how u/they like it ?

[Guest electro]

Am setting up a trich garden at the moment and am wondering a few things ...

1) in germinating seeds (for both trich & l.williamsi) what temp do they like (soil) and is a mister system a good idea ?

2) Do adults need much rootspace (ie id like to get 5 into each of my pots 30 cm * 30cm

3) are they easy to take cuttings from ? ie just cut em off, dry for a week, then sit 1cm into the soil (50 %css 50% potting mix)

4) is there anything else important ive forgotten (apart from only water once a week?)

thanks guys

[waterdragon]

won't touch number one as i've never grown from seed.

2- the more rootspace available the quicker the growth rate. you can easily put five into a pot, growth won't be optimal however.

3- cuttings/pups are very easy, i just check the newly planted ones occasionally for signs of rot or root, if rot then remove from soil mix and allow to dry and harden off a bit, if root then put back in yer mix and leave it there.

4- in hot weather, with well drained soil you can water a lot more often than once per week....and they'll take a lot of neglect as well.

[Guest electro]

[thanks

[woof woof woof]

Course sharp sand 2/3rds(5cm)in low tray, with drainage holes, for exess moisture, moisten CSsand completely, sprinkle seeds on top, then add a fine layer of CCSand on top of the seeds barley need to cover them, just to hold them in place.

Then either put the tray(s) in a ziplock baggie or cover with plastic wrap. Keep the humidity high for at least a month or when you see that most seeds have germinated. Then slowly accilimatize... by lowering the humidity gradually... either puncture small holes or open up the ziplock bag more and more overtime. Take roughly a week to do this.

Sunlight needs to be between 30% & 50%max, never any direct sunlight. Even 60% shade cloth did not seem enough. With me they seem to do the best in complete shade. http://www.pbase.com/image/7515126

A pic of my germination / seedling nursery behind the trichs, then still receiving sunlight in that time of year, now it stands in complete shade and the seedlings seem to do better. There is a double layer of blue translucent roofing material, which was not enough, for the seelings. They got burned anyway.

Bear in mind that it's full tropical sun where i live. If you live in a more temperate climate,then you need less shading.

remember that for trich's grow at high altitudes, the climate ranges from very mild to cool al year round. Peyotes usually germinate in the cooler time, (begining of the winter) of the year, and grow either below bushes and trees, between rocks, partially covered by dirt,

My best calculated guess is that the greater number of Peyote grows partially shaded...

BTW, avoid nutrients in the soil as much as you can, this also means that you should NOT fertilize at any stage of the germination process!!!!! After 4 months you can start think of doing that! Nutrients attrackt fungi & molds, and will cause root rot! Root rot = dead cactus seedlings!

fungi = not FUNgi

If you see molds or fungi (the green stuff) forming on your seedling bed at any stage of the germination process, let it dry a little.... minimize the humidity immediatly.

You will then have to water daily with a mist sprayer or bottom watering, by dipping your seedling tray in some water. Make sure that you let it dry at 85%. (go with your gut)

Well hope this is usefull info, especially also for that fellow nick named Mesq!

[Guest electro]

Thankyou all for that info.. there are a few happy cacti over this way who are greatly appreciative.

As an update on how it is all going:

The 3 year old l.w has an extra growth peeping up (5 in total)

The spineless san pedro who had his top chopped off to give as a cutting to a mate has since grown new "heads" around the cactus (3 on top on the corners, one on the bottom on another corner) with 2 lumps developing on the remaining 2 corners.

The remaining 5 T.brid cuttings have been planted, have a skin on the cut, but as yet have not sprouted any roots ... (they do still look happy though).

[nabraxas]

thanks brian- just the info i needed, very clearly put.

[squiresk]

Is it gonna turn out like this?

http://www.pbase.com/image/9009665

k.

[waterdragon]

wow!

[mr b.caapi]

wicked...heaven would look like that!

