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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 2, 2007 13:29:47 GMT
SEED SOWING - if you have a propagator now is an ideal time. Day length is right and a combination of propagator and early spring sun gets the temperature about right - say a max of 85f in the daytime dropping to mid 60s at night (sorry, still think in old money). That temp is about right for most although there is 1 cactus where 115f is recommended!
I use 3" square pots which I divide into 4 by cutting up old labels. The pots must be clean and after washing I pour boiling water over them and dry them. Compost is 1 part John Innes no 1, 1 part sharp sand and 1 part vermiculite. Try to get them dry. Mix well then sieve some through a flour sieve and put the fine compost to one side and the big lumps to another. Put some kitchen roll in the bottom of the pot, a layer of big lumps onto that then the compost mixture. Firm down lightly. Then add a layer of the sieved compost and firm down lightly again. Put in the label dividers if using.
If the seeds are small empty carefully onto a tea spoon then tap lightly to spead them over the compost (put a label in first though). Then just press into the top surface with the back of the handle. If larger and flat sow edgeways on with tweezers to own depth. If large and round place on surface then press in with the back of the spoon to their own depth.
Put into bowl and water from below with boiling water again. Place onto newspaper on draining board for a few hours to drain thoroughly than mist spray with Cheshunt compound, 1 teaspoon to a pint of warm water.
Now put them into a plastic sandwich bag, secure the top and put into the propagator. If you don't have a propagator leave until May when natural grenhouse/ window ledge temperatures should be OK but don't put them into direct sun.
Depending on the varieties germination can take anything between 2 days and 2 years but 99% will come up in the first 21 days.
When they germinate I take succulents out of the bag about 14 days after the first seeds have come up and keep the pots moist using boiled (not boiling) water and keeping them in good light but not in too much direct sunshine. In the early days mist again with Cheshunt Compound as above.
Cacti can actually stay inside the bag for a year (again,out of direct sunlight) but I take mine out after a while and treat them as succulents above.
No urgency to transplant and I often leave them in the seed pots until they are a year old although if they are overcrowded then transplant by all means. In winter keep them in the propagator (without the lid on though) and water occasionally.
This works pretty well for me and I have learnt that non germination isn't necessarily down to methods - it's often quality of seed source.
Any questions will be welcome.
I will cover cuttings next week.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 2, 2007 19:37:50 GMT
You are a Star Mick. Thank you for your advice...I know that I'll be having a go tomorrow, I just have a standard packet of 'cactus mix' seed from Wilkinson's.
thanks again
CPBx
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 5, 2007 9:20:13 GMT
Let me know how you get on CPB.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 8, 2007 17:50:02 GMT
I've had a lovely time boiling pots, mixing up the compost and have nicked a sieve from the kitchen for GH use ;D. I followed your instructions to the letter Mick...oh sage one...and have sown 35 seeds...considering they're sposed to be a mix they all look suspiciously similar!....one or two were slightly different so we'll see...
the pot is sitting in it's little bag in the heated propagator along with the kangaroo paw (no sign) trachycarpus fortunei (no sign) and ventriclosum (not a sausage) pots ;D
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 9, 2007 8:36:21 GMT
I don't have the thyme to be sage CPB...
If the Kangaroo paw doesn't come up, let me know and I can send some cuttings of mine.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 9, 2007 16:23:16 GMT
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 18, 2007 19:03:08 GMT
We have lift off ;D I got 2 teeny weeny tiny itsy bitsy green specks in the cactus pot.....oOoooooOOOoOoOOoooOOOoOOoooOooooOOoo
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 20, 2007 13:59:48 GMT
Brilliant CPB! I am so pleased it worked!!!
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 20, 2007 14:07:46 GMT
CUTTINGS
CACTI - Most cacti can be propagated from cuttings and it is relatively easy but patience is definitely needed. You need a clean sharp knife (serrated if it is a large cutting), Teso premium lightweight cat litter or potting soil with lots of perlite as a rooting medium and early in the season (from now on) a propagator for bottom heat. From May on the propagator is not needed and best to keep them out of the full sun.
Cut the stem cleanly and, most important, the larger the cut surface, the longer you need to leave that cut to callous. 2 weeks minimum up to a month for a large cut surface. Once it has dried place on top of the rooting medium and just keep barely moist. Roots will appear but try hard not to keep looking at it. You will know wjhen it has rooted as new growth will appear. It can then be potted up and grown on as usual.
Succulents tomorrow if I can get 5 minutes.
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Post by oldmoleskins on Mar 20, 2007 14:47:28 GMT
Thanks, Mick - and in the absence of a heated propagator, will leave it for a bit then. Can I ask a supplementary or two? As you may remember, this is what I want to 'renovate':  1) where (under what conditions) do I store the globe from the top that will be my 'cutting' while it callouses? 2) what treatment if any should I lavish on the stump that's left to promote the new growth you expect? Cheers, OM. |
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 20, 2007 16:07:17 GMT
Once you have cut it leave it on its side to dry off. Keep it somewhere dry and warm and bright.
Simply leave the stump and it will sprout from various places and you can either leave or take them off and root them. Suggest repot if not done for some time.
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Post by oldmoleskins on Mar 20, 2007 16:17:11 GMT
Great stuff, Mick - I'll let you know how I get on.
OM.
