cacti potting and seeds

[casgoodie]

hello, finally got my peruvians and bridgesii. got three seedlings of each. and some loph seeds, the label says mixed loph seeds. once again i depend on help from you fellow topiates especially the cacti experts. i am getting books to help with the process. but for now, what is the best mix for the trichs and how should i repot them. and as for the loph seeds, ive seen some teks, but if there are any valuable tips i'd appreciate it as well. are the trich seedlings good for regular pot and room temp or do they need the humidity?? thanks again, peace


how i feel:

[Phungivore]

well cannot say this is the best mix but worked well for me so far

5 parts supersoil
3 parts perlite
3 parts sand or pumice, i like the pumice as it is lighter then sand but heavier then perlite

dunno bout Loph in this mix, but trichocereus should be right at home in this mix

[rocketman]

If you want to spend a little money get a parks bio dome to germinate seeds.
I have done many side by sides with dirt grown cactus and the dome grows them much larger/faster. I kept bridgesii in there for a year, and lophs can be kept even longer.

Wally world has 4ft dual tube flourenscents for under ten bucks, and I get the grow bulbs that fit it for another ten or so.

Dont use regular sand in your mixes. Horticultural sand is much better. You can sprinkle some fine sand on the surface of the soil to inhibit mold growth, but using sand in the mix can make the mix set up like cement.

In my loph pots i use a little bone meal mixed with the soil. I also put activated charcoal at the bottom of the pots. The biodomes are definitely worth the money if you can swing it though.

[casgoodie]

Originally Posted by Phungivore

well cannot say this is the best mix but worked well for me so far

5 parts supersoil
3 parts perlite
3 parts sand or pumice, i like the pumice as it is lighter then sand but heavier then perlite

dunno bout Loph in this mix, but trichocereus should be right at home in this mix

thanks phungivore, i have read around and figured i'll mix up something like that for the trich. seedlings. got some fluorescent plant/aquarium lights on em for now.

what is the seedlings water needs?

[casgoodie]

Originally Posted by rocketman

If you want to spend a little money get a parks bio dome to germinate seeds.
I have done many side by sides with dirt grown cactus and the dome grows them much larger/faster. I kept bridgesii in there for a year, and lophs can be kept even longer.
Wally world has 4ft dual tube flourenscents for under ten bucks, and I get the grow bulbs that fit it for another ten or so.
Dont use regular sand in your mixes. Horticultural sand is much better. You can sprinkle some fine sand on the surface of the soil to inhibit mold growth, but using sand in the mix can make the mix set up like cement.
In my loph pots i use a little bone meal mixed with the soil. I also put activated charcoal at the bottom of the pots. The biodomes are definitely worth the money if you can swing it though.

thanks for the tips. i am going to just pot the seedlings in a organic soil/perlite/pumice mix for now, but do i need to worry about water or extra care for the seedlings at all? theyre about an inch each. i think i will do some research before i sprout the loph seeds, dont want to mess it up...

[rocketman]

I find myself watering my seedlings every couple of weeks if they are under lights. You must ensure they dry out completely between waterings or you are asking for their demise. I feed a diluted amount of miracle grow or peters once a month. I have 20-20-20 and dilute it in fourths so i end up with a 5-5-5 mix. I guess I misunderstood about them being seedlings, but what I told you above holds true for lophs. RH is the key for cactus seedlings, both loph and trichocereus. The lophs can take the higher rh for much longer in my experience.


Also: The longer you hold on to those seeds the lower your germination rates will be.

[casgoodie]

thanks RM, so the seedlings should be in a chamber to keep up RH, or are they fine at room temp under light? they are about an inch each and prolly 4-5 months old. ill get to sowing the loph seeds asap, just need to be sure i'm doing the right thing.

[spacecake]

Nice to see people are getting more into cacti growing...!

[casgoodie]

Originally Posted by spacecake

Nice to see people are getting more into cacti growing...!

ive always been interested in wachuma (bridgesii), but it seems so difficult, so far it's been harder to understand the cultivation processs than fungi, got cubes and pans in two first tries but cacti seems so delicate and watering is extremely scary....

[casgoodie]

double post

[casgoodie]

it seems i have a lot of reading and work ahead. just got a tip cutting of pachanoi and a middle cutting of bridgesii. they look somewhat healed, just wanted an opinion on if they are good to be potted. would it be a good idea to do a mother log with the bridgesii, horizontally, or is it too small? can i cut some 2 inch long stars and plant them too for more propagation? i thank you in advance if you can help, dont want to kill my cacti even though they are tough. peace

ps the pix show both ends of the bridgesii

[rocketman]

Since your seedlings have been dry, (Out of an enclosed environment) you can do either. Since they are already acclimated I do not think I would bother with putting them in an enclosure. Just ambient air is fine. You can tent them with plastic but I dont see it as necessary.

The cuttings: You can do a log, but I doubt you would get more pups than if you stuck it in some store bought well draining cactus soil vertically. I see most of my pups coming from the cuts and the soil line. If you buy store bought cactus soil or make your own, be sure to add perlite if it doesnt include it. The good draining, bagged, store bought soil already has perlite mixed in. They are scabbed enough to plant.

When you plant them use a clay pot if possible. Bury them just deep enough to hold themselves up without falling.....use gloves or pick spines from your fingertips for a week or two. The smaller seedlings are worse with the spines sticking in your skin than the big ones.

[casgoodie]

i potted some of the seedlings in bought cactus mix, added some pumice. the mix doesnt seem like it drains well though, i will make my own with soil, sand, perlite and pumice, trying different ratios. the mix i got has some pumice and sand, composted animal manures, moss etc. is it a good idea to cut the bridgesii in two and pot them or just do the whole cutting? my concern is i would like to have pups (can they be repotted) or any kind of propagation to expand the family. thanks for all the help!!!

[cheech]

be careful of over lighting the lophos. i've found the seedlings to be very light sensitive and easily burned.