Usually the heading for this topic is, ” How to germinate Cactus seeds?” . But as you grow with the hobby you realise that Germinating was the easy part and Growing the germinated seedlings is the tough part.
So, how to grow? Well, they grow on their own! 🙂 ! We just optimize conditions to get favorable results. It is hard to believe that they grow on their own in such harsh and extreme conditions. The difference is that in nature they germinate in ones and twos and struggle for survival and here all or most seeds germinate uniformly, all at the same time and with a much higher percentage.
So lets get to Brass Tacks …..
Container : Any pan, dabba, Plastic box, Pot with drainage holes will do . You need to cover it with a translucent lid or contain the pot in a plastic bag.
Media : Slightly acidic. About 6 to 6.5. (Adding charcoal fine chips helps). Porous and well drained. Porous means that water should flow through but particle size should not be so big that seeds are lost in the intergranular spaces. Particles ideally should themselves have intragranular porosity so that the material itself can hold some moisture in its pores. In other words silica sand which is inert and non reactive and does not break down but it itself cannot hold water, so is not an ideal choice. Lastly, the media should have an ideal density and body to hold the seedlings when they sprout. If you use pure Vermiculite or Perlite, the seedlings will often tumble or lean on each other because Perlite and Vermiculite are light weight and low density material. Fallen seedlings quickly succumb to rot. Seedlings should stand upright like soldiers on a parade. Do not try to add too much of organic fertilisers like manure / khaad / or leaf mold etc. Remember that anything which can decay will ideally decay in heat and humidity.
To Sterlise media or not ? It is a personal preference. If you sterilize media ,use sterilized water and sow seeds in it (after cooling down the media of course), the container can be left sealed for many days without opening it. Which means that there is no need to water the sealed container and also no fungus / bacterial rot will take place for a long time. There are people who have successfully kept the seedings sealed for 3 to 6 months. But u do have to check everyday for signs of fungi. Sterilization of media can be done in microwave or just a pan full of media on a hot plate and heating it to about 120 Deg C for 20 minutes.
Humidity : Higher the better. To increase humidity either seal the seedlings in a container or cover and seal the pot within a polybag. To increase humidity do not increase amount of water. Water should be just enough to keep the soil moist. Excess water around the container will cause rot.
Temperature : Good germination takes place when night temperature is 15 Deg Centigrade and max Day Temp is upto 35 Deg Celsius. Ideal range is between 15 Deg C to 25 Deg C. Those who use heated tanks as seed germinators – make sure that there is a temp flux of at least 10 degs between day and night temp.
Light : When we talk about light with reference to plants, one must consider both parameters of light. Strength and Duration. Light should be toned down to 50% of it strength by screening through a shade net and duration should be equal to daylength of mid summer say 12 to 14 hours .
Fungus : Anything which lives, has lots of food stored in it, will always be prone to fungal attacks. Same conditions which help the seed germinate, ie, heat and humidity, also help the fungus thrive. Mild antifungal sprays from time to time may give psychological comfort to us, but the exact fungicide which is relevant for the ‘damping off ‘ of the seedlings is hard to identify and procure. So, the best thing we can do is to harden the seedlings a bit by reducing the humidity by partially opening the lid and reducing the amount of water and humidity and increasing the light. Remember, it is post germination when the problems start. Seedlings will just melt away, putting a wet blanket on your hopes. So, watch your seedlings everyday and control, light and humidity to maintain a balance between germination/growth and fungus control. The nice variegated seedlings are the first to die.
When to repot ? : When the seedlings begin to press against each other and you can see that they are actually fighting for space. That is the right time to repot.
And lastly, as with most things in life, guidelines are always there for everything, but you have to live and experience things yourself and thereafter, evolve. Happy growing 🙂
Keeping the germinated seeds steady is actually the tougher part, I have had this experience of the seedlings melting.
After reading these guidelines I hope to do better in the future.
Thanks for sharing!
it is my first attempt at growing succulents from seeds. I am taking taking and putting all the seeds of this years bloom of the plant in the same soil, in the same pot as the parent. My logic is nature will make both parent and seeds to grow under same conditions, you don’t need to do these extravagant procedures for germination. nature does not have these. Will share results of success and or failure.