BCSS - Forum

Thank you all

Rodsmith:

Do you know if the pot should dry out between waterings? And if so for how many days?

Terry:

Can I ask what size grit you are using there please? I remember your Gardener's World bit and you said 4mm sized pieces.

Next time I will try using smaller pots. Not sure why I picked that size to be honest.

Mine were on a Northish facing windowsill for most of last year, I used Chempak 8 too but probably didn't water enough. They were in a spare room and sometimes I'd forget 'Oh @$%!, I haven't watered Terry's seeds' There was a period the end of last year when I was moving house where all my plants got neglected too unfortunately.

I suppose the loam based composts don't make much of a mess if you're careful and cover the holes a bit. I don't know, maybe it's me but I just find akadama to be much cleaner in the house.

I did try John Innes No.2 mix with perlite and with granite chips, I also tried pure pumice then I found I preferred akadama.

The perlite I didn't like because it used to blow around and I was forever thinking a random white spec was a mealy bug. The granite chips were ok but I found that my pots weren't drying quickly enough (I didn't have a fan then too which didn't help). They were also really heavy on the glass shelves I had across the windows and the bend in each shelf made me a bit nervous. The pumice was too small so it too stayed wet for too long, it used to make a horrible sound on the bottom of pots on the shelves too if it scratched.

The problem with sowing two species in the same pot is that they might germinate at different rates and therefore need to be treated differently. I can't comment on the idea of sowing all the seeds in one spot - it does happen accidentally but I have never made any observations on the results.

Seed pots of anything need to be kept continually moist until germination has taken place. Once a bit older, they can be allowed to ALMOST dry out between waterings. If a seed dries out during the actual process of germination, it is dead.

The 4mm granite grit is what I use in my potting composts for all adult succulents. When seed raising or rooting cuttings, I use a grit of around 1mm particle size - my current favourite is Meadow View Horticultural Potting Grit Eco, which leads to development of really good root systems.

I agree that Perlite is annoying in the way that it floats about. I have tried using it in propagation but eventually gave up on it because I did not feel that it offered any advantages. Don't forget that you can put a circle or square of fine gauze (e.g. shade net) or even newspaper in the bottom of a pot to stop the compost falling out. By the time the paper rots, the roots are holding compost in place.

How to prevent the mess was discussed pretty extensively here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=170527

How long do you recommend keep closed?
And how take care them after opening in Autumn? Water, spray?

Thank you for the recommendation on the grit Terry and the link Mat

Terry S. wrote: ↑Mon Jan 18, 2021 9:35 amSeed pots of anything need to be kept continually moist until germination has taken place. Once a bit older, they can be allowed to ALMOST dry out between waterings. If a seed dries out during the actual process of germination, it is dead.

I agree with everything in Terry's comment reproduced above.

I do everything as Terry does and my seedlings germinate and grow well, provided I don’t do anything daft, no plastic bags to be seen!

There are certain people who post on the forums who I consider to be supreme beings, Terry you are one of them. I do have to put my seeds in bags as I often can't get to them for a few days at a time. But I generally base what I do on what you and several other regulars on the forums say.
Thanks to all the regulars who give advice and opinions, really appreciate it.

NickHitchcock wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:05 pm There are certain people who post on the forums who I consider to be supreme beings, Terry you are one of them. I do have to put my seeds in bags as I often can't get to them for a few days at a time. But I generally base what I do on what you and several other regulars on the forums say.
Thanks to all the regulars who give advice and opinions, really appreciate it.

That's what I want to test the next sowing round, a bag for 5-7 days to keep the seeds nice and moist, then a tray with water underneath. I hope it will give me the best of both worlds, low maintenance when they need to be moist all the time, and no damping off after they germinate. We'll see!

Good grief Nick, perhaps I will have to start a cult.

I think that one of the underlying things that I try to convey is "keep it simple". I believe that there is a problem created by the WWW and social media whereby many people put out conflicting pieces of information, such that it becomes difficult for somebody new to the hobby to know what to do. I think that you really need to know something about the people who are providing the information and how much experience they have. So when Graham gives us some info on how to grow gymnos, as he did last night, or if a certain Gillian from Oxford tells me how to grow pachypodiums, then I listen.