Germination Mediums

[Greeny]

G'day everyone I have 10 loph seeds that i was planning to germinate just after new years so i done a search thru the forums and found that the most popular medium seems to be Rockwool but in this medium it seems that people are having good germ rated but the survival rates are not too bright. With the nature of rockwool i can see how pieces of rockwool left on roots after transplanting would hold too much water for too long too close to the roots encouraging root rot. Thus I am endevouring to find a better germ medium or mix to ensure that I can see my babies thru to maturity and grow old gracefully.

In addition if anybody knows any links to cacti grow guides please post them as I would be indebted to you for giving me another opinion to add to my database i am accumulating to get the most advise I can when i need it. I plan to one day write the information from this database together to make a loph grow guide that anybody can access anytime free of charge to save their cacti, To educate any newbs into appreciation of the plantand its history not just the affects of the chemicals it contains and to hopefully someday incite the healing of the damage we have already done to this plant in the wild. Humanity is such a destructive and self destructive force

[Dodie]

I've used rockwool before and it was a little bit of a shit to get them out and into soil...i will always stick with soil from the start now, but some other may disagree. This is only my second season at germing cacti and i've had reasonable success with Searles Cacti Potting mix with thrive seedling starter a little bit of vermiculite and some sand ontop so the roots can dig in easily...some say to use a fungicide and others say theres no difference...im just using a little here and there to play it safe..I place my cacti in a humidity dome which is essentiol and lift the lid twice a day for fresh air. Keep the surface moist but not wet when first starting them out. After about a week i usually let the surface dry out a little bit then mist. I use a 2ft twin fluro setup and cacti start around 30cm from the light. If seedling turn red move further away. Or i just place a layer of chux on top of my dome and slowly give them more and more light.

I start to fert my cacti after around 3 weeks after germ with a half dose of seasol about once a week.

Wait for others opionions as i havent the most experience here.

AND

Welcome to the forums!

Best of luck

[bok]

hello greeny, I found that bottom heat is the key but i dont no if you need it this time of year. I put some lophs, trichs and pachycereus down a few weeks ago, on bottom heat using plain searles propagation sand. I usually get about 10% to germinate. But I think when I brought my seeds I got some older less viable seeds in some varietys cause they never germinate and throw my germination rates out. I definatley think fungicide is a must, I use half strength once a week.

[Rev]

I use searles prop mix too

in takeaway containers , moisten it and nuke for 3 minutes

ui used to dip the seeds in mancozeb but now i am dipping them in VAM innoculant instead. (a probiotic instead of an antibiotic)

too early to be sure but the plants are quite healthy

honestly youll be doing well with most seed batched to bring more than 30% to advanced seedling stage

dont be distressed by this its normal and not a bad thing as you dont want the sickly ones to make it through , only those with natural vigour

if you do much better (>50%) its probably beginners luck

my long term average of healthy late stage seedlings from seed bought in Oz has been about 35 to 45%

[Gunter]

Here is some information from a guide that discusses propagation of cacti from seed:

Cacti seeds and seedlings need somewhat high humidity for germination and establishment. Germination can be achieved in many containers including plastic bags and reusable disposable plastic containers. These latter containers are readily available at most grocery stores and can be used to fashion a mini greenhouse that is perfect for the task. Small clay or plastic pots with an appropriate seed starting mix may be placed inside or the mix may be placed directly in the containers. If the mix is placed directly in the containers it is wise to ensure that they have drainage holes.

Germination may be promoted in a number of ways. The seeds can be soaked, or placed in a paper towel in a baby food jar with a bit of distilled water in the jar. If the seeds are soaked the soaking period is done when the seeds have imbibed and sunk to the bottom of the soaking container, change most of the water daily until this occurs. Planting directly in a potting mix gives good results and with proper conditions and fresh seeds 80%+ germination rates are not unusual.

The humidity required for germination also supports the growth of molds and bacteria that may attack the seedlings. Misting with a hand held sprayer is often used to maintain moisture levels, though care must be taken to avoid drenching the seedlings. Stagnant water in the bottom of the containers spells certain doom. Although fungicides are often recommended a slightly basic pH, regular air movement and adequate spacing between the seeds may be better alternatives, particularly because fungicides have been reported to inhibit germination. Many cacti grow in soils of limestone origin and will tolerate a pH high enough to inhibit the growth of most problematic molds and bacteria. Inert medias having a near neutral PH also work very well. Despite the humidity required regular air movement is crucial to suppressing the growth of molds. Daily aeration for gradually longer and longer times will help prevent mold and help harden off the seedlings.

