Haworthia seeds

For discussion on all Haworthiad type plants - open to all.
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Cactusgirl
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Haworthia seeds

Post by Cactusgirl »

Sadly not one of my Haworthia seeds germinated! Anyone tell me please perhaps where I went wrong? I treated them same as cacti seeds. Obviously not right thing to do I suggest!
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Diane
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Re: Haworthia seeds

Post by Diane »

They can be a bit temperamental in my experience. But they don't seem to like very hot conditions, seeming to germinate when cooler. Sometimes it takes a while for them to grow, so my advice is to just leave them for a while, they might surprise you when the weather cools down a bit.
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Tony R
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Re: Haworthia seeds

Post by Tony R »

I agree with Diane; I think the temperatures of late in the UK have been rather high for germinating both haworthia and gasteria seeds.
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Aiko
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Re: Haworthia seeds

Post by Aiko »

Sow in early spring when the nights are still rather cold (but not freezing anymore). I always sow mesembs and Haworthia and Gasteria in late March. That is one month ahead for (basically all) cacti and heath loving succulents (Adenium, Pachypodium).

And even then the germination rate for Haworthia is usually not very high.
Cactusgirl
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Re: Haworthia seeds

Post by Cactusgirl »

Thanks for the advice. I sowed them in April using the baggy method so maybe they were a little too warm. I will know next time to keep them cooler and plant slightly earlier in the year.
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Re: Haworthia seeds

Post by esp »

If you still have the pots of seeds, keep them and let them dry out. They may germinate if you re-moisten them in (say) September or spring.
I had surprising success with some Aloes a couple of years ago - 0% germination at first after several weeks, then after they dried out for several more weeks got >50% germination at the second attempt.
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chris25
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Re: Haworthia seeds

Post by chris25 »

Have a look at this web page, written by an expert: http://www.gerhardmarx.com/p/succulent-cultivation.html The seed-sowing section starts part way down the page.

I sowed some Haworthia pygmaea seeds about a month ago, using the method described in the above article, but kept them on a north-facing windowsill in the coolest room in the house (bathroom) and have had good germination. The seeds were very fresh, from my own plants.

Of course, this could be beginners luck and I wouldn't want to go against the advice of others on this forum who are far more experienced than I am.

Chris
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