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Post by Dutchy on Mar 20, 2007 19:19:24 GMT
Wow it must be pretty frightening to simply cut that off. Brave man OM. As for the seeds I will try to collect the ones on this cactus.  I assume I can now pull the seedpods off. There are several seeds in it. Do I just pull it( the seedpod) apart Mick? Or have I got to be more careful? And why no direct sunshine, my southfacing windowsil is the hottest spot I have, so just a bit of cardboard behind them? The north facing windows are too cool. |
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 23, 2007 8:56:00 GMT
Hi Dutchy. Yes, you can pull them apart - carefully. Do it over a sheet of white paper so you can see them. Suggest you use tweezers.
The reason for no direct sunshine is that they will become boil in the bag seeds! ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2007 9:35:48 GMT
hi Mick, back home in the UK I have a cactus - sorry, name unknown, but a tall round one - which is kept alive in my absense by a fortnightly visit from my mum who generally checks up on things.
This cactus is always falling over (I was told to keep it in a small pot). It is about a foot tall.
Can I slice it across into chunks and make more - or does the renovation only work in two parts as earlier in the thread? Could I cut it into say 4 or 5 pieces?
It was only small when I bought it...
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 27, 2007 19:17:06 GMT
got my magnifying glass out today and can't see any growth in the cactus pots now  ... nil desperandum I resealed the pot in a plastic bag and stood it back in the heated propagator...maybe wishful thinking befores..(the kangaroo paw continue to grow slowly...sure it aint grass seed?) |
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 29, 2007 15:57:25 GMT
Sorry I've been missing guys - so much work and so little spare time.
Summerswallow, why do you want to cut it? Why not give it a bigger pot and make it more handsome. However, if you must, take the top 3" off, dry it for about a month and then it should root. The remaing stump will throw out branches.
CPB you've done the right thing but when it's sunny beware overheating the plastic bag. Try to keep it at about 25c. Kangaroo paw is exactly like grass as you say.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 30, 2007 9:37:20 GMT
Thank you Mick.
AND when should I prick out the kangaroo paw? or should I just leave them until they gat much bugger (they now have 2 grass like leaves, and are about 3 cm tall)
thanks doctor-mick ;D
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 30, 2007 15:27:19 GMT
Gat much bugger? Well bigger me.
I would leave them a bit longer yet.
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 30, 2007 15:30:20 GMT
Right, I've had enough of work today.
Succulent cuttings - stems, leaves - they will all root eventually but remember to let the cut surface dry first. If anybody has anything specific, I will try to help.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 30, 2007 18:23:20 GMT
Thank you Mick. AND when should I prick out the kangaroo paw? or should I just leave them until they gat much bugger (they now have 2 grass like leaves, and are about 3 cm tall) thanks doctor-mick ;D oops....it isn't even a spoonerism is it?!...I mean gEt much bIgger obvimously ;D |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Mar 31, 2007 19:40:48 GMT
MICKMICKMICK!!
Putting the pot in the bag has paid off big time...Today I took the plastic bag off to look and there are FIVE teeny tiny little bright green THINGS ..oo oo oo I'm dead chuffed...when I looked at them with a magnifying glass they look like v small smooth green buds coming out of the split seed cases... I'm sure this time...I left the plastic bag off...misted compost as it looked a bit dry, then put the pot back in the heated propagator...should I do owt else yet?
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 1, 2007 20:32:54 GMT
Now got 9 baby cacti...2 of them even look like they have tiny little needles! Very odd looking. I spose that it's highly likely that the ones that have germinated are the same species...they all look v similar. Do they turn into tiny miniature cacti? or is there a larval stage ;D
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 2, 2007 7:41:52 GMT
I still have not pulled the seeds of my cacti.
I have no propagator that will do, so wait until May with sowing.
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 3, 2007 12:22:52 GMT
Well done CPB. A cactus mother at last. They will turn into proper cacti at some stage.
I have to say that this has been one of my best years for cactus germination. Seedlings everywhere at present.
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 11, 2007 12:24:27 GMT
I have decided to take all of them out of the plastic bags now as there is nowhere in the greenhouse which is permanently shaded and they would just boil in the bag (which has happened more than once). As I said above I have had exceptionally good germination this year so they are all sitting in trays and get cold boiled water quite frequently from below. They mustn't dry out at this stage or they will be lost.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 11, 2007 19:08:50 GMT
My little prickly babies are a bit crowded so tomorrow all being well I plan to make up some more of 'Mick's-Marvelous-Cacti-Mix' and transplant the seedlings into a small (VERY clean) tray...I shall use tweezers and a magnifying glass... ;D
BTW the Kangaroo Paw are at the 3 leaf stage but I reckon that they're still too small to transplant...getting bigger all the time...fab.
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 12, 2007 7:20:58 GMT
CPB, I would leave them for a while yet. They don't mind being crowded. Transplanting when they are so young is really tricky. I don't recommend it as they will not have much root yet and any damage means they are lost.,
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 12, 2007 18:42:42 GMT
TOO LATE  I still have the original pot in the heated propagator along with the new small seed tray. I was reallyreallyreally careful and basically transferred them in a block of the original mix to try and keep the root disturbance to a minimum... Well...they'll either live or they won't...  |
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 12, 2007 21:51:49 GMT
;D Your a Mad Cactus Woman CPB ;D
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... nil desperandum I resealed the pot in a plastic bag and stood it back in the heated propagator...maybe wishful thinking befores..(the kangaroo paw continue to grow slowly...sure it aint grass seed?)
