Cacti Growing Newbie

[Guest Øskorei]

About to embark upon my first cacti propagation from seed (trichocereus), and am questioning whether to go for a store-bought cactus seed-raising mix or create my own. I would prefer to use the ingredients I have here at present due to cash restrictions, but might need some feedback as to whether this will suffice

In the Øskorei shed:

• Potting Mix (rated Premium)
• Coco Coir
  
• Fine Sand (unaware of origin, bt it's the consistency of beach sand)
  
• Some unknown coarse, gritty stuff.
  
• Regular Seed-Raising Mix
  

Can I whip up a mix suitable for starting seeds using a nice recipe (that Im hoping will follow this post)? On a hunch I would go for 40% conventional seedmix, 40% sand & 20% coir which I suspect would provide good drainage but enough moisture retention. How far off am I, too much sand for starters ? Ive read a few recipes here, but unsure whether they're for established plants or also good for raising.

I am familiar with germinating seed, namely various solanaceous foodstuffs & ornamentals, and keep a few odds & end from the cacti & succulent range, but growing cacti from seed is new to me.

Whatever the mix I create (or buy), it will be watered down with boiled water, nuked in the microwave for around five minutes to sterilise, squeezed out, very lightly sprinkled into a few seed-tubes, in which I'll then place some seeds on top, sprinkle with a little straight sand (more of a dusting really), given a top spray and placed into my super-expensive humidity domes (that is, a couple of supermarket-style plastic cake transporters!) and be exposed to about 4 hours sun a day - and possibly brought in overnight to rest on my hot water heater, as the nights are getting cooler in Sydney.

Suggestions, advice and feedback would be most appreciated.

Cheers,

Ø

[Ace]

First of all, its nice to see that a fair bit of research has already been done and that you have the basics nailed. Your ingredients sound great and your ratios sound fine. 40% sand might be a tad overkill, especially for trichs. Perhaps swap 10 or so % with more quality potting mix (or seed raising mix - its all pretty much the same thing). I usually raise my cacti seedlings in about 60/40 potting mix and CCS with no troubles. Always use distilled water (pre-boiled and cooled) to moisten the mix before nuking for a good 5 mins, then pour into your pots (I would avoid tubes [deep pots] and stick to squat pots [the standard ones that Hamiltons cacti come in - about 5x5x5cm] to avoid an excess of moisture). Sprinkle your seeds on top and add a tiny layer of the same mix (or just some CSS) to keep the seeds still and water in with a little systemic fungicide (some people avoid systemics because they will make your babies poisonous, or at least for a few years, but I dont plan on consuming any of my precious cacti, so I'd rather see them healthy than eaten by fungus) and put into a ziplok bag (or keep in your cake tubs - a great idea there!). Label and date and put under a fluoro indoors (if possible) or in a warm but filtered light outdoors.

Within a week or two, most, if not all should have popped up. From here, keep then in the high humidity environment. At about the 1 month mark (for lophs), gradually wean them off the humidity by slowly opening the bags/containers and acclimitise them. Trichs can withstand the high humidity for much longer, and could happily stay in there for at least another month. Once out and acclimitised, find a suitable watering regime that will avoid them from drying out, without overwatering. Before you know it you'll have a nice crop of trichs to plant out into larger containers (usually after about 12 months) and dont forget to give them the occasional weak fertiliser

Voila!

[Guest Øskorei]

Ace, thanks for the response. I'm surprised you raise in everyday potting mix as an ingredient, I find that even the premuim stuff seems to be filled with all sorts of weird shit, and is generally too coarse for consistent regular germination, even with sand additive. You mention CSS, then CCS ? Wha? Something-something sand?

I simply don't have the present ability to go out and find some squat pots at the moment, but it's good to know for when I get my arse down to the local nursery. For now I'll be using a couple of six-shooters as seen over here, It's not toooo deep (oh look, and I get to show off the dome too ! )

And I hate to nit-pick (nah, I love to!), but boiled water isn't the same as distilled water AFAIK.