[Guest electro]

Update

All bar 1 of the t.brid's have sprouted roots with the remaining cutting still looking very healthy.. they were watered 1 to 2 times a week (thoroughly soaking).

The cuttings were simply planted 1-2 inches deep into a mix of 1:1:2

Coarse Sharp Sand : Vermiculite : High Grade Potting mix.

Dead easy for anyone else to give a go ... heck even i managed to get em to go.

[Slarty Fart Blaster]

Hi electro,

I have , in the past week, taken 3 tric cuttings and have had a read at this post and was wanting to know if you had used the method posted of pulling up the cuttings to check for rot or roots. I would have thought this to be a little brutal for this delicate stage of their life. How long did they take to root ?. I have mine in 40% sand, 60% ericaceous soil, under dappled shade from 400w hps+400w hpi.

[Slarty Fart Blaster]

Oh yeah... i forgot to ask if anyone had any views on the statement in "Growing the hallucinogens" that Trics are "also very senitive to natural gas and should never be grown in a kitchen with a gas stove" mine dont seem to mind this whatsoever.

Any input appreciated.

[SirLSD]

you have a 400w hps and cacti growing in your kitchen? ? lol

btw anyone else growing cacti under lights? anyone else growing cacti hydroponically? what set up do you use?

[Guest electro]

mine were left out in a dark room for a week, then in semi shade outside for a week then planted 2 inches deep into my mix (the ratios were in the other post, but i think it was mainly vermiculite, then css then sand/potting mix mixture)... they are LOVING IT

it took a month to see lumps on the bottom of the cactii, from then within another month all had sprouted roots from the lumps... one however never formed lumps .. it was one that had no "top" on it .. ie it was a segment of stem rather than the top lopped off a cactus... i destroyed it not long after.

Also yes i did pick them out of the ground to check them, but once roots formed (even small ones "1cm) they stayed put.

It's at aout 3 months maybe four now, and there is around 1 inch of new growth on all cactii.

They ar in full sun and get watered once a week, or in the afternoon after a 38 C + day aswell as their weekly water.

I have fertilised them once now with miracle grow (which i believe is what prompted the growth spurt.

Good luck with your babies

happy growing.

ps mine are growing next to a natural gas water heater and dont seem to mind (though i doubt any is getting to hem unburnt)

[Slarty Fart Blaster]

Thnx electro,

I took three cuttings, two mid sections and a tip. The mid sections i have nicked at the spines and lain them flat half under the soil, the tip is upright about 1-2 inches deep. oh, they already had roots forming on them before i took the cuttings.

SirLSD...i never realy thought about the novelty of my setup until i read it back to myself after your comment. My kitchen is also roughly 100ft in the air in a tower block so i have no garden apart from my spare bedroom but that is full to the gunnels with other projects. The kitchen is for breeding programs that i need to keep away from the bedroom and the cacti get the light that spills out from that.

Please dont ask what my projects are, as the saying goes "ask me no question i tell you no lies" its of a sensitive nature.

[Slarty Fart Blaster]

Found it thought i had lost this post, see the pics i posted in "ID required cactus??? " to see the progress of the cuttings.

[Terry Trichocerous]

SirLSD, I was growing a san pedro hydroponically (with 400 watt HPS) using the DWC technique. Initially things looked good (with very good growth rates), but about 2 weeks in i noticed the roots begin to rot. I think they responded very well to the HPS, but poorly to the hydro, but thats just a guess, I'll know more soon.

I would recommend using some sort of ebb and flow system if going the hydro route, but setup with very large intervals between floods. Root rot is a massive problem with them. I'd like to try one 10 minute flood a week or something ridiculous like that - just to see what happens. Incidently, the san pedro i did have in DWC has been left sitting on my table in the grow room with nothing covering his roots but air and he still looks ok. They are one tough plant!

I am going to pick up a few more large trichs in the next couple of weeks, but I am just going to plant them in pots in the hydro grow room. I think it will be easier that way (with the added bonus of being able to starve them of water to make them stronger).