My seed growing thread 2013 (Updated 30th Aug' '14)

[LophoFan]

Wow, those are some INSANE growth rates!! TELL ME YOUR SECRETS!! *Bows down to dan*

[keith]

Wow you are going to have allot of cactus !! They all look like they are doing very well and growing quite fast. Do they go into a winter rest period the first year ?

I see your red cat litter stuff looks like its working well for everyone.

[globose]

Your seeds are growing so much faster than mine!! interesting how the arios look quite a bit like frailea seedlings when they first start getting tubercles

[CactusFanDan]

Funny you should bring up the Ariocarpus as I repotted them all a few days ago. Here's the haul, about 1 year and 8 months old. The biggest one has a 7cm taproot.

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[CactusFanDan]

I have some more recent pictures to hand too, enjoy! All about 1 year and 8 months old.

Geohintonia mexicana and Aztekium hintonii to the left.

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Cipocereus bradei

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Eriosyce aurata

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Eriosyce occulta

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Anacampseros marlothii

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[gemhunter178]

...about 1 year and 8 months old

Very amazing "seedlings", if I can still call them that. How do you get them to grow so fast?

[Robb]

Your Ariocarpus... How!?

[HP22B]

What kind of lights do you have in your propagator? Awesome growth, color me jealous!

[Minime8484]

Fantastic growth on those seedlings - absolutely stunning plants; especially love the Eriosyce and the Cipocereus!

[CactusFanDan]

Thanks for the comments everyone! I think the growth could be due to a combination of my propagator (18 hours of light every day, warmth and a good light intensity), the baggy method and my soil mix. Ariocarpus grow quite quickly when young if you keep them warm, in not too bright light and and in moist soil mix.

What kind of lights do you have in your propagator? Awesome growth, color me jealous!

Shop lights. More specifically 4ft T8, cool white fluorescent tubes. 2 of those over a relatively small enclosed area, with white paper lining the inside to reflect and scatter light.