Cheers Ace, you da man.

Ø

[Ace]

Sorry, I generally sift my mixes to remove most of the larger chunks of rubbish - its more the finer particles that you want to work with (though, keep in mind that the finer the mix, the more it will become compressed - perhaps a little verm/perlite would aid this?). I usually use premium too, the cheap stuff will tend to dry far too rapidly IME.

Sorry mate, type - should read CSS, i.e. course sharp sand. Usually sold in nurseries or hardware shops, fairly reasonably priced.

I saw your setup after posting - those pots should be fine. I find that the cells can be a bit fiddly to work with (being divided, and not just a pan), but it shouldnt make any difference. Just work with what you got and keep in mind for next time

Good pick up - I think you're right about the boiled water. Sorry, I dont know if it has another name, but that's what I generally mean when referring to boiled water

Anyway, sounds like you have it all pretty much dialed - now get out there and get ya hands dirty! You'll find that cacti from seed is suprisingly easy, I guess the only downside is the wait. But a good couple pereskiopsis will fix that in no time

[Guest Øskorei]

the finer the mix, the more it will become compressed

Yea, same rule of thumb as with any germination then.....

I find that the cells can be a bit fiddly to work with (being divided, and not just a pan), but it shouldnt make any difference. Just work with what you got and keep in mind for next time

Yea ? I like working with them ('cells' you say?), cos you can slide a butter knife down each side and tap the soil block out for transplanting without any chance of disturbing the young root system. Bulk germinating seems to present a greater risk of damage.

Good pick up - I think you're right about the boiled water. Sorry, I dont know if it has another name, but that's what I generally mean when referring to boiled water

Distilling water is done by boiling the liquid, capturing the steam, and reprocessing the condensation into a clean vessel. Boiling water doesn't allow for removal of some undesirables (heavy metals for one). In most cases, distilling water is entirely unnesecarry when we're in the plant-world. Fuck tho, I've learned years ago that boiling your water beforehand avoids a lot of dramas with bacterial shit growing on the surface of the soil.

now get out there and get ya hands dirty!

Are you coming onto me ?

You'll find that cacti from seed is suprisingly easy, I guess the only downside is the wait. But a good couple pereskiopsis will fix that in no time

Did I mention that I'm growing trich's and not lophs ? The growth-cycle of trich is pretty satisfying I would say. Funny you mention peres tho, as I'm actually thinking in the long-term to use some of what I will be growing as grafting stock for buttons. And then I'll trade the rest for Xanax.

By the way, your recent peres grafting was a great contribution, hopefully one day I would like to see a database filled with the best teks, all in .pdf and of a uniform 'feel' - ie edited by the same persons for clarity. The Ethneo-Hobbyists cookbook, if you will....

Good on ya, Acey,

Ø

[watertrade]

and stick to squat pots [the standard ones that Hamiltons cacti come in - about 5x5x5cm] to avoid an excess of moisture). Sprinkle your seeds on top and add a tiny layer of the same mix (or just some CSS) to keep the seeds still and water in with a little systemic fungicide

Hi Ace,

Can you recommend a systemic fungicide? and do you use it as recommended on the package?

Cheers

[XipeTotec]

fungicide isnt really recommended as a preventative measure.

[Ace]

Hi WT, I use one called.. umm.. I think it's Mancozeb, though I cant quite remember off the top of my head. I found it at bunnings, a standard systemic fungicide that is used to prevent damping off (as stated on the box). It is a power-type one that you mix with water when planting the seeds. I usually dilute it quite a bit - about 1/10th the recommended mix on the pack. Only use enough to moisten the mix, dont drown it

Shroomy, what would you recommend instead? Damping off fungus (or mould, cant remember which) is a pretty big issue with cacti - though with some good lovin' a fungicide isnt needed, but is always a good preventative measure. You dont want to fork out a small fortune for some rare seeds and lose them all to damping off

[XipeTotec]

why contaminate your friends unnecessarily? I have seen threads in here,,, where people have said that they never used fungicide. I have never had to use fungicide on my seeds. Im actually not saying not to use it if necessary... but more,as a cure, not as a preventative.

