A lazy way to grow cactus from seed | Episode 8: 6 month seedling update & Cookie update
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- Can you believe we've been watching these cactus babies grow from seed for half a year?? Here they are at 6 months old, some doing great, some doing terrible. We have also passed the two week mark since Cookie returned from her radioactive iodine therapy to treat her hyperthyroidism. The concerns I had regarding her complicated case of having concurrent kidney disease has come true. We're still hanging in there and managing but the future is unknown. But then, aren't all futures unknown?
I include time stamps below for those who are interested in the cactus seedling updates and those who are interested in Cookie's health situation.
0:00 cactus seedling update
11:23 Cookie update
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/shop/ThreeDeserts
Nursery pots - I use the 2.5" and 3.25" pots:
www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
1020 Trays without holes:
www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
1020 Trays with holes:
www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
Tall clear dome for 1020 tray:
www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
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)
amzn.to/3OSPR6c (paid link)
Grow light with dimmer: SPIDER FARMER SF1000
amzn.to/3STyRyJ (paid link)
1000mL (33oz) squeeze bottles
amzn.to/3XKbo4o (paid link)
Succulent tools & transplanting kit
amzn.to/3XQZrup (paid link)
#copiapoa #cactus #seedlings
❤ I love the videos and monthly seed updates. I wish you well as you take care of Cookie and nurse her to health.❤🐈🐈⬛🌵🌱🌱🌱
Thank you for the comment, James! We'll continue with the monthly updates. We appreciate the well wishes for the little Cookie girl!
Praying for Cookie, you are such a great cat mom, it's so frustrating that the specialists don't know more or even try to find out more to help, it sounds like you made the best decision, she is so lucky to have you.
Thank you so much, Amber. No regrets on my decision so far. We're just taking it day by day. I enjoy all the good days we have.
I'm loving the monthly updates, I actually look forward to new videos to see how everything is soing. You're going to need to hire a team of full time reporters to help you with those bursting pots.
I'm hoping to hear some good news about Cookie soon. My cat went through some health issues with his liver a while back, and not knowing what's going on can sometimes be the worst part. Sending you both lots of positive vibes 🌵
You got it! Monthly updates it is! I was stuck at home this whole long weekend and I barely made a dent in my overgrown tray of 16 month olds.... I think I need a month to re-pot everything that needs re-potting... omggggg
Cookie has been holding steady since this video, but you probably know that cats are super good at hiding problems, so I don't trust just observing her! We went in for her 1 month post-radioiodine blood work today so the truth will be revealed soon. We so appreciate the positive vibes! How is your boy doing? Challenging health issues for our fur babies (and ourselves) are so difficult for sure.
Love the seedling updates, they are doing so well! Sending lots of love and cuddles to Cookie x
I have a feeling that next month I'll still be sighing about all the overcrowded pots, lol. Even more seedlings are being squooshed into oblivion. Thank you for the love and cuddles! Cookie is getting those cuddles for sure.
Thanks for the seedling update
Love the monthly progress report.
So sad to hear of your struggles with Cookie.
It is hard to bear when our fur family is unwell.
Monthly updates it is, Ted! I've seen several other comments also preferring the monthly updates, so we will continue with that. Fingers crossed for my Cookie!
Thanks for the seedling update.
I'm so sorry you're not feeling like you're getting all the information regarding Cookie's treatment options 😿 It's nice to see her up and about, just hanging out. I hope she responds well to the treatment you've advocated for her. Sending lots of pettings and cuddles to Cookie 🐱
I like checking on my seedlings regularly, so I’d be ripe for a monthly update of your fine seedlings!
You got it, Bart! We will continue with the monthly updates. I remember my very first batch of cactus seeds I sowed, I swear I was checking on them every hour if not more often lol.
Thanks for the seedling and Cookie update…monthly seedling updates are good if you have time..sorry to hear of the lack of professional help for Cookie…am hoping this post will lead to some advice or referrals for you
I'm glad you're for the monthly seedling update, Patti. Then I will continue! Fingers crossed the path we decided for Cookie works out...
I look forward to the monthly updates! I wanna see if you end up potting all the overgrown ones.
Monthly updates it is! Omg, I barely made a dent over this long weekend in my older seedlings.... I have a feeling I'll still be sighing about overgrown pots by the next update in June...
Veterinary medicine is such a hard thing to navigate. Of all the cats in my life over the years, it's like they all end up with something down the line that no one has any idea what to do about or simply nothing can be done. It's the most helpless feeling and I've delt with it time and time again. I hope you can find someone out there who can get you some better answers but as of now I would have made the same decision as you, which is protecting the kidneys from any further damage and I would also continue the sub q fluids. We get left on our own a lot and we just have to make the decision that we think is best. Me, Colby and Olive send all our well wishes to Cookie and you as well. I know how defeating this all can be. It was nice to see Cookie up and about even if for a short period. My heart aches for you both.
