Cacti from seed failure... again

[nano]

Hi ,

I am trying to get my head around growing cacti from seed. I read several techniques on the internet, and some people told me different things.. The result is that I'm really confused !

I am looking for the simplest, foolproof tek possible.

I tried the take away container tek, however there is now white mould growing all over the cactus mix.. not good. I nuked it in the microwave maybe not long enough .

Several unresolved questions:

Do you have to work in super sterile conditions to avoid airborne mould spores ? Can I just use sand instead of potting mix to discourage the mold, but sand has very poor nutritional value? . Do you need air flow , like a small vent with some micropore tape on it. What sort of light is needed and when do you turn it on?

Thanks a lot.. hopefully my 4 th attempt will finally pay off !

[Evil Genius]

Hi Nano, i assume you have too much humidity when climate is too cold for takeaway method. Whats your climate? Takeaway method only works reliably in summer. In Winter, the risk of losing seedlings because of fungal infections extremely high. Some containers survive without developing fungal infections but out of 10 you might lose like 5 or so. Here´s a schedule for the colder climates like europe: Sowing out in early spring or even late winter in front of a heater with temps of 25-30 degree celsius inside the containers, put em under a lamp and let them sit inside closed containers till its warm enough to take em in the greenhouse in april or may and then water everytime the soil has dried up but only when temps are high enough. Only water a little bit to make sure the soil dries up each and every time before you put in new water. Keep em in the greenhouse/sun protected and snailfree place till october, let the soil dry up and take em to the cellar or a cold dark place and dont water till next April or so. Thats it. If your in Australia, some things are reversed because of the switched seasons. Most people fail because they overwater at a time when they just cant process the water due to low temperatures. Dont forget, they are cacti, not swamp-plants. They like some air humidity when young but cant stand having wet feet when temps are low. bye Eg

Edited January 10, 2012 by Evil Genius

[Foo]

If you have mold issue, well ... at the first sign of mold use a fungicide. For the nooby like me a "rose gun" (rose fungicide in a spray) works realy well. Some dont like the fungicide for whatever reason, but if your having issues use it then learn how not to use it.

The "juice monkey tech" or simular is great starting point. But it you want to take it back to basics.

These are the steps ive taken when i was totaly fresh

Do it anytime other then winter or leading up too.

Make sure they have some light (not much/any full sun)

moist soil in the takeaway, not "wet. (if you till the container before planting and water comes out, youve used way too much)

Use a fungicide before planting (minimal amount)

No Ferts!!! untill they start growing spine like things, even then VERY minimal ferts. But increase sun if poss.

Anyway thats MY TAKE and not exactly like i do it now, but i thought it would help to hear from someone that had some issues not that long ago. Feel free to PM me if you desire

[migraineur]

I use coarse sand (river sand) for my cacti seeds. I wash it and let it dry and then I heat it in the oven to help prevent and fungal infections etc. I bought some seedling trays that have a case of the top that has two vents which I can open and close.

[woof woof woof]

self made course sharp sand in transparent trays. no nuking no nothing,..... till now of the 18 trays only on developed a small patch of fungus, starting from the seed coat.

I avoid all organic matter in the seedling stage.

the transparent boxes are prettymuch airtight and put the sand in them right after making it so it's still wet from the water.

no spraying extra water. and just put the boxes in a tray and put some shade cloth over the tray. my daytime temp is @ 32C. and only give the seeds 4 hrs of indirect sunlight

it's been almost 3 weeks and most seeds have germinated.

no algea and just a little fungus that I just mentioned

Edited January 10, 2012 by woof woof woof

[cactuscarl]

I use the take away tek no air vents never worry about sterilizating my soil if mold develops i just take the lid off and let the soil dry a bit. I've never lost more than a couple of seedlings to mold. I think ppl worry to much about mold I've had containers riddled with it and lost more seedlings while trying to kill it than from mold

[Stillman]

I have just used the takeaway container tech under a light (60 watt cfl at about 30cm on 18 hr timer) to germinate some seeds I small air hole, but probably didn't need it as I open the container and have a look every day. I didn't microwave the soil but have had No mould to date lots of germination probably about 80%, but they were my own fresh seeds that I took from overripe fruit washed dried for two days then planted. In a controlled environment there are obviously less variables but fresh seeds seem to work the best for me, I have used the same tech with exactly the same elements and had piss poor germination from seeds that I have bought. I assume the seeds were older or heat effected??

I just reread your post sorry if I misunderstand but, from my understanding cacti need light to germinate they will not germinate in dark, do not cover the seeds with soil. I surface plant my seeds and from the first moment they are in the container they are under 18 hour light cycle.

[PD.]

I nuked it in the microwave maybe not long enough .

 

no nuking no nothing,..

Dont even look at a microwave when putting down cactus seed.

[Sallubrious]

Hi ,

Do you have to work in super sterile conditions to avoid airborne mould spores ? Can I just use sand instead of potting mix to discourage the mold, but sand has very poor nutritional value? . Do you need air flow , like a small vent with some micropore tape on it. What sort of light is needed and when do you turn it on?

