Seed Raising |
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| 1 |
Level down the compost mix into a small seed compost tray. |
| 2 |
Soak the compost with water and fungicide (Chinsol is good), then let it drain. |
| 3 |
Sprinkle seeds evenly over the compost and gently firm down. Cover this with a thin layer of coarse grit. |
| 4 |
Cover with cling film or preferably a sheet of glass, or enclose tray/pots into a clear zip lock bag. |
| 5 |
Put in a warm place at a temperature of 60-80 degrees in a light place, but not in direct sunlight as this can scorch the seedlings. |
| 6 |
The compost will not need watering at all in the zip lock bags. If the seed trays should start to dry out at all then use a fine spray and rain water to moisten the surface. |
| 7 |
Seeds should germinate within about 2 weeks. |
| 8 |
We leave the glass over the trays and keep them in their bags. In the case of Lophophora (peyote) for about 6 weeks, (plants like Pachanoii (San Pedro) we leave the glass on until the plants are touching it), slowly letting in more air by moving the glass a fraction at a time or by making holes in the bags. |
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Always keep an eye out for damping off fungus and insect attack (baby scarid fly are so tiny and if not looked for carefully can go unnoticed. If seen spray with fungicide immediately - Multi Rose is good and also contains an insecticide.) |
| 10 |
Keep the seeds in indirect sunlight for about 6 months then slowly let them have more light. The seeds should have a lush green colour if the light levels are right. If the epidermis turns a red colour it means they are getting too much light. If so, shade with an appropriate material - muslin or regular white sheeting is good. Be in no hurry to repot them, wait until they are really fighting for room. |
Winter Seed Raising Method
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Seed traysHeated propagatorFluorescent lightsTimer
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We like to start our seeds early in the year around December, so they get a good season of growing until the following winter when they will rest. It makes the winter months pass a lot quicker as there is still growing to do.
The compost and sowing are exactly the same as above, the difference is that the trays are placed in heated propagators and are lit with fluorescent lighting.
We have built up a propagation unit using a metal rack, hung "White Fire Fluorescents" or lighted nebulas at each level at about 12-15 inches from the plants. We get good results placing 4 full size seed trays under each light and wrapping the 3 sides of the rack in mirror Mylar film to reflect back light. We also made a drape out of Mylar that covers the front. This keeps the heat and the light in and prevents the area you are using from resembling a light house.
The sown seed trays are placed in here in the propagators and lights are then connected to a timer, with the lights on for about 18 hrs a day. Some say they need no off period, but we believe that the dark period with a drop in temperature is beneficial to germination. These will be grown this way until early spring (April), then moved out to a shady spot in the green house and slowly acclimatized to the regime in the green house.
© Divine Cactus 2006
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