Opuntia Seed Germination

Discussion in 'Cacti and Succulents' started by The New Guy, May 21, 2009.

  1. JenRi

    JenRi Active Member

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    I did know about the seedlings turning red thing and I figured having temperatures dropping during the night could be beneficial as it would more accurately reconstruct the conditions in nature. I have some Swiss Cheese plant seedlings, which I raised from seed and I was told it could take up to two months for them to germinate but I managed it in two weeks, I think because I had them on the radiator when it was on through part of the day and on a windowsill the rest of the time so they got some light, which they needed to germinate:D.

    I still have some mixed cacti seeds left, but they're a few months old - should I try them or buy some new ones? And if I was to try single species, which is an easy one to start with?

    Thanks a lot:)
     
  2. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    Depends on the species and how they have been stored. A few months is usually not a serious delay, it should be worth a try.

    Easy from seed? People may have different opinions about that. Here are a few suggestions, according to my own experience:

    Most epiphytes (Epiphyllum, Rhipsalis, Selenicereus etc.) germinate and grow fast.
    Astrophytum myriostigma
    Pereskia
    Echinocereus triglochidiatus, reichenbachii
    The majority of Rebutia, Echinopsis/Lobivia, Gymnocalycium, Melocactus
    Notocactus roseoluteus (probably many other Notocactus too, I have not tried)

    (there are always seed batches with poor germination but in general those should work)

    Some not so good for beginners:
    Astrophytum asterias and capricorne (rot-prone)
    Ariocarpus, Aztekium, Geohintonia (slow)
    Blossfeldia (slow, very small)
    Maihuenia (difficult to germinate)
    Frailea (well, some people find them easy)
    Sclerocactus, Pediocactus, Toumeya (rot-prone)
    Opuntia and relatives: many of them can be tricky to germinate. Once they have they are relatively easy to keep alive.
     
  3. JenRi

    JenRi Active Member

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    Thanks, that's plenty to be going on with:)
     
  4. crmauch

    crmauch Member

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    I sprouted this August around 15 seedlings of mixed cacti from a seed packet from 2007. So I would go ahead and try.

    As to aged seeds, I have read (I'm not totally convinced) that Opuntia germinate easier (at least some varieties) if the seeds have aged.

    I have a theory with not enough proof points, that the bigger the seeds a cactus makes, the harder they seem to be to germinate.

    As to seedlings easy to germinate, I agree with (for the varities I've tried) the list. Escobaria sneedi is bad to germinate either (one of the hardy cacti), but the plants are sensitive to excess moisture (particularly in winter). Delosperma and some of the other Mesembs are easy to sprout. Lithops is fairly easy, but you have to manage them after sprouting carefully.
     

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