How to Start Cactus Seeds Under Growing Lights
You don't need to live in the desert to grow cactus. You can sow cactus seeds indoors using growing lights. People grow them as unusual houseplants and although they don't take much care after they are up and growing, they are harder to grow from seed. Having the right conditions for the seeds to germinate is important. Once the seeds have sprouted, you will need to watch and protect them from mold and insects. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Find some small ceramic pots that are about 2 by 2 inches square. Make sure there are drainage holes at the bottom.
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Fill the pots with potting soil that is sandy and well draining. You can buy a special cactus mix of potting soil at most garden centers.
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Place one seed per pot in the center of the pot on top of the soil. Using a tea strainer, sift some very fine potting soil and barely cover the seed.
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Place the pots into a container that has a snap-on lid. The container must be translucent so light can penetrate it. The lid helps retain humidity. Pour 1/4 inch of water into the container.
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Water the top of the pots with a fine mist sprayer. Water the soil well, but do not make it soggy.
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Shut the lid on the container and place it under growing lights. Place the fluorescent grow lights 12 to 15 inches away from the surface of the soil. Have the lights on for 12 to 18 hours a day. Seeds need to be kept around 70 degrees F. If you don't have a warm area for the pots, place a heat pad beneath the container to regulate the temperature. Seeds should germinate in two to three weeks. Wipe away any condensation that forms on the lid.
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Tips & Warnings
Watch the temperature of the mini greenhouse. If the container is too close to the lights, your seeds will cook instead of germinate.
Remove the container lid when the seeds have germinated and replace it with a piece of muslin. Secure this with a rubber band or string. This will allow air to circulate so the cactus can grow.
No need to add any water unless the water in the container drops below 1/16 inch.
To keep the germinated cacti from falling over, place a layer of aquarium gravel that is very fine in size.
References
- Photo Credit cactus 2 image by Marc Rigaud from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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00abee00
Dec 03, 2010
Please educate yourself before posting a How To just for the sake of it. Do not place 1 seed per ceramic pot, cacti seedlings thrive on growing together a few per pot, also a ceramic pot as it will dry out too quickly. Saturate the soil, make it too soggy! The cacti seed need this for atleast 3 days. Also some cacti species can take up to a year to germinate, not 3 weeks.
