These 9 month old fuckers decided to all get fungal infections while left for vacation. I think my house got hot + no airflow. I’m sick of them so unless y’all convince me otherwise I’m going to crank up the light and see who survives.
Here’s what I wish I had done differently:
-Sterilize the soil. I was trying too hard to be “natural” lol
-Filter the dirt better to remove wood chips, especially the top layer of soil… I think this contributed to some wanting to tip over.
-Don’t drill drainage holes until you’re ready to keep the lid off.
– NEVER try “just using a window”: First it was etiolation, then I burned them a bit. Just buy the damn SF1000. It’s like $70
-Fertilize earlier, maybe like 2 months in idk
-Don’t bring home a new houseplant unless you want to battle fungus gnats
-Don’t put bridgesii and pachanoi together. Bridgesii is more sensitive to light early on.
RIP my (Arid Art Bridge x Wowie), Kriso OP, and James OP. I really hope at least one of each makes it to the yard.
by MTBintoCactus
13 Comments
Took me a couple tries to get it all dialed in
A cheap florescent light is plenty for germinating seeds as well.
There are tons of viable cacti in there still. Don’t give up
Shit I was trying to save space and ended up putting some bridgesii in the same takeaway as pachanoi.
– sterilizing soil is helpful but not necessary. It just makes it prettier. Normally the algae or mold that comes from soil isn’t going to kill your seedlings. Yours have rust spots likely from being watered from above.
– I just pick out wood chunks from the top or actual sticks. Otherwise they don’t care and that’s really just for my preference.
– drainage holes with or without the lid are IMO a necessity. This huge container is going to cause you more issues than drainage holes ever could. If you have drainage holes you can bottom water and avoid rust 99% of the time.
– agreed. A window will etiolate and/or melt your seedlings especially with the lid still on.
– I germinate with water that has fertilizer in it and they don’t mind.
– a mosquito dunk in water will kill fungal gnat larva in your soil an not harm the plants.
-I have not had that experience at all when mixing pach and bridge.
Your seedlings look fine despite some rust spots. You could very easily use tweezers and chopsticks to remove them from this container and put them into smaller pots where you could control watering more easily. They can handle being VERY crowded. I can provide pictures of some of mine with 100+ in a 3” square pot doing great. It’s just easier to water enough without getting them soggy when the container they are in isn’t oversized and spacious.
Save em bro! Got some winners in there!
I keep a sundew plant on the seedling tray. It is very effective at keeping fungus gnats in check.
I’m at 3 months now and I’ve been thinking about fertilizing since last month. I have bridge and pach in the same container and I’m running into the same problem
Drainage holes allow you to feed early via bottom watering. Worst case scenario they look a little dry and you start feeding even younger
The points you make here are all very valid and using this learned knowledge next time will help you a ton. That’s the most important thing. Most people have major issues their first go and after some adjustments next time can do much better. That being said, I don’t think you should give up on these just yet. Yes they look rough, the soil looks soggy and anerobic, but there are some seedlings in there that look strong and I’ve seen worse pull through. If I were you I’d pull the most healthy ones now and get them in some better soil mix.
NGL I stuck mine in a mass bin sectioned off per cross and then built a homemade light box and then proceeded to absolutely forget them but for a few waterings over a year and a half… decided they should move out and now I’ve got some of the most kickass little stands now.
https://preview.redd.it/tvcf0oe0x8pg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d97be80c39c12c5360d1fb7ae6b0786c9667fd52
Every single sowing I still feel like I get better. Don’t quit, it is rewarding and learning through trial and error isn’t really failing, just building up to something else. You learned a lot you listed on your list plus got some great advice here. Fine it another shot and you’ll be blown away for much better out all goes.
My first seedlings stayed smaller than a pea for over a year. I gave up on them, I put them under every stress and battled fungus gnats… They didn’t make it but I’ve grown a lot from seed since then. Just don’t start planting expensive fancy seeds until you feel confident, it’ll all work out.
Mosquito bits (nematode eggs) will deal with the gnats. I had them in some mushroom tubs and they nearly drove me insane lol.
You’ve gotten great advice here I will just add that NO ONE grows cactuses without making mistakes, it’s how you learn, and especially growing from seed! There’s a lot to it! Hang in there