Seeds for Spring??

[Maria J]

Hello,

Are all the following ok for sowing in the Spring please?

Gymnocalycium eurypleurum
Ariocarpus fissuratus v. hintonii
Aztekium ritteri
Gymnocalycium horridispinum
Gymnocalycium hybopleurum
Thelocactus bicolor
Rebutia Samenmischung

I have looked in books (and briefly on the net) but haven't found info on when best to sow.

Thanks ever so!

[iann]

I like that lastone! Do you know what it means in German?

Are you going to sow under lights? You can do that more or less whenever you want. I find it simpler than trying to control light levels and temperatures in the sun. Baby cacti are surprisingly sensitive to sunlight.

[Maria J]

No I don't Ian, and I wonder whether I should ask now... ;-)

I wasn't going to sow them under lights as I don't have a 'set-up'. Last Spring I just had seeds on the west facing windowsill...
I am however planning on getting a greenhouse around March time, but then I guess it may not be warm enough then, so I'll probably start them indoors and put them out later???

[Roy]

Hi Mria,
don't expect quick results with the Aztekium they are very slow indeed.

[David_L]

Hi Tina and Roy

Aztekium ritteri from seed isn't slow, it's sloooooooooooow!!!!!!. In fact when it comes to raising this species from seed the expression " many are called but few are chosen " comes to mind. It's so slow that unless you are a whizz seedling grafter it almost inevitably succumbs to something or other before ever getting going. I have to say that Ario. hintonii isn't exactly mustard & cress either! Not that I'm trying to depress you or anything. But some of the others are fairly easy. There's lots of good advice on seed raising around on the forum and elsewhere so good luck.

[David_L]

Maria

Samenmischung = "mixed seed" in German!

[Phil White]

Slow Aztekium is but not impossible, I think it is all relative to size of the plant. I have flowered it in 5 years so is it slow or is it dwarf ???
Myabe there is too much mystique associated with the plants we grow ????

[Maria J]

Thanks everyone! Lol David, mixed seeds! Ian had me worried for a while!! It was for 100 seeds so I guess they would be mixed, and as you have guessed, they're from Germany!

I realise Aztekium & Ario are quite difficult and slow, but the plants are fairly expensive, and with my lack of experience, I prefer to try (& err!!) from seed and be even more appreciative if I manage to nurture hopefully at least one of each to maturity!! (I would feel far worse if I killed a plant which someone else spent years nurturing!!)

[Julie]

David, your German is a lot better than mine! I thought it looked a bit odd but just thought that a German named or discovered that plant.

Horridispinum sounds very interesting! And a google images search shows that it lives up to its name.

Which makes me wonder how you peoples of many cacti do your potting on without your fingers ending up looking like pincushions...

Bubble wrap?
Leather gloves?

[Maria J]

I too thought is was a species name! Should have realised though with a picture of various Rebutia species!!

When I repotted my Echinocactus Grusonii, I wrapped several tea towels around it until they were too thick for the spines to poke through!! That did the job no probs! But then they have tough spines! I prefer to handle something with big spines than one with little needles all over!! For those I've generally followed a book's recommendation to use paper folded several times into a strip and placing it around the plant.

I am starting to try to figure out how I can 'handle' my seedlings when I pot them up in Spring (should they make it!). They are about 6-7 months old now and too small to really get hold of. On the other hand, I want to avoid squashing the spines as much as possible...