Equal parts vermiculite, coarse sand, and perlite make for a good slightly basic medium though lime and diatomaceous earth (DE) may be added for more Si and Ca as well as mold and insect control. One recipe used with much success incorporates equal parts medium grade vermiculite and sand, to each gallon of which is added 1 cup sifted worm castings and 1/4 cup each of powdered DE and dolomite limestone. Add water until it mixes evenly. Other seed mixes are given later. One may microwave the mix to kill weed seeds in the sand, but the mix may be used successfully without any effort to sterilize it. Soil from your yard is also a good ingredient provided it is loose, arable and has little to no un-decomposed organic matter. A site with lots of worm activity may be a good source of such soil. Use such soil as 1/2 to 1/3 of the mix, or alternatively use the inert mix for germination and then transplant established seedlings 2cm tall to the mix containing the soil, although such transplanting may slow their development and set them back for a while. Take care to prevent weed seeds in the containers as that weeding can damage the delicate young roots of cactus seedlings.

Some people report that they have their best results with germination and establishment by using distilled water. Tap water, provided that it is not too soft does work fairly well. Soft water is unacceptable. The most adverse effect of using tap water is that the seedlings may not develop as quickly as with distilled. With such slow growing plants speed certainly is an important issue, just how much better the seedlings respond to distilled is an uncertain matter. Leaving tap water out uncovered in a bucket to allow the chlorine to dissipate is a method used by many a gardener to make the tap water nicer for plants and microbes to handle. However the chlorine in tap water may help prevent contamination problems. The choice is of course up to the grower.

With clean fingers or a gentle instrument place the individual imbibed or soaked seeds on the surface of the mix and gently press them down so they are flush with the surface. Once the seeds have germinated some clean washed semi coarse sand or grit may be placed around them for support. They tend to grow poorly initially if they are not sown deep enough or if no topdressing is added for support, however they should not be placed very deep at all. Surface sowing works well but is often followed off with some top dressing for support or the seedlings may not root properly.

Care

Initially the seedlings will require mostly patience. They should be fertilized sparingly; I recommend the use of Peter’s 20:20:20 macro with micro at a dilution of 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, a dilution that also works to fertilize larger cacti with each watering. Water with the dilute solution once every two weeks or so. The seedlings may benefit from spraying the fertilizer during the dark period when the stomata are open; it can have a foliar feeding effect. Growth stimulants such as cytokinins and betaines may also be sprayed during the dark period to promote faster growth. There has been some evidence to suggest that plants respond quite well to the use of dilute fertilizer solutions with each watering, particularly in the active growing season. Organic fertilizers are good alternative to the use of synthetic fertilizers, though studies suggest that low concentrations of synthetic fertilizers have little to no damaging ecological effects. High concentrations of synthetic fertilizers may not hinder plant growth but are often damaging to microbial life. Microbes in the soil can be of great benefit for cacti and can improve growth considerably.

Miscellaneous mixes

The following are various mixes from various sources. Some people report that peat fails as a long-term medium. Peat based soils are used successfully by many growers but it seems that it may be wise to avoid them when and if possible.

1:1 commercial potting soil and sand, one tablespoon each of ground bone meal and ground limestone to each gallon of mix

3:1:1 Coarse sand, loam and leaf mold

2:1:1 soil mix, small pumice and leaf mold

Loamy soil + 1/3 to 1/2 sand

1:1:1 sand, sphagnum peat and perlite

1:1 sand and sphagnum peat

5:3:2 coarse sand, screened sandy loam, grit (pumice/perlite)

For seeds,

3:1 perlite or vermiculite and sand

Coarse sharp sand

1:1:1:1 sieved loam, sieved peat, horticultural sand, and seed grade perlite.

1:1 sand and vermiculite, 1/4 cup each of DE and Limestone and 1/2 cup worm castings to each gallon of mix

1:1:1 perlite, vermiculite, coarse sand

Loam is a soil having sand, clay and organic matter; it tends to be well drained and very fertile. An artificial loam can be made from unfired red clay for pottery; the less expensive low fire types are very suitable. A suitable recipe is as follows; 3 parts sand, 1 part clay, 2 parts organic matter/compost. The mix works well for any recipe calling for loam. To each gallon of the above mix add 1/4-cup fine powdered limestone and 1-cup worm castings, this will help promote flocculation, which allows the clay particles to aggregate. This overcomes the problems associated with clay soils. Clay has a high cation exchange capacity and clay based soils can be among the most fertile. It is highly recommended.

[faslimy]

sowing 100 seeds and getting 40 mature plants is pretty damn good i think.

I havn't sown a batch of seed yet with perfect vigor. that percentage you describe is usually the amount of runts I have found, which of course end up being the ones that succumb to rot and disease