OK. The insides of seeds are not sterile and there are studies proposing that seeds carry microbes from their environment that can facilitate growth on the substrates from which they grew/evolved. So, complete sterility is impossible but you know that I'm sure.. Great photography on your website! S...

Mal H wrote: ↑Fri Jun 05, 2020 11:56 am To focus on your method, when you spray your seeds with distilled water - is that sterile?

Mal H, yes it is sterile.

What do you put in your compost mix to provide nutrition for the seedlings? What light source and what intensity? I wonder if your conditions are favouring the algae and the moulds rather than the seedlings. I use similar methods to you, but without the precautions, except for using rainwater, wate...

Wow, that's some process! Not sure what I'd suggest to change. Are your pots plastic or earthenware? If the latter could there be residual spores deep in them which aren't killed in the microwave? I leave my sown pots to soak for a good length of time, so the seeds are fully wetted with the boiled ...

But then having sown the seed the first watering is by standing the pots in boiling water until it has soaked up. Is this with plastic pots? I have some 2" BEF pots I bought 2nd hand and, as this method sounds appealing, I would rather not melt them when testing! Yes, 2"x2" thick pla...

That all sounds incredibly complicated and for little return. I've been growing from seed for ever with no problems at all. Clean pots, compost and vermiculite 50/50 (John Innes which I appreciate you don't have in USA). New plastic bags. But then having sown the seed the first watering is by stand...

I have been growing cacti from seed for eight years. I immediately adopted the baggie method because the idea of a (mostly) self-sustaining micro habitat appealed to me. I didn't have to check on everything daily--I could leave them for weeks if necessary and they would be fine. I live in a humid cl...

And yes Ralph, I agree that a lot of the fun in seed raising is to be able to inspect them each day to see their progress. That is nice if you can inspect them every day. I can only inspect my plants maybe once a week. In between I need to keep my freshly germinated seedlings moist, even during war...

Yes. I find chinosol is very good at preventing damping off, but I eventually get cyanobacteria in my pots. All I can hope is that the cacti grow faster... I haven't seen anything that will prevent cyanobacteria / algae without damaging other cholorphyll based (i.e. higher) plants. Thanks, Ralph. Y...

It's the same black mould you get on damp walls etc, looks too wet in there, paper towel wick it. You have 3 options if it was me.. 1, using tweezers etc pick out the top layer being careful not to disturb seedlings, apply new top dressing like play sand / silver sand. 2, Leave as it is but spray F...