 

I've found many potting mixes have been heat pasteurised or chemically treated to achieve the same thing. IMO this can sometimes do more harm than good as the mix sweats when they bag it up and pathogenic organisms can grow in the bag before you get it. The mixes are not really even composted properly in many cases, they just heat up a pile of mostly pine bark and turn it a few times until it turns black and then pasteurise and bag it up. Even properly finished compost isn't suited to a high humidity anaerobic environment. Properly finished compost has a balance of microbes that are good for plants but it needs an aerobic environment to stay healthy.

I'd try a mix with no organic matter to provide food for the microbes you're seeing. Straight river sand or a mix of river sand, rock dust or maybe even loam.

If you are still having problems it could be that your house has a high spore load so maybe do the sowing outside on a still day before you seal it up and bring it inside.

Another vector for contamination could be the seeds themselves, some people soak their seeds in a mild bleach solution (1 part bleach to 20 parts water) for about ten minutes prior to planting to kill any surface mould they may have on them. Then give them a rinse and plant as normal.

[nano]

Thanks to all. Ok I can now see my mistakes: my container was too humid and I planted the seeds too deep.

Going to try again with just lightly compacted coarse sand and the seeds sprinkled on top (is that good?).

Amazes me though how a plant can survive only on sand..

I think having filtered air inlets would be a good thing to combat mold, as mold prefers stagnant air.

will keep you posted!

[Stillman]

thats it. generally speaking a good rule is the smaller the seed the more light it will require to germinate. Its not always the rule but more often then not. Initially all you need is germination to take place the first month or so the plantlet really only needs moisture, the seed is energy. Hence sand is quite a good medium, in saying that I am sure just about any medium would work, I have seen them germinated on rockwool.

[Swiper]

_{Here's what I do, and so far the only seedlings I have lost have been lophs. All my trichs are going well still. (about 3 months so far)}

_{Polystyrene coffee cup, fill 2/3 with propagating sand from bunnings. Add tap water till the water is about 5mm above the sand. The residual chlorine in the tap water kills any mould. Throw the seeds on top, I use up to 50 seeds per cup.}

_{Place the cup on a windowsill not facing the sun ( facing south in Oz ), leave until the water evaporates leaving the surface glistening, then cover the cup with some cling wrap and a rubber band to keep it in place. Air them out once a day and spray with rainwater if they start to become dry. After they sprout I wait until they have spines before removing the cling wrap. Water once a day with a spray bottle of rainwater and diluted seaweed fertiliser (about 1/20th of normal strength)}

Edited March 15, 2012 by Swiper

[Evil Genius]

Thanks to all. Ok I can now see my mistakes: my container was too humid and I planted the seeds too deep.

Going to try again with just lightly compacted coarse sand and the seeds sprinkled on top (is that good?).

Yes thats alright. You know, if you covered your seed with soil and tried to germinate like regular plants, im not surprised they didnt germinate. Dont ever cover small cactus seeds. There are very few exceptions to this rule but you definately wont need to know till you have a working method for the fine regular seeds down cold. Sharp coarse sand and other mineralistic soil mixes are great for cacti. You just have to know when to water and when not.

[bit]

Good advice above. I germinate my seeds with regular store-bought cactus mix. I use a flour sifter to get a 2-3mm layer of really fine mix on the top, and put the seeds on top of the fine layer. Works like a charm for me.

[nano]

Hey guys, well despite all my mistakes, just when I was about to throw away the seedling tray I noticed 4 small cacti growing among the mould.. yeah !

I'd better move them somewhere more healthy quick!

[Evil Genius]

Be careful not to hurt the root. Seedlings that young shouldnt be moved in the first month and if only handled with the greatest precaution possible. Their root system is extremely fragile and any damage would lead to a slow but almost certain death.

[glimpse]

These guys were my first attempt at growing cactus from seed (cant remember what they were )and I used a lot of fragments of advice from this thread so I thought I should probably come here for some more advice (I hope you dont mind Nano)

i used bunnings cactus mix sifted a layer of fine mix on top, dropped the seed on top of that, sprinkled with a fine mist of cinnamon, layed the lid on gently and stuck them on top of a cupboard in the kitchen near but not directly under a skylight and then I completely forgot about them for about two months and when i looked at them again there was a tiny bit of mould in some spots but 11/15 had sprouted so I sprinkled another fine layer of cinnamon in the tub put the lid back on and put them back in the same spot and forgot about them again oops! for another 2-3 months

I found them about 2 weeks ago and I have taken the lid off and put them in a window where they get some morning light and I give them the occasional little bit of water but not much is happening (edit:or has happened in the past 2-3 months since I forgot about them)

any advice, are they in serious trouble? can they be saved?

Edited April 27, 2013 by eatingsand

[Evil Genius]

That soil looks wrong. Is that sowing soil? Because thats actually the only soil i would recommend germinating seedlings. It looks like youve got a shitload of humous in there. Standard Soil can rarely be used.

Besides, i would cover that with very fine quartz stones to keep away the mold. Apart from the soil, they dont look so bad. Not happy but with the right care, they´ll live.