Germination begins

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iann
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Re: Germination begins

Post by iann »

Avonia quinaria/alstonii can germinate inside 24 hours. I've seen the seeds start to germinate in a hot greenhouse the same day that I sowed them. Strange that other Avonias seem to germinate quite slowly for me.
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Re: Germination begins

Post by MikeDom »

iann wrote: Fri Feb 01, 2019 3:29 pm Avonia quinaria/alstonii can germinate inside 24 hours. I've seen the seeds start to germinate in a hot greenhouse the same day that I sowed them. Strange that other Avonias seem to germinate quite slowly for me.
They might have been up earlier Ian as they look to be a few days old, just haven't been able to check on them. The A. papyracea are just coming up so looks like we're in synch.
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ragamala
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Re: Germination begins

Post by ragamala »

el48tel wrote: Fri Feb 01, 2019 2:29 pm So a couple of questions about previously germinated seeds .......

Some of my tiny seedlings have gone reddish which I know = stressed by light excess or moisture lack, so will they recover?
What can I do to aid recovery?
I don't worry too much about reddish colour in cactus seedlings. I would far rather they showed that colouration rather than etiolation. It's easier, perhaps, to decrease light levels than increase them. As long as I am watering enough/maintaining humidity this doesn't worry me.

But it's an interesting question about the assumed "knowledge".

Does this depend on species? This year I planted a lot of Frailea seed in November under artificial light. Germination (seed from Volker Schaedlich) was superb. I now have an excellent crop of seedlings which all are growing healthy and with well-developing spination. They grew red under their original lights, and in the main have stayed reddish under a lower artificial lighting source. Some have changed colouration to the dark green I would expect from their adult bodies. But all seem growing and healthy.

The second question which follows on is whether "excessive light" depends on the nature of the light source. Is red colour under strong sun worse than the same under artificial light? I suspect so because in addition to light composition changes the temperature change under sunlight or lack of it under glass outside adds I am sure to a sunburn effect.

I am hopeful others can contribute their experience, but my advice is not to panic, our cacti are nothing if not resilient.
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Re: Germination begins

Post by conolady »

El48tel, I always spray seedlings, often several times a day if they're not in a super-humid environment. I do this even if the substrate appears damp. In fact, I prefer to spray often and NOT have them covered, even with in a ventilated cover. (When they're older I water cacti often, until they're about two years old.) If the tinies have coloured a bit in any sun, I'm not worried, though I take the hint and provide some extra shade, often with curtain net which leaves lots of light going through without the scorch danger. I lift it off the seedlings with bent wire or something. Hope this helps.
First it was orchids, then, since c.2001, cacti and succulents. I'm into South African plants, mainly conos, lithops and haworthias, with a few cacti, especially 'posh' mamms, turbs and other smalls. Now it’s stapeliads as well...
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Re: Germination begins

Post by el48tel »

ragamala wrote: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:08 am
el48tel wrote: Fri Feb 01, 2019 2:29 pm So a couple of questions about previously germinated seeds .......

Some of my tiny seedlings have gone reddish which I know = stressed by light excess or moisture lack, so will they recover?
What can I do to aid recovery?
....................... I am hopeful others can contribute their experience, but my advice is not to panic, our cacti are nothing if not resilient.
Thanks ---- perhaps this is what I am doing ---------- and losing patience with a new hobby which does not respond as quickly as a] I'd like and b] as quickly as the old hobby
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
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el48tel
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Re: Germination begins

Post by el48tel »

conolady wrote: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:32 am El48tel, I always spray seedlings, often several times a day if they're not in a super-humid environment. I do this even if the substrate appears damp. In fact, I prefer to spray often and NOT have them covered, even with in a ventilated cover. (When they're older I water cacti often, until they're about two years old.) If the tinies have coloured a bit in any sun, I'm not worried, though I take the hint and provide some extra shade, often with curtain net which leaves lots of light going through without the scorch danger. I lift it off the seedlings with bent wire or something. Hope this helps.
Yup - I'd noticed that on one day last week I'd been heavy-handed with the misting and they looked a little more perky ---- so yes - in short - it does help ..... and I've put them under the bench with a large planter on the other side of the glass, so they are getting less light than previously
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
Terry S.

