They are looking good, you're doing well. Don't be too disheartened if you lose a pot or two. I've been growing cacti and other succulents from seed for forty years now and I still lose some every year, it happens. I don't personally prick the seedlings out for a year or two but I know Ralph does at...

Why don't you just try it and see what happens? You'll learn a lot more by experimenting under your own conditions than by asking here. It's how all the experienced growers here gained most of their knowledge.

A few months for the cacti and yes Aztekiums etc can be left for a year unopened.

Don't open the bags until you are ready to permanently take the pots of seedlings out of them. All you'll do is allow fungal spores etc in.

The only exception to this is with the very slow growing genera, Aztekium, Blossfeldia etc where after a year or so you may need to top up the water inside.

Ralf Hillman has emailed out his extensive 2020 seed list. If you grow Aylosteras, Medilobivias etc this is the one for you.

My couple of plants have branched naturally after a couple of years from seed Eric. I take a lot of them off as I like the shape of the plants as they are.

Aiko wrote: ↑Sat Dec 21, 2019 3:25 pm Is it glued on, or pinned on?

Glued and I doubt that they'll come off without a bit of damage to the cactus but I'm going to keep the antlers, eyes and nose and resurrect it every Christmas. Maybe I'll start the plant again from a cutting every year.

I know that this will horrify many of you but it cracks me up every time I look at it. Bought for me by my son at a Christmas market. I think it can only do good and bring people into the hobby but I did have to point out to him that I don't actually grow Mammillarias.

Genetics probably comes into it as well, you need the right clone. I'm a lot hairier than my brother. We're the same species, from the same locality, with the same parents but I'm hairier. It hasn't always been that way though.

Bottom watering and don't spray them. I suppose the more light they get the more hair they'll grow as well.