[Ace]

I see where you are coming from, and you have a good point. I guess it probably should be avoided (unless you're as paranoid as me ) on your more common species (such as trichs), but for rarer (or more expensive seeds) such as arios or lophs etc, I'd use it just to prevent any mishaps. I mean, its not like anyone would actually eat an ario or loph anyway, and it doesn do any harm to the plants (afaik), so why not? I would definately avoid it on any edible cacti, like dragon fruit or trichs etc though.

[Guest Øskorei]

*BUMP* Why start a new one ?

So I was resigned to getting ZERO action with the 24 seeds I planted, due to the cold weather in Sydney. But fuck me if just last week i saw a few pin-headsI've sinced removed the humidity setups (they are varied, so I wont go into it), and the five that have sprouted are still going. Trouble is, I don't know WTF to do now. Dry soil/wet soil, sun/no sun, indoors/outdoors....... honestly, whilst this has maintained my interest and feedback would be wonderful, I like the learning curve aspect, and have repositioned trays into various outdoor environs.

I noticed that two of my five are devoid of chlorophyl.... I think there was a thread about this in the past 6 months, but I'm not convined that these babies will survive.

[watertrade]

I have some seedlings grown in take away containers. they are about 3 weeks old and under lights.

so what now?, I read I should start reducing the humidity by opening the container a little at a time. should I slowly open the containers until the lid can be left off and start growing them in the take away container.? until they can be transplanted into their own pots?

cheers

Jim

[nothinghead]

If you're talking trichs they'll benefit from a humid environment for at least a couple of months. After that you slowly acclimatise them by gradually decreasing the humidity as you described watertrade. While theyre in the humid environ you can keep the soil moist unless its causing fungus problems.

Edited August 23, 2007 by cough

[apothecary]

The quicker you harden them off the better. As long as you keep them relatively warm, you can harden them off within a month or so of germination.

The ones without chlorophyll will green up quickly.

They are best positioned under some low intensity (20W at 20cm height) compact fluorescents, or well filtered sunlight, but what I do is put them in medium sun under double fold shadecloth which you can slowly unfold to harden them off to the sun as they get older.

Systemtic fungicide has been known to retard germination of some species, the recommended fungicide to use is copper oxychloride (but I just use tapwater for the chlorine maybe with some very diluted h202).

Realistically, a fungicide should not be nescessary if you keep airflow rates up (which btw, also increases germination rates).

Keep them 'moist but not wet' as the saying goes, for a while, the longer you do it the more established their rootlets can become. Bottom watering is the key here. I like to use clay pots because they are porous and don't retain so much moisture.

I have never used anything but normal or maybe a bit of extra sandy potting mix to germinate in, as long as you bottom water the seeds aren't knocked around in fact the little chunkies help keep them upright once they germinate.

Slow growing species like Lophophora might be a bit tricky, but really, Trichocereus is a snap, I always use the tricks I learnt from planthelper (thanks ph! ) which is to provide good micro/macronutrients to the soil before you plant the seeds and treat Trichocereus like 'always springtime' weather!

[Ace]

Some good advice Apothecary. Though regarding humidity and acclimitisation whilst young - I have found (with lophs mainly) that if they are taken out of the high humidity (zip seal bags) at a younger age, even with the most care, they stall. I am in the process of keeping a couple under high humidity for a couple months (its been about 4 or 5 now and they are getting nice n big). I know it will be a little harder to acclimitise them once the time comes, but I feel they get so much more out of the humidity during the first 4-6 months.

I will keep experimenting (like we all should) and will eventually do a write up with my results. But from now on, I think I will leave my lophies in humidity for about 4-5 months and trichs about the same (maybe a month more or less) and acclimitise them over about a month fom there.

Best of luck Osk adn W.T