A lazy way to grow cactus from seed | Episode 6: Four month update - we've got bugs!
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- We made it to four months on this cactus seed growing journey! The Copiapoa are now on the cusp of that first growth spurt that I've mentioned a million times before if you've watched my previous videos. Annnnndddd some little crawly things have shown up in some of the pots. Come check on the seedlings with me!
Video Series: A lazy way to grow cactus from seed
• A lazy way to grow cac...
Connect with me on Instagram: / cookiescacti
DISCLAIMER: I am a beginner grower. I have yet to find a growing process that works consistently for me, so it's a constant learning experience. This video series is more of a vlog on this leg of my cactus growing journey. With that said, enjoy!
Mesa Garden: mesagarden.com/
ThreeDeserts on Etsy: www.etsy.com/s...
Nursery pots - I use the 2.5" and 3.25" pots:
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1020 Trays without holes:
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1020 Trays with holes:
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Tall clear dome for 1020 tray:
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Disclosure: The links to Amazon are affiliate links, which means that I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. There is no additional cost to you. I encourage shopping around as always.
Grow light without dimmer: SPIDER FARMER SF1000D (this is the one I use)
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Grow light with dimmer: SPIDER FARMER SF1000
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1000mL (33oz) squeeze bottles
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Succulent tools & transplanting kit
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#copiapoa #cactus #seedlings
I've always found it's so crazy how their are so many different ways to sow cactus seeds. I do the baggy method and leave them in that for MONTHS. Especially in doors where the humidity is so much lower than it would be outside (at least where I'm at). I have found that when I transition them out of the baggies that it's important to top water. If you bottom water it has to be pretty full to make sure that top of the soil gets soaked since their root systems are so tiny.
I agree! There's so many ways to go about growing plants from seed, which is so great because we can choose the method that works the best for us. I'm the same with the top watering! It allows me more control over how much water I'm giving them and the short roots get water. I've had problems with bottom watering where seedlings got too much water but I've heard plenty of reputable growers who bottom water with no issues. I guess it's up to us to try and find what works best for us!
Those "bugs" are springtails (Collembola). They are not harmful for the plants and are actually intentionally used in bio-active terrarium setups since they feed on decaying organic matter.
Thank you, Nino! Gosh you're so good at shedding light on my many questions. Do you think it's okay that I just leave them be?
@@cookiescacti Yes.
if I get any to survive, I am satisfied... Have my first batch still hanging on... M. Wrightii... and my son has some fero cactus growing and doing well! I think any success is success!! Great work, Lophocereus Jennii!
I agree 100%, Mark! Any success is success! If they're alive, it's a success. Heck even if they're not alive, I give props to anyone who attempts to grow cactus (or any plant) from seed!
Looking forward to see how the Ario will do. I gave up trying to grow them from seeds: they're too slow and keep dying within the first 2 years. Best of luck! :)
Sigh... I think this is already my 4th attempt at growing Arios from seed. I'm about to give up because they always end up dying on me. They'll even trick me by doing great for a while and then suddenly melt away into oblivion. ARGGGGHH! I still have some seeds so maybe I'll try again... or just sprinkle them into adult plant pots outside and forget about them completely.
I've heard from other growers the exact same thing - the Arios just up and die and they grow so slow. Definitely gives me an appreciation for all Arios grown in cultivation that can actually get large enough to exchange hands. Respect!
Jenny those look like springtails to me. I really enjoy all the content you put out and it was good to see Cookie! I am also raising my humidity domes and was wondering how far you let your pots dry back before watering again?
I'm so glad you enjoy this content, Darrin! That encourages me to keep going. I would like to keep making monthly update videos until the 4 month olds become 1 year olds. Then we get to see the entire process! (And for me to have a reference for future batches too lol.)
As for watering, I check on them every couple of days or so and lift a few pots to feel the weight. When they feel light, I water. I use a plastic squeeze bottle to water so I can control the amount of water, not time saving though. I think I'm watering enough so the soil medium is mostly wet but not so saturated that it's running out the bottom of the pot. Definitely not an exact science when it comes to Jenny-plant-care LOL. I know some people like to bottom water, which is much more time efficient.
those bugs could be fungus gnats. They are really difficult to remove and tend to spread from one germinator to the rest. If you start to see seedlings fallen, like lying on one side, they are definitely gnats and they larvae are feeding on the seedlings root system.
