Propagating cacti from seeds in 2013/2014

Can't wait to see how it turns out, let's hope the characteristics are as good as I imagine

Hanazono,

thanks for the photo. It is very interesting.
Fero * ACM means, the fero is the mother plant.
So the seedlings are quiet long for a fero. That is the good
news. The bad news: If this is a Hybrid, you should have a
lot of variegated seedlings - I guess.

Torro

You are correct. The mother plant is Fero.
I understand if you used ACM as the mother plant, all seedlings would be just ACM.

I think I can graft soon.

Hanazono

I removed 6 pots set-up on 19th September from a heating pad and moved into a wet-box in this morning. The followings are two of them.
1. Astrophytum myriostigma cv Onzuka
  I sow Onzuka every year and select good ones when seedlings are 1 year old.

2. Thelocactus hetarochromus cv benitaka
   It is quite poor germination but enough quantity for me.

Excuse my ignorance, but may I ask what ACM stands for?  

ACM stands for "Astrophytum caput-medusae", I think.

Thank you Hanazono. It is logical now that I know.  

Yes ACM is Astrophytum Caput Medisae it was started in an attempt to stop people using the old digitostigma name which is now invalid, as the species has been proven to have Astro genetics.

HN

are you covering your seed trays with glass or is your hot propagator enclosed? my first planting this season was a failure. got a hot day and dried everything out.

Cactus seeds need 100% of humidity for the germination.
Yes it is sealed.

Pots are covered by a sheet of plastic wrapping.
The propagator is also enclosed.
This means seeds are double sealed.

Seedlings are kept in a wet-box for 1 year after germination.
The humidity in the wet-box is almost 100%.

Have a look my setting: http://forum.auscactiforum.net/t1693-germinating-techniques-esp-stubborn-seeds

I wrapped in plastic film, and when I open to inspect the soil was damp and there was condensation, but the shoots got over heated I suspect. they had flopped over and then just died off. I had fungarid in my watering spray and mix was fresh. but I don't have an outer enclosure. will try next time.

I normally repot asterias seedlings in the end of August every year but I started 2 pots as a trial.
The climate has been changing and I think I can repot anytime except mid of summer in here.
I select 1 year old and 3 years old seedlings.

1. 1 year old seedlings, sowed seeds on 23/08/2013
Seedlings are in a 10 cm square pot.

Drying after washed

Cut tap-roots
I normally cut tap-roots of 2 years old seedlings but I cut 1 year old ones as the trial.


2. 3 years old seedlings, sowed seeds 08/10/2011
I did not repot when they were 2 years old and so I did not cut their tap-roots also.
Their sizes were not large enough at that time and I kept as they were.

Drying after washed

Cut tap-roots


I will repot them next week after the completion of drying.

This thread is amazing! Thanks for all the invaluable information Hanazono.

Hanazono wrote:

... Seedlings are kept in a wet-box for 1 year after germination. The humidity in the wet-box is almost 100%.

Wouldn't this encourage rotting? I find I loose seedlings if high humidity is maintained too long after germination.  Your 'wetbox' photos suggest a very coarse soil mix (?)  Is the same mix used for germination?  Thanks.

G'morning Eck

No rotting will be happened for 1 year in the wet box.
I think the air volume of the wet box affects on rot/no rot and so you have to select appropriate size of the box. I spray fungicide over the potting mix before sowing seeds. The pot of 1 year old seedlings is the same one posted on 10/09/2013 on this thread.

The coarse soil mix is just for surface only, not for all potting mix.
The coarse one is 2~4 mm Zeolite, holding relative large asterias seeds during sowing.
After the germination, this coarse layer makes air gap between bottom of seedlings and fine main potting mix and minimizing the rotting problem. Rotting will start from the bottom of seedlings normally.

Hanazono

Very nice photos Hanazono!!!

I will defiantly go off your 100% humidity for about a year,

especially if i can get growth like what you can get!!

Seedlings of 1 and 3 years old have repotted completely.

1. 1 year old seedlings (Mirecle kabuto)
There were 41 seedlings. I normally repot 25 seedlings in a 10cm square pot but I repotted 20 seedlings in  a pot, 2 pots in total. Since they have no roots, I could located them precisely. The mutation of miracle kabuto will not appear on 1 years old seedlings and I repotted all of them.


Some Astrophytum cultivars show the special character on 1 year old seedlings.
I will select good ones while repotting of 1 year old seedlings.
The photo is 1 year old Onzuka seedlings.
You can select easily good ones/not good ones.


2. 3 years old seedlings
I repotted then in 5 cm square tubes.

Hanazono, what you say about having a large volume of air and keeping seedlings raised makes sense.

I'm restricted to one box for germination/propagation and use 60mm pots inside ziplock bags. In such a closed environment I guess everything becomes more critical...

It was a bit early but I sowed Ariocarpus seeds in this afternoon.
This is the 1st time which I sow cactus seeds in June.

A. retusus v furfuraceus cv Daruma Seiji: 2 pots
A. retusus v furfuraceus cv Suguri cualiflower: 4 pots

Although it has not completed the germination process yet, all 6 pots which I sowed seeds on 24/06/14 have shown a reasonable germination rate.
The photo is one of them, Ariocarpus retusus v furfuraceus cv Suguri cauliflower.

The rainfall in this winter is more than normal year.
It was rain in the morning but I sowed cactus seeds in 18 pots.
I sowed cactus seeds in this season for last 10 years. This year is also as same.

Pot: 10 cm square pot
Potting-mix: Organic potting-mix in market-1
                 2 mm scoria-1
                 2 mm Zeolite-1
                 2 mm clay base cat litter-1
                 coarse sand-1
Top-dressing: 2-4 mm zeolite
Fungicide: used
I have used 2 heating pads.
The temperature volume is 33 'C, targeted temperature at top-dressing is 30 'C.

Seeds are Ariocarpus and astrophytum and is hard to count, so many.

When you sowed cactus seeds now in here you will get an optimum condition for the seedling grafting. The seedling grafting will be 1st or 2nd week in September.