Thank you so much for this message, Heather. As time is going on, I have no regrets so far on the decision I made for Cookie and I'm so glad to read your message that you would have done the same. Cookie has been holding steady behavior-wise since this video was made. We went in for the 1 month post-treatment blood work today, so we'll know how she's really doing very soon. There is no way around the guess and check method on all this.
I am now realizing that my expectations of feline medicine needs to be adjusted. I used to think that the professionals would have all the answers, but if I really think about it, how much resources are put into advancing feline medicine? And of any advancement that is made, how many specialists around the world are privy to it? I have no idea, but I have a feeling it's a low number. Thank goodness there are public papers available online on hyper-T + CKD. And thank goodness we live in the age of the internet. I can't imagine if it was something more esoteric and less accessible. I guess there's really nothing we can do except our best.
We feel the love from you and Colby and Olive!
@cookiescacti I'm glad to hear you are feeling that way. I know it's easy to feel regret if something goes wrong but truly in this situation I think you are making the right choice. It's nice to hear her behavior has been steady. Hopefully the blood work will give you some answers! All too often I've found myself in the guess and check method over and over. Only once did I ever get a straight forward answer on a second visit with one of my cats and that's only because they specifically had a cardiologist on staff and he recognized the signs. The other 2 vets in the room from the first visit completely missed it simply because they didn't recognize all the signs. That was the point I realized they don't know as much as I had always assumed.
Unfortunately I agree. I have really lowered my expectations of feline medicine over the years and it makes me so sad because when my kitties start not feeling well, I know most likely there will be very little help if it's not something basic. And you are right, any advancement that is made seems to stick with that person or very few others. i think of it as all vets are just like general practice doctors, so they all have basic knowledge but there are hardly any specialists. As you said though, at least this is the age of internet! Have you tried joining any online cat groups? Sometimes you can learn a lot from people in those groups who have experienced things first hand with their cats. Or course there is a lot of bad info from people too but those are usually pretty easy to weed out.
You're doing the best job a kitty mom can do, so just keep with it!
I'm so glad you mentioned the online forums. Omg, I think the feline diabetes forum saved Cookie's life when she had mysterious transient diabetes last year. If I had blindly followed the vet's instructions with insulin I'm not sure Cookie would still be here today. I have since joined Tanya's ckd forum and the hyperthyroid forum. If it wasn't for hyperthyroid forum I wouldn't have known about watching out for hypo-T post I131 and treating with levothyroxine and dosing and everything else. Thank goodness there are people out there who put these groups together. It's exactly as you said, sometimes the amount of information is completely overwhelming but I can sift through to what I think is reasonable or makes sense to me.
We got the lab results back for the 1 month check up. She's doing better than the last lab work but she's nowhere near where she was before all of this. Annnndd I think we're about to enter territory that my gp vet has never entered before (and I only know because of the forums). Luckily he seems pretty open minded to the suggestions I throw at him.... We'll see...
@cookiescacti online forums are real life savers for some of these cats when the vets we take them to have no idea what they are dealing with. I'm glad you've found some help through them. And yes as long as you think reasonably, you can pick out the stuff that make sense.
I'm glad to hear Cookie is doing better. She may never get back to where she was before all of this started but at least she's not doing worse. Good luck with the vet, I think at this point, just be very happy that he's open minded. Nothing worse than a vet that doesn't know what their dealing with and isn't really open to taking suggestions.
It's a bit easier to grow seeds when you have something to keep a little more humidity in your pots.
Maybe that's the missing piece of the puzzle for my non-Copiapoa seedlings. Hmmmm... something to contemplate for any future seedlings.
Poor kitty 😢doesn’t seem like she is in pain. Best wishes
Sigh, I know... I don't get the sense that she's suffering at this point. Still eating and drinking which is always good.
I’m sad Cookie is going through this. You should seek a specialist out of state if necessary. Maybe they can consult remotely and you and Cookie could travel there if needed.
It is so challenging. I've received suggestions to see internal medicine. I'm keeping all that in mind. It's that delicate balance of the stress of putting Cookie through diagnosis vs. getting her the proper treatment. And I know the journey to proper treatment is a rough road. We went in for her 1 month post-radioiodine blood work today, so we'll know very soon how she's doing.
@@cookiescacti Sending good luck to her. I hope you both get good news!
Thank you so much, Maria. Her latest blood work looks better than 2 weeks ago, but still a ways away from the before this whole thing. Fingers crossed....
like your cat.
Me too 😁
If that was me I would put more stock in my kidneys. Hormone supplements is always more doable than dialysis. Sounds like a difficult situation to be in and looks like this difficult tortie got a good responsible owner. Pet wellbeing has a line of product for kidneys and thyroid. Maybe you can check reviews and see what goes into them. Caveat emptor and snake oil and all but even if you chose not to use it you may gain insight not entertained or advocated by the vet. I like the way she stays busy and entertains herself.
