Conophytum

[SteveJones]

Hi everyone. I read recently that the best time to sow Conophytum seeds is January, is it too late to sow the Conophytum seed I've recently recieved from the MSG?

Steve.

[Aiko]

Hi everyone. I read recently that the best time to sow Conophytum seeds is January, is it too late to sow the Conophytum seed I've recently recieved from the MSG?

No, there are no rigid rules you need to follow to be successful. I usually sow mesembs and many other African succulents in late March, or in September, using the baggy method. I don't use artificial light, no additional heath and keep them in the greenhouse. So how you do your sowing depends on the growing conditions when to or not to sow. Expect those January sowers to use artificial lights, and at least to use a heating math.

[iann]

Lots of Conophytums, lots of ways to grow them. I can't imagine January is *the* best time to sow them, in either hemisphere, but it is certainly one way to go. The later you sow them into spring, the more risk there is of them being too tiny over summer, so you'll have to judge just how tiny they are or how sensitive to summer water. Certainly many of them can be sown in March in northern climes.

[ragamala]

I think the January sowing advice probably comes from Terry Smale's pages.

[cactuspip]

The best thing you can do is google Terry Snake's website where he has cultivation information for Conophytums.
There is seed sowing information that explains exactly how to do it.

[rodsmith]

The best thing you can do is google Terry Snake's website...

Do you mean Terry Smale? If so, it appears he is the one who recommends a January sowing. I've sowed in February with good results but this year in view of the continuing cold weather it will be March.

[Terry S.]

Seeing that I am being quoted, I would say that the best time for me to sow conos under my conditions is January. At that time I use a 5C gain heat pad but no lights. I have sown them later in February and March, but it then means that the seedlings are smaller to survive the stresses of summer. Autumn is not good for me because I have had too many subsequent losses through fungal attacks, but that time is probably best if you are in a warmer climate than ours. I have used sunny house or office window sills for winter sowings and that has been OK too.

Cono babies hate humid conditions, so the one thing that I would not recommend is sealing the pots in polythene bags for long periods. However, closed conditions until they just start to germinate is fine; I used to put half a petri dish over the pots when I was a lab worker. Now I keep the propagator lid closed until germination starts.

I do know what I am talking about - I have raised in excess of 25 000 conos from seed over the years!

[Aiko]

We do have different experience, I see. Even though our climate will not differ that much.

I have sown them later in February and March, but it then means that the seedlings are smaller to survive the stresses of summer.

But you can treath Conophytums (and basically any other winter active succulent in their first (and only their first) summer the same as any <1 year old summer active seedling. Any winter active succulent I grow from seed in spring, will be placed in the same tray as all other succulents, including cacti. I water the pots about once a week by placing the entire tray in a bigger tray filled with water, allowing for the pots to suck up whatever water the soil can take up. This goes on for the entire summer. In late summer I select the winter active from the summer active seedlings, and continue the same treatment for the winter active ones, although watering will be reduced from November onwards as temperature and light intensity drops fast.

In their first summer, all seedlings are under an additional shading cloth. I don't see any seedlings, both winter and summer active, to be in trouble during summer. The only exception will be Diplosoma, which I only seem to grow when sown in autumn. This one just goes dormant in summer, and will be too small to survive the first summer so soon after sowing. Everything else really does well (for me) in summer.

Cono babies hate humid conditions, so the one thing that I would not recommend is sealing the pots in polythene bags for long periods. However, closed conditions until they just start to germinate is fine

I do have a different experience for mesembs hating longlasting humid conditions. I personally keep all pots in locked bags for as long as I see germination going on, or when I am satisfied with the germination rate. In practise there are bags that stay locked for maybe two months. Any seedlings still inside do fine.

[cactuspip]

Terry
Please accept my apologies for the wonderful efforts of predictive text interpreting my Smale as Snake!

[SteveJones]

I think the January sowing advice probably comes from Terry Smale's pages.

Indeed it did. Thanks for all the advise everybody. I recieved about 17 species of Conos from Mesa Gardens a few weeks ago and used the plastc bag method with considerable success.

Steve.