El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 5, 2015 Hey guys, As many of you know, i have been hassling and hustling for cacti seeds a fair bit lately. I have been growing cacti for years but never really got the bug. This year the cacti rabies has hit bad and i have been buying, begging and performing sexual favours for cacti seed all over the place. I have grown cacti from seed pretty successfully a few times before. But the environment i was using (under the bench in the greenhouse) wasnt so ideal. So with this in mind i decided to build a germination rack. First i hunted round for some lights, Im am a poor hillbilly so the criteria was cheap and able to germ cacti LOL. On ebay i found some used T5 digital ballast lights for $20. I bought three double four foot banks. I wanted the lights first so i could then plan the rack to suit them. Now im no expert on lighting so im not really sure if theyre upto the job. My backup plan around this is, i have a buddie thats pretty kick ass with led light installations for music events and things like that. If the lights aint upto the job there is enough panel space i can easily add leds to either fill spectrum or add lumens or both. Then i went to bunnings and had a look for some common size clear storage tubs that i would use for growing containers. I wanted something that was cheap and an easy size to get in the future. I found 35 litre containers were roughly the same width as the lights and two of them together were about the same length. Bunnings seem to always have them and theyre only $6 each. So they were my choice. My plan is to use themselves for bulk cacti seeds or to contain smaller takeaway containers in smaller grows. At work i had a heap of offcuts of 0.8mm aluminium sheet. so i folded up nd riveted together a cabinet with three tiers and the light fittings integrated into the shelves. I think aluminium will be good as it wont rust and should conduct the heat from the heat mats pretty good to make a nice even temperature. Ill put up some pics, but to be honest photography aint really my forte LOL If anyone wants a hand building anything like this either with a plan or anything hit me up, im pretty friendly. Dont believe everything you hear Lol 18 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 5, 2015 I plan to add to this thread as i go through the years with germinating seeds, transplanting and even a cacti only greenhouse build. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nut Posted September 5, 2015 Jez mate, sexy set up! Will be keen to watch all this unfold. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gem Posted September 5, 2015 If you weren't such a lovely hillbilly you'd make a killing selling these!!! Can't wait to see pics of the seedlings! Awesomeness. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted September 5, 2015 Nice work hillbilly. I recently did a similar build but went with LED lighting. You might even find the lights provide enough bottom heat, mine did all winter down this way. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 5, 2015 the germinator is pretty cool, but to be honest im more excited for the new greenhouse build. i have started scavanging bits and pieces and its going to be epic! The germinator has heat mats and thermostats on each tier that i havent installed yet. i think its warm enough to not need then at the moment> maybe in winter ill even make some perspex doors for each teir too 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 5, 2015 I was thinking the lights would prolly heat it enough, what kind of leds did you use? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strontium Dawg Posted September 5, 2015 Nice one. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slocombe Posted September 5, 2015 Very cool hillbilly! The custom cabinet looks awesome, you'll be able to germinate buttloads of cacti with that rig. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nrivers Posted September 5, 2015 Pro looking job mate! This should stop the frothing at the mouth (for a while) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) These Guys off eBay, I actually have a shelf of 5630 LEDs too with 1/2 being red and blue to try and get some comparisons. image.jpg I used the 5730 leds, in a nice little prefab rope with 3 leds per module, 40 modules or 120 LEDs per shelf. They are about 6 inches from the soil and seedlings are loving it, so are a few lophs. I originally wanted CFL but found LED much cheaper Edit : wrong info Edited September 5, 2015 by theuserformallyknownasd00d 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted September 5, 2015 These Guys off eBay, I actually have a shelf of 5730 LEDs too with 1/2 being red and blue to try and get some comparisons. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bullit Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) man, not another cacti watching freak. i say watching coz thats all u need to grow cacta ss lol billlieeeeeee oooooooooooo ps nice set up m8 u should go think about setting up a cactus indoor box thingy to sell to the watches?? pss im fucken off now Edited September 5, 2015 by bullit 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etherealdrifter Posted September 5, 2015 can i please add my photos here of my ingenious hideous hidyhole of a seedling house/tray wheelie thingo? you an da egg have inspired me to watch caktoose as well. My lady rings me up and said "Come Ere BoY! I have a thing for your next portable greenhouse. "Awesome!!", i flickt my butt and burned off to the nursing home where she works. i scored this, even came with the residents name trays so i don't have to label any containers. sweet pics brother billy, you can come and build me a cubby house anyday. