I've sown some cacti last month. Right now many have succesfully germinated. One of the Ariocarpus' hasn't germinated at all and some of the Islaya's have germinated poorly or not at all. And as usual with me, no Encephalocarpus have germinated...
I sow in this kind of pots, same concept as the baggie method:
Some of the Epithelantha's. First time sowing these and they all seem to germinate nicely.
Some of the Ariocarpus, also not doing too poorly:
And 13/20 Geohintonia have germinated. I hope to one day be able to point at a 30 year old specimen, and say "yeah, I sowed that one myself "
Nice blobs, so far. My Geohintonias are coming up to 5 months old now and most have 3-4 aeroles on each rib. They don't grow as slowly as Aztekiums or Strombocactus.
Islayas can be hit and miss with germination. Even after germination, they can be prone to sitting there for a while, not doing anything and then suddenly dying, I've found. They also seem to like it quite cool, but I've got most of mine in with my other Eriosyces.
I haven't had problems with germinating Encephalocarpus, so maybe you got some bad seeds?
-Dan
Growing an eclectic mix of Cacti, with a few Caudiciforms and other Succulents. Also interested in African bulb plants. My C&S blog
Nice to see those little seedlings appear - I think I'm getting addicted to seed growing but I've still got a lot to learn. I buy from the BCSS seedlist each year but where else would you recommend to buy seed (legally)?
I have learnt a few things about seed raising since joining the forum, such as sterilising the compost etc. but I'm now keen to put what I've learnt into practise.
I like the pots you use - what are they? I find putting pots into plastic bags quite awkward but reckon your pots look like a much neater solution. I buy prepped fruit, like pineapple chunks, in plastic tubs and think these might also do - I'll just have to eat more fruit!
RichardMS wrote:Nice to see those little seedlings appear - I think I'm getting addicted to seed growing but I've still got a lot to learn. I buy from the BCSS seedlist each year but where else would you recommend to buy seed (legally)?
I have learnt a few things about seed raising since joining the forum, such as sterilising the compost etc. but I'm now keen to put what I've learnt into practise.
I like the pots you use - what are they? I find putting pots into plastic bags quite awkward but reckon your pots look like a much neater solution. I buy prepped fruit, like pineapple chunks, in plastic tubs and think these might also do - I'll just have to eat more fruit!
I wouldn't have thought there would be any seed sellers who operate illegally, other than perhaps some Europian distributors offering 'questionably sourced' seeds. I've bought seeds from Mesa Garden in the US, SuccSeed and Koehres Kakteen on the continent. All have high quality seeds available and a nice wide selection. Mesa Garden isn't the best option, though, since delivery takes an age and a lot of their seeds can be obtained elsewhere, but if you're looking for some particularly elusive North American species or specific types, it might be useful to check their seed list. SuccSeed have an excellent selection all round, and most seed comes with a collection number if you're interested in stuff like that. Koehres seem to have almost every species listed! Well, not quite, but they do have a very impressive selection.
I haven't had problems with germinating Encephalocarpus, so maybe you got some bad seeds?
That could very well be the case!
I buy from the BCSS seedlist each year but where else would you recommend to buy seed (legally)?
I have, in the last few years, bought seeds from Aymeric De Barmon (ADBLPS graines), Ludwig Bercht, Köhres kakteen, Piltz kakteen and last year + this year from Cactus hobby brno because I find it rather cheap.
I like the pots you use - what are they? I find putting pots into plastic bags quite awkward
I'm not a fan of the baggies either, tried it once but then took this method from Alain Lagrange (Belgium). They are the pots that we buy salads in (like tuna salad an whatnot). I bought 150 or so at AVA for a few euro's. But every see-through pot will do, as long as it keeps the water IN.
Many thanks for all the info.
All your suggested seed suppliers have a great selection - possibly too much for a newcomer like me. I like the look of SuccSeed though, a bit more user friendly than the others - info and pictures of many of the plants.
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My Geohintonias are coming up to 5 months old now and most have 3-4 aeroles on each rib. They don't grow as slowly as Aztekiums or Strombocactus. 
