Been doing my research and I have some grow lights and a heating pad as well as a pressure cooker if I need to sterilize the grow medium!
Any tips on starting these? If im successful im going to try and source some specific varieties to add to my collection and possibly trade/sell with other enthusiasts on my local market place…
Any tips on starting cacti from seed would be greatly appreciated!
by phriendlyhelpingwook
9 Comments
The most important tip I can give: Don’t bury the seeds, just sprinkle them on the soil without putting anything on top (maybe just some light sand).
They need to be in the initial closed container longer than you think. Be sure about the container you use. Mine have been in that container for almost a year. They are finally starting to get some shape. And it’s only the first few. I expect it to be another 6 to 10 months before they are moved. I never expected this process to take this long.
takeout tek all the way
Likely be a mix of ferocactus stainesii, echinocactus grusonii, opuntia and maybe some species of cereus/trichocereus/echinopsis. Generally not happy with cactus mixes.
I got a lot of cactus seed and have tried many things. Like somebody else said, those flat plastic takeout containers with lids are the best. Fill the bottom with organic dirt, and the top with inorganic, something like fine pumice mixed with sand. Try to moisten it all and microwave for a few minutes to kill off pathogens. Then just sprinkle the seeds on top and mist one more time. Only use distilled water, the salts and minerals from other kinds can damage the seeds. Put the lid on and don’t take it off for a couple months. Put a couple sheets of paper towel over and preferably heat mat under during the daytime. Light is what activates them, not so much soil contact. But keep the light soft for the first few weeks.
I have experienced significantly less damping off after I started inoculating my soil with good fungi/bacteria versus trying to maintain a sterile environment for 6 months to a year. Powders are available for not that much.
Use predatory mites if you get fungus knat larvae in the soil. The knat larvae eat the roots and eventually the seedlings. The predatory mites actively hunt them
https://preview.redd.it/lxmwz1iw81ug1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e684e327ffb21d19f3ea5d7f5e5489546a51e671
Cactus seeds need it nice and humid in the beginning, the first 6 months roughly, then once they have their roots developed they like it to dry out. We put ours in 16oz deli containers that have a couple drainage holes.
We take soil and sift it, then mix 50/50 with pumice. We top our mix with adakama, hydrate and sterilize (in a PC or a microwave). Sprinkle the seeds as you see fit, mist and cover. Place on a heating mat with the containers as close to a light (T5 LED) as possible and let germ. Once germed, let the mat work for about a week, then turn it off. Keep the seedlings like this till they are big enough to start climatizing to the open air environment.
One thing to note, given it’s so humid in the container sterilizing is very important and while the adakama isn’t necessary I highly suggest it, as it will keep algae from growing in the container.
Just start them in sand and nothing else.