An easy seed?

[Foo]

Hi all. Im keen to give seed propergation a try. Can anyone recomend a good species to start with? (havented had any luck with loph w.)

Thanks in advance

[shortly]

I'd say Trichocereus/Echinopsis bridgesii, they are relatively quick, easy & just a beautiful plant.

[ENtiTY]

Loph will is a pretty easy one to germinate if you have the right equipment. Heatmat and a fluro. Easiest cacti I have ever grown from seed is Astrophytum caput-medusae. No heatmat and no lights needed. Never had less than 80% germ rates. Of course the tricky part is to find fresh seed... Keep your eyes peeled on ebay if your interested. There not cheap but if you have been buying loph seeds then the price shouldn't shock you.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Harry

[kindness]

loph's aren't hard if you do it right. Google takeaway container method for raising lophophora williamsii seed.

[mutant]

there's no 'easy' cactus seed and reason is they go so slow ~ patience is not 'easy'.

This having been said, trichos sometimes start getting bigger as quickly as in 1,5 year or so...

[PhoenixSon]

as people have said its technique plus fresh seed....

search for the takeaway tek

ahhh im a bit slow already been said...

http://www.australianethnobotany.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2665

heres a link to the tek

Edited December 1, 2010 by spacemonk

[PhoenixSon]

Member watertrade has some cheap decent seed, search his name and youll find his website..

[Sola]

Still haven't tried the takeaway tek but many people swear by germ. rates so I'll have to do it next.

[Foo]

Thanks everyone for the tips.

loph's aren't hard if you do it right. Google takeaway container method for raising lophophora williamsii seed.

 

I think i will give that one a go.

there's no 'easy' cactus seed and reason is they go so slow ~ patience is not 'easy'.

This having been said, trichos sometimes start getting bigger as quickly as in 1,5 year or so...

 

Im not looking for a super fantastic miricle fast growing cactus, just one that is easy to germinate/establish.

[mutant]

just one that is easy to germinate/establish.

almost all seed is easy to germ - but the slower growers they are the more difficult it becomes to get them establish, in part due to the amount of patience they need.

so you are actually asking for the super fast growing, and trichocerei, f.e. trichoecerus bridgesii is good for this

astrophytum myriostigma are also relatively fast for spherical cacti and quite hardy too.

Many cacti seedling are extremely hardy, so it all boils down to TEK, passion, organisation and PATIENCE

[tripsis]

Really, I think of all the more common Trichocereus species, T. bridgesii is more prone to dying than the others. They do grow fast, but I found them more likely to die off not that long after germination. Still, I've not seen my seedlings since getting back, so they may or may not be doing better than the other species I sowed.

Lophs are easy and grow pretty pretty when young.

[Foo]

Cool, thanks.

Ive sowed about 25 M geometrizan using the takeaway method. I might start a second container with some trich's soon

[shortly]

I've never had any trouble with T. bridgesii seedlings carking it, but i don't use the takeaway tech anymore either. I find the baggy method or the plastic bottle method work better for me but i have the advantage that i can usually keep an eye on my seedlings every day.

[Foo]

FYI about 15 of the 25 M geometrizan i soewed have come up using the takeaway teck. This method is truely briliant for a beginer (thus far)

Edit: EXCITED!

Edited December 11, 2010 by eatfoo

[mutant]

what's the take away tek? do you mean what I refer to as a closed box?

I have done this in a transparent box. It's both safer and you can watch them. You can even open once in a while to let too much water evap.

in any case, shortly, why do you prefer the baggie tek [same but with baggie, I assume] ??

[tripsis]

Yeah, the take-away tek is just germinating them in a transparentplastic container. I prefer sturdier and larger containers personally.