Re: Germination begins

Post by Terry S. »

Just a couple of thoughts on the above. I am very surprised that seedlings are turning red with excess light at this time of year, I suspect that there might be other stress factors at play. Shading should not be needed for another month. Unless you are setting up a sophisticated seed-raising system with lights, etc. I really do not recommend sowing seeds of summer-growing succulents too early. Seeds sown later under favourable conditions will often do much better than early-sown seeds which have had to struggle in their infancy. I would suggest that when using a simple heated propagator in a greenhouse, then leave sowing until mid-February onwards.

For newcomers to the hobby, seed-raising is a useful skill to develop, but do not rely on it at first to build up your collection. Those seedlings that you can buy from nurseries or acquire at branch meetings relatively cheaply are already 2 - 3 years old and likely to be close to flowering size, which is what one wants initially. Later, particularly if one develops an interest in a particular genus, seed sowing might become a necessity to obtain those missing plants that the nurserymen are not producing.
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el48tel
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Re: Germination begins

Post by el48tel »

Terry S. wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:34 am Just a couple of thoughts on the above. I am very surprised that seedlings are turning red with excess light at this time of year, I suspect that there might be other stress factors at play. Shading should not be needed for another month. Unless you are setting up a sophisticated seed-raising system with lights, etc. I really do not recommend sowing seeds of summer-growing succulents too early. Seeds sown later under favourable conditions will often do much better than early-sown seeds which have had to struggle in their infancy. I would suggest that when using a simple heated propagator in a greenhouse, then leave sowing until mid-February onwards.

For newcomers to the hobby, seed-raising is a useful skill to develop, but do not rely on it at first to build up your collection. Those seedlings that you can buy from nurseries or acquire at branch meetings relatively cheaply are already 2 - 3 years old and likely to be close to flowering size, which is what one wants initially. Later, particularly if one develops an interest in a particular genus, seed sowing might become a necessity to obtain those missing plants that the nurserymen are not producing.
Thanks -- yes I did realise a while ago that seedlings were the SLOW way to proceed and am building a collection (also slowly) that way. And realised that there's obviously much more to growing seedlings. Your recommendations are appreciated.
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
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el48tel
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Re: Germination begins

Post by el48tel »

el48tel wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 11:31 am
Terry S. wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:34 am Just a couple of thoughts on the above. I am very surprised that seedlings are turning red with excess light at this time of year, I suspect that there might be other stress factors at play. Shading should not be needed for another month. Unless you are setting up a sophisticated seed-raising system with lights, etc. I really do not recommend sowing seeds of summer-growing succulents too early. Seeds sown later under favourable conditions will often do much better than early-sown seeds which have had to struggle in their infancy. I would suggest that when using a simple heated propagator in a greenhouse, then leave sowing until mid-February onwards.

For newcomers to the hobby, seed-raising is a useful skill to develop, but do not rely on it at first to build up your collection. Those seedlings that you can buy from nurseries or acquire at branch meetings relatively cheaply are already 2 - 3 years old and likely to be close to flowering size, which is what one wants initially. Later, particularly if one develops an interest in a particular genus, seed sowing might become a necessity to obtain those missing plants that the nurserymen are not producing.
Thanks -- yes I did realise a while ago that seedlings were the SLOW way to proceed and am building a visits and branch meetings collection (also slowly) that way. And realised that there's obviously much more to growing seedlings. Your recommendations are appreciated.
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
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juster
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Re: Germination begins

Post by juster »

Terry S. wrote: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:34 am For newcomers to the hobby, seed-raising is a useful skill to develop, but do not rely on it at first to build up your collection. Those seedlings that you can buy from nurseries or acquire at branch meetings relatively cheaply are already 2 - 3 years old and likely to be close to flowering size, which is what one wants initially. Later, particularly if one develops an interest in a particular genus, seed sowing might become a necessity to obtain those missing plants that the nurserymen are not producing.
I second this wise advice from Terry. Seed raising is a useful skill which I tried in my early years with what was then the NCSS, personally I found my many failures too discouraging. For the last 30 years or more I have built up my collection mainly by purchasing small plants from specialist nurseries or speakers at branch meetings; this works well! I can then, if I wish, propagate by taking cuttings or offsets.

Sorry, don't know why Terry's quote has posted so oddly. (Corrected by Tony R - just a ] had gone astray.)
Croydon Branch member, growing mainly cacti and Echeverias
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