Hey peeps, I mentioned to my girlfriend about the photo contest, and lets just say she got excited. This is her idea of what I should enter. A comp of M elongata, M parkinsoni, and M melanocentra

I found this at my local nursery in a 2" pot. I am wondering if he is a Melo of some sort. Do you agree? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Iann, I saw that one but was thrown off by the different flower colors

Hello again peeps, my girlfriend and I are trying to ID one of our Mammies. Best I could come up with was/is M magallani. However, the color of the flowers are different. Mine seems to be more yellow ish than my suspect, who is more pink ish. Also, the spines don't match. First 4 pics are mine, last...

Ivan, I also have some growing in a 1/3 sand, 1/3 peat, and 1/3 perlite without any algae. I really like the DE/ vermiculite mix for its ease of use and mixing though. Thanks for the insight peeps, my girlfriend will sleep better knowing her Gymno's are going to be ok.

This is my hotbox, most seedlings seem to appreciate the 5 arduous minutes it took to create. I have Matucana, Astrophytum, and Gymnos in there. They appear to be doing well with the exception of this darn mold growing. Thanks.

Oh, btw, I noticed that it happens on my mixes with a high proportion of diatomaceous earth. The above pictures are a mix of 75% DE and 25% vermiculite. An awesome mix for germinating but Im worried about their survival. Also they are being "hotboxed" in a converted shoebox with shade clot...

My girlfriend and I have noticed some of our seedlings have fungus among us. What kind of fungicide should we use? Do we need to dilute? I read somewhere here that some peeps use a peroxide/water solution. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks peeps!

I have a mix variety of cacti seedlings growing in 1/3 sand, 1/3 perlite and 1/3 peat. Most seem to be doing well, however, some are prostrate. Should I prop them up somehow, or attempt to cover the roots? I am at a loss here. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Alright peeps, after 10 days I achieved a 75% germination rate. YAY!!!!!

Thanks Ali, I like to hear what other people use for soil mixtures. This year I have already planted several Gymno's, Astrophytum, and Matucana's in a mixture of 1/3 sand, 1/3 perlite, and 1/3 peat. I'm running an experiment to get an idea of how much success to expect. I use a heating pad and haven...

Alright peeps, week 1 progress report. After seven days on the heating pad by a brightly lit window I have had a little success. 2/4 Gymno mix have sprouted, as well as 3/4 Astrophytum, and 3/4 Matucanas. Not too bad for me.

Ali, nice list you have going. If you dont mind I'd LOVE to know how you make your soil! Also, how many years do you have invested in your hobby? I have been collecting for probably a decade, but you could say I didnt know anything about them until last summer.

No direct sun. Lots of bright light though.