So true on the hormone supplement being way easier than dialysis and much more preferable over kidney failure. I've seen those products before, in fact, I may have a bottle of it at home for the kidneys. I never quite got myself to give it to Cookie due to a slight unease about lack of familiarity with the ingredients. 2 weeks later, so far so good. Her thyroid levels have gotten better, kidneys a bit better too but nowhere near as good as they before all this. She's still eating and drinking, fingers crossed.... one day at a time.
@@cookiescacti Plus you got to chose your poisons [grains or peas and how they affect alkalinity, kidneys and thyroid]. I started boiling chicken thighs and broccoli and putting them is small mason jars for the cats just to supplement their diet. I p/repacked the flat in 2s and 3s for convenience. I try to ladle the fat off the top of course.
I have 3 Copiapoa Cinereas lying on their sides next to each other in terracotta saucers with one side propped up on a block for inclination covered in pumice and humus. Probably had them for ten years in precarious situations just like that. I got them from a local inner city show and sale in Arcadia.
The things we do for our fur babies. I wish I could see pictures of your C. cinerea!
Perhaps, but I just lack the editing skills. It's been grey skies oh strike that that was in Vegas, but it's been gray and even rained today. I'm actually enjoying this new polar vortex disrupted climate. I have a couple of [not sure what they are/just sort of helped myself to them on separate occasions/didn't do anything compromising or invasive] something of the echinopsis or helianthocereus persuasion that just did some pretty shocking blooms. A couple of months ago I noticed some buds on them. The new smaller one had like 11 potential buds but I only ended up with one and a half on that one and 2 on the bigger one. The small one pretty much just propped up in a tub with paper and pumice sheltered for most of the winter rain, and I think the stress of not being planted is what yielded so many potential buds; but at the same time my inferior cultural skills, feeding and maybe being too liberal with the diatomaceous that can raise the ph combined with fickle confusing weather lead to a mere three blooms. Maybe I can scrape up a file fair game for a short or something, or maybe I can muster the gall to ask restaurant staff at La Paloma what this barrel of a cactus could be which has medium flimsy spines.
Hope Cookie steers clear of dire straits.
Thank you so much for the positive vibes for Cookie. I'd say she's holding steady for now. I'll take all the good days I can get with her! Gosh that's so crazy with all the flowers you've been observing. I heard from my colleagues in Southern California about all the unusually gray weather they've been getting!
just bought a lot of seeds and will copy your set up, it looks very clean, only difference is mine will have much more ariocarpus than any other thing 😅.
can you tell me what did you use to label the plants?
Ohhhh exciting, Eric! Regarding the labels, do you mean the white plastic labels? I bought a ton off Amazon and I use pencil to write on them - graphite is the only thing that can withstand water and humidity so far.
Hi, would you mind telling me what kind of top dressing that is at 8:23? And do you recommend any sellers who specialize in top dressings? Thank you so much, have really been enjoying your videos!!!
That top dressing is good ol' pumice. I bought a bucket of large grain pumice from my local cactus society a while back, turns out, it works great as top dressing! I used to use decomposed granite, which I bought in bags from Home Depot and would sift and wash at home. I'm so glad you enjoy my videos!
I like the updates and i think every month is nice but bi-monthly would be nice to, I just got a bag of mixed seeds there are only 25 seeds from random cacti its the first time this seed compani is selling cacti seeds but i just had to get started and my own cacti only flower one at any time so no home made seed yet but trying to get there
How exciting, Anders! I'm looking forward to knowing how it goes. Did they list which random cacti the seeds come from? I hope your cacti flower in sync at some point so you can harvest seeds from your own plant.
@@cookiescacti no info on the seeds other then mixed and a photo on the bag of the most common cacti but it says 20seeds i did not count them but 17 little green plants are up and more coming up every all look like cacti. I would love to know what i am growing but i am just happy to get some seed started
Wow, 17 out of 20 is an amazing germination rate! I'm super curious what cactus you got!
If you could find some mormon tea, and if you could get your cat to drink it, she will be doing better,... great for kidneys...
Thanks for the note, Mark. I'll need to do some research to see if it's okay for cats to consume... also if she'll touch it lol. She won't even touch certain made-for-cat beverages these days...
@@cookiescacti I have seen it work well for dogs with the same stuff your cat has going on, its very inexpensive, and grows all over the desert. It is your best chance right now... Dr.s, even vets don't love animals like the person that is always with the animal. I actually love all animals that much! I don't want your cat to get better, I want her to be cured!
I appreciate the love, Mark! Yeah, the Drs can only do so much. We live with our fur babes day in and day out. No one knows our little furry friends better than we do.