I have a feeling they're fungus gnats too. Arrghhhh!! They U-Hauled it into my previous Ario seedling pots too. I ended up sprinkling some some mosquito bits onto the surface of the pots, and then I kind of forgot about them, I should go check on them lol.
@@cookiescacti good luck with them, still your seedlings look amazing
Looks like the bugs have now vanished into thin air a month later.... So weird! I wonder what's next on the horizon...
Hello, Jenny! Have you removed the plastic dome? In addition, how often do you water? Do you wait until the soil is completely dry before watering? Does the temperature change affect how often you water? I've heard that COPIAPOA doesn't like temperatures above 79℉, how do you care for the seedlings when it gets warmer? I think the frequency of watering is so difficult to control! I am so envious of your planting so well😍
Hi Hsuan! I haven't removed the domes completely but they are sitting above the tray with a nice >1inch gap so there's not much humidity inside anymore. I'm doing that so that I can lay some window screen on top of the dome to reduce the light intensity a little. If it wasn't for the light intensity, I would remove the domes completely.
I am letting the pots dry out to a point before I water - a very non-scientific method of picking up the pots to feel the weight. When the pots feel light, I water. If I were to very roughly guess, it's probably about once every 5-7 days or so, but I cannot say for sure. My soil medium is very light when it's dry so it's easy to feel the weight difference by hand. So far so good, but I have no idea if their needs will change as they get older. I guess that's the one good thing about growing so many - I have back ups.
These Copiapoa have lived indoors their entire life, so they haven't had to deal with our summers yet. I'm planning to pick some of them to put into the shade house to see how they do - it's the only way to find out. There are some cactus enthusiasts in Phoenix who keep their Copiapoa outside in their yard all year round with sun protection but fully exposed to our hot temperatures and they seem to do fine. I think it's a matter of acclimating. I will find out the hard way.... and let you know....
You can do it, Hsuan! It is very tricky to figure out. I'm growing Copiapoa only because they like my growing method purely by chance. Unlike those Turbinicarpus and Ariocarpus that I cannot figure out at all!
@@cookiescacti Wow, thank you for the detailed reply! I will try again! Regarding the sowing of Turbinicarpus, Mamiilaria, Ariocarpus, last year I put them all outside in a large plastic box (with shade), Keep moist all the time, they live through the year with no problem and seem to have a good survival rate.
Until I watched your video and started to try to sow Copiapoa indoors, I also tried these three varieties and the condition of indoor sowing, I found that they are easy to rot indoors - even if I have an electric fan, and there is no Store in an plastic box and they'll still rot!
So I'm guessing they need the temperature different because right after I moved them outside to the plastic box they looked a lot happier.
@@hsuan-xv7iz That is a very interesting observation about the North American cactus liking the outdoors. Mammillaria, Astrophytum, and Saguaro definitely like it outside for me. It's those darn Ariocarpus that die no matter what. They tricked me by doing so well outside last summer and then deciding to die off anyway. So frustrating (but fun regardless)!
What are you doing with all this seedligs?
Thumbs up for your nursery!
That is an excellent question and one I ask myself often. I always think I'll need to do something with them when I run out of space but I somehow seem to keep making more space magically lol. And my inner hoarder mentality gets in the way of letting them go, it's really weird.
It's funny how Cookie comes in the remind you who's channel it is. ha Love your follow-up vids. How often do you water the 1+ year olds?
LOL, 100%! We're all constantly reminded who the boss is around here. Over the winter I was watering the 1+ year olds around every 3 weeks. Now it's every 12-14 days. Over the summer it will probably be once a week or slightly more frequent. I feel the weight of the pots to get a sense of when the pots are dry, that's how I guess when to adjust the watering schedule (and I'm totally winging it because I have no idea what I'm doing, just purely guessing).
Nicely done i want seeds too but kinda hard to find seeds here
How about UnusualSeeds? It's an online seed shop based in Serbia. I just bought a bunch of Copiapoa seeds from them to try them out. This is my affiliate link if you'd like to check them out: unusualseeds.net/aff/3/
If they have wings they are gnats. If they don’t have wings they could be a predator because of how fast they move. Springtails don’t walk around like that, they crawl or spring.
I took a magnifying glass to the little buggos and I think I see wings, although they move so fast it's hard to see. Possibly gnats and it makes sense since I've had troubles with them in the past. Thank you for the note!