When to prick out succulent seedlings

[edds]

Along with a few cacti I've sown some succulents.

I've got three pots of Agave (parryi, Montana and filifera schidigera), one of Yucca rigida, two lots of Echeveria, one of Aeonium tabuliforme and 6 pots of Lithops.

This is how they look today.

The Yucca aren't crowded (thanks to pretty rubbish germination) so, despite a root already coming out the bottom of the pot, I'm thinking of leaving them for a lot longer in this pot.

The Agave are growing well and quite crowded. I was wondering whether to prick them out into small modules when the majority have two proper leaves or leave them a bit longer - when would those more experienced suggest?

The Aeonium and Echeveria seem more like traditional plants to me and so I was thinking of pricking them out after a couple of true leaves have grown. These, I was thinking, would be into some 1cm2 module trays I have bearing their tiny size in mind! (That's what I'd do with small perennial seedlings anyway, such as Digitalis.)

The Lithops will not be pricked out for at least a year. However I was reading about their tap roots doing better in deeper pots (they are in 4cm square pots). When would I be best to carefully transfer the whole pot full into a larger and deeper pot so I don't stunt their growth?

Thank you in advance for bearing with my endless questions!

[Aiko]

The Yucca aren't crowded (thanks to pretty rubbish germination) so, despite a root already coming out the bottom of the pot, I'm thinking of leaving them for a lot longer in this pot.

The Yucca will probably benefit from repotting later in the year. They will grow fleshy roots, so make sure the fleshy roots are not growing though the holes of you pot already, too big to get the plant out without braking the roots.

I have repotted mine after one year into individual pots, about 8 centimeters high. A second repot one or two years later, with multiple plants in one big pot. They really grow well after a repot, I have noticed.

[Nick_G]

I've never grown Yuccas but if the roots are coming out of the bottom of the pots I think I'd pot them on now.

They all look healthy and well grown, you obviously have a decent instinct for what to do, I'd follow it.

[Brian]

Nick I do not have the answer to your question, I try hard but I am usually disappointed with my seed growing.

Read carefully the wise comments from Ralph & Phil, you won’t find better growers.

I must say that I am very impressed with your results of recent sowing though. Go with your instincts on potting up, you certainly know how to get seeds past the germination stage and off the starting blocks!

[iann]

Don't try to move the Lithops yet. You might even get more germination still. They will grow quite slowly from this stage on. When there is no longer any soil visible between them, that will slow them down, but that's a couple of years away.

[edds]

Don't try to move the Lithops yet. You might even get more germination still. They will grow quite slowly from this stage on. When there is no longer any soil visible between them, that will slow them down, but that's a couple of years away.

What about the tap roots though Iann? I was planning to prefil a larger pot using an empty 4cm pot to shape a whole in the soil and then drop the potful in carefully, hopefully without any/much disturbance. I was thinking the seedlings needed another month or two before even attempting this but I don't want to stunt the taproots.

[edds]

Nick I do not have the answer to your question, I try hard but I am usually disappointed with my seed growing.

Read carefully the wise comments from Ralph & Phil, you won’t find better growers.

I must say that I am very impressed with your results of recent sowing though. Go with your instincts on potting up, you certainly know how to get seeds past the germination stage and off the starting blocks!

Were you talking about my question Brian? If so thanks for the compliment, much appreciated. Hopefully I can get them to the finish line!

[edds]

Been doing some more research an an Agave forum and they definitely recommend letting the seedlings get much more established before splitting so I'm going to follow that.

I've pinched the adventurous root from the Yucca pot off to encourage more roots in the soil and I'm going to leave those three for a lot longer in their 8cm square pot.

I'm still a bit undecided on the Echeveria and Aeonium seedlings. But I have a few weeks at least to decide as they haven't got established true leaves yet.

[el48tel]

Excuse me for asking ....
What size should Lithops be before planting on?
When is the best time to do this?

[esp]

I don't usually pot on if seedlings are still growing vigorously. Notable exceptions are when smaller seedlings are being out-competed by larger ones, and when spiky plants are in danger of damaging each other as they get crowded.