EXOTIC SEED KIT
Mikey, please feel free to hand on some of these seeds (as there are rather a lot) to others working at The Pines. Then you can all share exasperation at my methods.
As nothing yet has grown form my two weeks of sowing, I think you'll have a long wait.
Kit:
Seeds:
- 11 Yucca Rostrada [Yucca]
- 13 Opuntia Ficus Indica (Prickly Pear) [Cactus - edible]
- 12 Ferocactus Schwarzii [Cactus]
- 8 Schizobasis Intricata [hyacinth bulb - caudex]
- 2 Adansonia Samibarensis [baobab tree - caudex]
The nursery provided 5 more seeds in each pack than advertised, hence the surplus handed on to you. I don't want to plant more than 10 of each, as I have limited space.
I have never tried to grow these before, except for the opuntia (which I got from another nursery, and where I had 100% failure - none germinated). This year I'm fascinated by 'caudex' plants. You should view the Schizobasis as an artwork and the Adansonia as a bonsai (the largest succulent in the world, growing up to 90ft).
Utensils:
- 12 pots
- 20 labels
- 12 blue freezer bags
- 12 clear fridge bags
- 1 packet of Waitrose party straws
- 24 rubber bands (bright)
- 4 wooden toothpick/cocktail sticks (3 spare)
- 1 logbook with pen
- 1 pot of cactus feed
- 1 measuring jug (used)
- 1 packet of vermiculite
- 1 packet of perlite
Not included (but needed):
- a pair of scissors
- a sterile mixing stick
Instructions
The basic principle is to sow in a disease-free and alien-free environment. This is done by using sterile materials (especially the vermiculite/perlite) - however, you can still get disease from your water supply and from air-borne spores. Also, my vermiculite/perlite have been open to the air for quite some time in my kitchen - so an alien triffid could take over. Once the seeds are in a sterile tent, you want to grow them there for as long as possible - maybe up to a year.
Vermiculite and Perlite
Vermiculite stores water. Perlite is good for rooting.
Put 3x the amount recommended of cactus feed in the measuring jug. Almost fill with hot water. Mix vigorously. Add as much vermiculite as you can, mixing it in (you should be aiming to have only about an inch (or two) of water left [adjust the amounts if you are doing smaller batches]. Leave for at least 12 hours. The vermiculite, having absorbed the water, should now have fallen to the bottom of the jug, with the water residue on top. Give it a few prods to encourage it to drop. Put the soggy vermiculite back in the bag.
Again, put 3x the amount recommended of cactus feed in the jug and mix with water. This time stir in the perlite. Perlite doesn't absorb water, so there's no need to wait.
Recording
Fill in your log book appropriately. Write up your labels. Stick the labels on the pots.
Filling a pot
Place the pot inside a blue freezer bag (without closing the bag). Fill the pot (right up to the top) with a layer of perlite at the bottom, then a layer of vermiculite, then a layer of perlite, then a layer of vermiculite on the top. The vermiculite layers should be about twice as thick as the perlite. Attach the bag to the pot with a rubber band. You may need to detach the band and bag occasionally, if the vermiculite is drying out, in order to suspend the pot in water (briefly). You can judge a pot's dryness by its weight - soggy vermiculite is heavy, dry vermiculite isn't.
Sowing
Cactus seeds should generally be placed on the top of the vermiculite without any cover. Probably best to do this with all the seeds here, except the Adansonia. That said, larger seeds should be submerged (push the Yucca in with your finger) without covering. Cactus seeds sometimes have difficulty in rooting in the right direction, so dig a small hole for them (with the toothpick) to lie in. Leave the hole uncovered. The best way to sow a small seed (like the ferocactus) is with a moistened toothpick (simply touch the seed with the toothpick - it will adhere). I would normally put about 5 seeds in a pot, but you can double that (I work on the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket).
Soak the Adansonia in water overnight before sowing. You may need to 'scarify' it (cutting a hole in the husk to reveal the inside) if you want it to germinate fast - but you can kill it doing that. It needs lots to heat to germinate. I doubt that either of us will have success with it.
Finishing a pot
Cut off the bendy ends of four straws and put the remainder in the pot (one to each edge or corner). Dig them fully down. Put a clear plastic bag over them to create a tent, and attach that to the pot with a rubber band. Don't do this over the blue freezer bag. You shouldn't need to remove the tent for months - but you might decide to cut the bag open or remove it entirely if you have something vigorous inside. Put in a bright, hot environment (like a window sill). Heat is the important thing to wake these seeds up - if desperate, try putting the pots in hot water - or in an airing cupboard.
At best, germination will happen after five days - cacti ands succulents tend to take up to three weeks to 'pop' the majority of their seeds. Opuntia are erratic. Other seeds could take a month to a year. I planted this year a seed of the same size as the Adansonia and it germinated in 32 days (a banana tree, I think) - a month later and it's 9 inches high..
Good Luck!
UPDATE 16-06-2016
Hello Mikey - hope that you enjoyed your holiday. My results so far: