fastest for me of all the seeds I've started. Rebutia_aiquilensis, sown 7/10. Seed from MesaGarden. And as I kill way more seedlings than live, I do believe it's a testimony to their hardiness.
Something else to consider is finding someone local to you with an excess of seed. There are lots of them on here and are usually pretty generous with enthusiastic new members. I'd send you some, but I think there are more local sources for you.
Growing from seed is a little tricky in the beginning, that's why starting with cheap/free seed for the first 2-4 tries is worthwhile. I know I was disappointed when I killed my first batch of MG seed. There have been subsequent massacres since then...
I highly recommend the baggie method. I've tried a number of different approaches and baggies give you the least maintenance and the lowest likelihood of contamination. It's also kind of boring because you don't need to "fiddle" with them and you can't really get a good look at them.
Good luck and post photos!
Disclaimer: I'm in sunny Arizona, so any advice I give may not apply in your circumstances.
