Seedling Blossfeldia - step by step (Flower)

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:59 pm

Hi folks!

This thread may be for some month, or maybe not, that depends on how it goes. With pictures and som explanations I will try to grow Blossfeldia seedlings.

Step 1: I fill a glass jar (20 cm high and 8 cm wide) with 8 cm of soilmix made of "cacti soil", perlite and vermaculite. The soil was well soked in water. Because the jar was so high I boiled it on the stove instead of in the microwave, but I think eather way should do. I put a thermometer inside and waited until the top soil became about 85°C, then I stoped the boiling and put plastic on top. When the top soil was 25°C I opened the jar and spread the seeds. I finished with spray of cold boiled water and sealed it tight. It will not be opened earlier then after 6 month.

The jar is placed on top of the radiator so the topsoil temperature are around 23°C at daytime, but since I move the jars into the windowsil at night it slightly lower. Just above the jars I do have artificiell light that brings the light 14 hours per day.

Seeds got in the soil 2006-11-11
To be continued...

PS: Moderator, correct misspelling, please!

parodias · Post by **parodias** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 4:16 pm

I'm very curious to see the development of this sowing as I tried to sow Blossfelia myself on many occasions with absolutely no success, so I wonder where I went wrong

Any reason for using this tall jar ?

TIA

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 4:34 pm

parodias wrote:Any reason for using this tall jar ?

Well, I had that jar

No, I have different jars and I will try different hights as well (15 cm and same width) to see if there are some differents

I put the money on the tall one

I'll do almost anything for knowledge

/Chrizz

Post by **daiv** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 11:43 pm

This is going to be great! I wish you the best of luck on this project!

peter · Post by **peter** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:28 pm

Hi
Good luck! I wish you ten green fingers!

Best regards

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:33 pm

Thanks peter

I think I need it! The jar thing is called the "Fleischer Method", anything you know about?

/Chrizz

peter · Post by **peter** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:38 pm

Yes Christer, I know the "Fleischer Method"
Very often applied here!

Edit: important is absolutly sterility

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:47 pm

Yes peter, that's the magic - absolutly sterility

I will try it on Aztekium too, but blossfeldia is the prime species. I know some other species that may do well with this method. Have you tried it your self?

/Christer

peter · Post by **peter** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:55 pm

No sorry, I had not tried, to my shame

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:59 pm

Well, I tell you this Peter, it smells bad when you boil the soil

/Christer

parodias · Post by **parodias** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:14 pm

I'm really curious to see how this goes on. I know that Fleischer method very well. I have a couple of friends that use it routinely to germinate and grow small seeded Parodia and as such I've tried it myself. The least I can say is that it involves quite some work to do it properly. We used those all glass WECK glasses used for fruit & vegetables conservation. We did sterilize the soil the classic way by boiling the pots in water.
I abandoned that method because I developped some other sowing drill for Parodia which involves less work but with similar results but maybe I should give it one more try for Blossfeldia ?
BTW .. according to the strict Fleischer rules your jar is not closed the way it should be

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 12:00 am

Yes, I know Parodias

I use doubble rubberbands instead of tape.

And another thing, I think the the time of the year make some different, anyway here in Sweden. In the late summer there are alot more "germs in the air" than in the mid winter, so that also make a different (I think)

/Christer

Christer Johansson · Post by **Christer Johansson** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:53 pm

Well, it's gone 2 weeks since I put the seeds in the soil, and now there are som small plants in the jar

Maybe it's hard to se them, but there are at leat 4 small green nobbs in the focused area of the picture. It's not easy to take a sharp picture into a jar

But when I do a count I find about 20 plants in there

To be continued...

/Christer

Post by **daiv** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:47 pm

Germination success! That is faster than I would have thought. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you for the next stage of development.

Daiv

parodias · Post by **parodias** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:34 pm

Christer Johansson wrote:Well, it's gone 2 weeks since I put the seeds in the soil, and now there are som small plants in the jar

Maybe it's hard to se them, but there are at leat 4 small green nobbs in the focused area of the picture. It's not easy to take a sharp picture into a jar But when I do a count I find about 20 plants in there

To be continued...

/Christer

Two weeks ? that seems ok .. I would have expected that they would germinate a tad faster.
Microsperm Parodias germinate starting from day 9 to day 11 after planting with massive germination in the 5-6 days after that. Mostly if they do not germinate in that period of time then it is time to start worrying

The first step has been taken .. now I'm curious to see how thing will go on especially because they are such slow growers .. keep us posted !! & thnx for th experiment !