This is my first post, and it will be a long one. My apologies!
I'm relatively new to the cactus/succulent world. I've been collecting for less than a year, and I never thought that any hobby would grow into this deep of a passion. I adore cacti, and the community is filled with interesting people from all walks of life.
I quickly learned that it's very expensive to buy a collection, so I've opted to grow my own. I've never grown cacti before, and I'm looking forward to this potentially frustrating and fulfilling experience. After keeping one (or two) for myself, it is my sincere hope that they make it into the homes of other collectors and emerging enthusiasts.
Growing medium:
Is your potting mix sucks a meme within the community, because if it isn't, it should be
. I've read so many passionate opinions from experienced growers on this forum and all across the internet, and many of the options I wanted to consider were unfeasible. The materials either weren't available in my area, or would cost far too much for way too little. It was a debilitating process that almost turned me away from growing - until I realized that doing things my own way is OK. Failure is OK.
If I fail, I fail. I'll learn from my mistakes and move forward with another method. I'm a stubborn son of a gun and must do things my own way, even at my own peril
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I settled on a mix of:
50% Pumice
50% Pro-Mix HP w/ Mycorrhizae
After searching locally for weeks, I finally found horticultural grade pumice at a local hydroponics shop, and at a price that didn't make me internally breathe fire
. This was also my first encounter with Pro-Mix. It didn't look or feel like any consumer potting mix I had ever seen or used before. It is very porous, drains quickly, and feels like the perfect balance of not too wet/not too dry. Dare I say, the mix even felt gritty.
Pro-Mix HP without amendments. I hope it works, because I have "a-lot" of it
Growing environment:
Growth will take place exclusively in 4x4 grow tents and under grow lights. Used grow lights are pretty easy to find in my area (bless the hydroponics community). I found deals on a Nextlight Mega Pro and a Horticulture Lighting Group Blackbird a few months ago via Craigslist that I couldn't pass up. They are outstanding lights (the HLG especially) and their output capability is immense.
NextLight Mega Pro in my 4x4 seedling tent
NextLight Mega Pro
The seedlings are currently sitting under the Mega Pro @ a distance of 46" and at an intensity that hits roughly 150 PPFD. I will monitor the seedlings for signs of stress and adjust as necessary. They are also under a heating mat with the soil temp sitting at roughly 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat with regards to grow lights is another discussion entirely, and It must be actively managed/mitigated. The temperature inside the tent is 80 degrees Fahrenheit with the light at its lowest setting. While heat won't be an issue in this tent, It will in the other. More on that another time.
Preparation:
Flexibility and maximization of the space in my seedling tent were top priorities, so I decided grow in 2.5 inch pots placed within standard 1020 trays. Each tray holds 32 pots and provides me the flexibility to add/remove seedlings and replace them as necessary. Space permitting, I wish to always be growing. Trays can also simplify the watering process, and the quick mobility they provide is a huge bonus.
They sit flat once filled with soil
I filled each pot a little over 3/4 of the way with my Pro-Mix and pumice mixture. I lightly compressed the mixture, sifted a layer of regular Pro-Mix on top, sowed the seeds, and finished larger seeds with another sifted layer of Pro-Mix. Smaller seeds were sowed directly on the surface and left uncovered. The pots were bottom watered until moist all the way through (overnight), and top finished with a diluted organic bio-fungicide.
Grow list:
Little did I realize that 32 pots will fit a lot of seedlings. I didn't consider this during my planning, and I sowed a sizable Mesa Garden order in just ONE tray
. Needless to say, it will take some time and effort to fill my seedling tent to capacity, and even that may never be feasible. I suppose time will tell. 
A hilarious amount of space remains, and I've sown quite a few seeds
. The tent will hold 8 1020 trays. The second tray is filled with Adenium Obesum and Arabicum, another experiment.
- Copiapoa cinerea columna-alba
- Ferocactus johnstonianus
- Astrophytum Superkabuto
- Astrophytum Star Shape
- Gymnocalycium pflanzii cv inermis
- Copiapoa taltalensis 'montana'
- Copiapoa maritima
- Copiapoa Mixed species seeds
- Eriosyce 'Neoporteria' taltalensis 'paucicostata'
- Escobaria vivipara
- Gymnocalycium spegazzini
- Escobaria sneedii
- Rebutia Mixed species seeds
- Copiapoa mollicula
- Astrophytum capricorne
- Astrophytum Mixed Species
- Copiapoa echinata
- Ferocactus lindsayi
- Strombocactus disciformis
- Coryphantha poselgeriana
- Turbinicarpus valdezianus
- Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus
- Turbinicarpus jauernigii
- Others I probably missed
The seeds were sown on the evening of 6/23/23. Imagine my surprise when I awoke this morning to find a bit of germination! Several species of Copiapoa, Astrophytum, and others, began to do their thing. Needless to say, I really enjoyed my coffee this morning.
Copiapoa Montana
Copiapoa Cinerea columna-alba
Astrophytum sp. mix
Astrophytum Superkabuto Star Shape
I have another tray of seeds on order from Koehres that should arrive sometime. They (along with Aaron and Tara from Mesa Garden) have been fantastic to work with.
I'm an all or nothing type of guy. Win big, or lose big. That's always been my thing. I've tempered my expectations, and I really hope things work out. What have I gotten myself into
Thank you for having me.
). I am looking forward to updates. I never get tired of these posts!