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maxofoz Posted September 5, 2015 It almost looks like a reptile setup. Very nicely done, I'm sure you'll be germinating big time. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeadStar Posted September 5, 2015 Nice set up hillbilly. what cactus seeds will you be growing in this impressive contraption? Sorry to hear about the cactus rabies, it could of been worse ;-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 5, 2015 I got a heap of tricho seeds and a few different things too. ill post updates as i put them in. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted September 5, 2015 Hey Hillbilly, this is awesome. How did you attach the lamp on top of the shelve? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted September 5, 2015 yeah ya dew! i knew you rawked really what a cool thread cant wait to see it flourish for ya 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
incognito Posted September 5, 2015 nice work man. this guy can freakin make or do anything. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 5, 2015 Hey Hillbilly, this is awesome. How did you attach the lamp on top of the shelve? When i folded the shelf i folded a little internal lip for the lamp to sit on, then just a couple of little pop rivets to hold it there. its simple and looks pretty neat. the lights i used look very similar to this kind of thing, the little frame round the edge makes it pretty easy to attach 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 6, 2015 So today i sewed some seed and put them in the germinator. Here is how i did it. I considered a heap of different ways to sew seeds and have had pretty good results from the takeaway tek and the tek on the missplant website in the past. BUt i was convinced the new Incognito Tek is the future. Every other time i have grown cacti from seed, green or fungus has always been some kind of issue, so i thought id give the incog tek a go as it seems zeolite wont go green. This is the stuff used as the bulk of the substrate with just a pinch of native plant fert mixed in there real good. Its about $25 a bag from the pool section of bunnings. I poured as much as i needed into the tubs (about 2 inches deep) and then wetted it with a watering can. The moisture content i aimed for is "field capacity". This is basically wet but not so wet that water will pour off it. The easy way i did this was to pour water in the tub until it has a water level just above the substrate. Then i just poured the whole lot into a shade cloth and waited till the water stopped dripping out. I put the zeolite back in the tub, levelled it out a bit and it was ready for seeds. I cut up some old busted flats for the dividers between the seeds. I figured the best way was to lay out the seeds in the baggies as i was going to sew them, then just make dividers to suit. I made sure i labelled everything as a went so i couldn't bugger it up. After that it was really as easy as sprinkling seed and just misting them a bit to water them in. All of the water i used was rain water, i know some of the good guys say not to use tap water and only distilled or rain water. Here on hillbilly hill we only have a choice of rainwater or whisky so rainwater it was LOL 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeadStar Posted September 6, 2015 (edited) Coming along nicely hillbilly. If you wanted a bigger granule size substrate to mix in with the ziolite once the seedlings have grown a little. You could use diatomite. It is inorganic and it holds water the same as zeolite. Its only problem is it does not hold nutrients but thats where the zeolite comes in. It also looks good as top dressing You can get it as a factory/spill cleaner called kleensorb, comes in 35ltrs and is alot cheaper than garden store diatomite Edited September 6, 2015 by DeadStar 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 6, 2015 Thanks for the tip Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Presidente Hillbillios Posted September 7, 2015 so this is the list of what i sewed so far, Tub #1 Tricho. werdmannius Tricho. terschecki Tricho..macrogonus Tricho. vatteri Tricho. thelegonus Tricho. huascha (red flower) Tricho. lamprochlorus Tricho. grandis Tricho. chilensis Tricho. huascha x schick Tricho. fulvilanus Tricho. candicans (long spine) Tricho. terschecki mn 0531 (possibly spineless) Tricho. bridgesii OP dawsons Tub #2 Tricho. bridgesii Tricho. tig x con Tricho. icaro Tricho. lance x funkoid Tub #3 Astro. asterias superkabuto x varigate Astro. myriostigma varigate x kikko Astro. myrostigma x varigate Astro. asterias super kabuto v type Astro. myrostigma OP hybreds Astro. myrostigma mix of hybreds Ario. Mixed species Azetkium hintonii Tub #4 Tricho. bridge alko 2 Tricho. glauka Tricho. ss02 Tricho. bridge "la paz" Tricho. rosei #1 x psycho0 Tricho. fields macro x rosei #2 Tricho. ben x rosei #1 Tricho. rosei #2 OP Tricho. ben x huascha (red flower) Tricho. Psycho0 x john Tricho. peru red spine OP Tricho. werd Tricho. ben OP Tricho. rosei OP Tricho. macro fields OP Tricho. macro OP Tricho. werd OP Tricho. macro OP Tricho. watertrade pach Tricho. cuzco OP Tricho. psycho OP Tricho. Sausage OP Tricho. peru goliath OP Tricho. Macro OP Tricho. Werd ABG OP Some of these seem to be duplicated, but theyre actually from different sources. Some quantities were a thousand or so and some only a few. I guess we will see how we go. I still have a couple of tubs left to go as the germinator will hold six all up. Some of these im really excited to try and grow and some i prolly usually wouldnt bother with so much. BUt in the throes of a cacti rabies infection im going to try and grow as much as i can. The cacti greenhouse, if all goes to plan, will be pretty damn big so i wont have to worry about filling it up for at least a few years. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
