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Convergence
indefineable


Registered: 07/03/15
Posts: 160
Last seen: 7 years, 7 months
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When to water? (first germination attempt)
#22056595 - 08/07/15 03:40 AM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Ive tried sowing seed for the first time, mostly trichocereus and lophophora but a few others also. Ive done the takeaway tek but with thicker tupperware-like comtainers that I drilled a few holes in the bottom. Going by the advice of Hanazono from the AusCactiForum I used a seed mix of 2 part seed raising soil (sieved) 2 part zeolite (1mm), 1 part course sand, 1 part gravel (1mm). I did mist sprayed the soil mix and nuked it for 4 minutes in the microwave. After it cooled I sowed the seeds by placing/sprinkling and they fall between the 1mm grains and didnt need a top dressing. Then put under lights with a heat mat, the container sits inside another container that is acting as a drip tray and also to put a little distance from the heat mat.
Its been 2 and a half days since sowing now and I still see condensation forming beads on the top of the containers, but its starting to look like less condensation. Still no germination yet, but its early days. Im worried about it drying out though since the condensation is gradually getting less, but its still wet and i can see beads of water in the soilmix when i look through the side of the container.
My question is when and how do I water? I dont want to contaminate the containers by opening them, but i could open them and mist a few times with distilled water. Also I could bottom water through the drip tray but i dont want to drown them.
heres some pics
 This is the container within a container as drip tray setup.
Initial setup
More containers
This shows the beads of water in the soil mix today.
The trichocereus has more condensation day 2, Looks nice and humid, lots of moisture.
This is the condensation on the lophophora lid, day 2, it's losing moisture maybe... should I be worried about drying out?
Thx for the help
Edited by Convergence (08/07/15 04:45 AM)
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Argyreia
Grafting cacti is awesome



Registered: 11/19/14
Posts: 1,100
Loc: France
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Re: When to water? (first germination attempt) [Re: Convergence]
#22056653 - 08/07/15 04:28 AM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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You don't have to be worried. It looks not dry at all.
I don't know where you live but if it's summer you don't need heating mats for germination. (And you don't need to microwave the soil oor use fungicides etc. I've never used that. Straight to soil, in a greenhouse and it works.)
Most cacti seeds can germinate from +20°C to +35-40°C. They like temperature swings (cooler at night.) and they need moist soil and high air humidity.
Once seedlings get their first spines, you can reduce air humidity. (Approx one month/ 3 weeks.)
In your setup, I think you can see seedlings in no more than 5 days after sowing if you have fresh seeds.
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Convergence
indefineable


Registered: 07/03/15
Posts: 160
Last seen: 7 years, 7 months
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Re: When to water? (first germination attempt) [Re: Argyreia]
#22056680 - 08/07/15 04:59 AM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Ok thanks thats good to know. I'm in Perth, Western Australia. Its the middle of winter here but our winters are mild, averaging about 8 to 12 degrees celcius at night, 18 to 22 degrees during the day. Inside the house its a few degrees warmer, and we almost never heat the house.
The heating mat supposedly adds 5 or more degrees celcius to the containers, but i havent measured it, i dont have a thermometer. Those lights make the room noticeably warmer so I think they add 1 or 2 degrees also. I think the heat mat is needed for these conditions but i dont know. thx for your help again
Edited by Convergence (08/07/15 05:01 AM)
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kosmokratorshaman
Cosmic Creator

Registered: 05/13/15
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Re: When to water? (first germination attempt) [Re: Argyreia]
#22056681 - 08/07/15 04:59 AM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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I mist 3-4 times daily in my humidity chamber before they sprout. Once they sprout, I mist about the same at the beginning. I slowly begin to leave my lid off a few hours at a time. I mist less often, but with more sprays.
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Convergence
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Registered: 07/03/15
Posts: 160
Last seen: 7 years, 7 months
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Quote:
kosmokratorshaman said: I mist 3-4 times daily in my humidity chamber before they sprout. Once they sprout, I mist about the same at the beginning. I slowly begin to leave my lid off a few hours at a time. I mist less often, but with more sprays.
if you look at this setup of mine, should i be misting? I just have a spray bottle like the ones you can use when ironing clothes, and its filled with distilled water. Doesnt opening the container and misting expose them to contamination?
-------------------- “Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends upon what we look for. What we look for depends upon what we think. What we think depends upon what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality.”
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kosmokratorshaman
Cosmic Creator

Registered: 05/13/15
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Re: When to water? (first germination attempt) [Re: Convergence]
#22056699 - 08/07/15 05:09 AM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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honestly yes. I pulled a pot of 50 peruvianus seeds that got blue mold. Other individual seedlings in other pots got it, but I scooped them out.
Also, I see greenish spots in almost all my pots now. Sometimes a seed will rot into a black mass on its own as well. As of yesterday, I started seeing little silver bugs crawling in my soil. Sucks, but something contaminated my grow.
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When
Sr amateur Entheogenician



Registered: 03/28/15
Posts: 495
Loc: Where?
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Looks good If there's condensation inside your chamber, they're getting enough humidity.
Keep a close eye on the lighting, I would pull one of those tubes, because you don't need all that light right now. Keep a real close eye on the color of the future seedlings, even then you might find both tubes on will be too much light turning them orange/red/purple. In that case you could just diffuse the containers with tissue paper for a sunscreen
Keep a close eye on them and they'll do just fine
Edited by When (08/07/15 05:43 AM)
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kosmokratorshaman
Cosmic Creator

Registered: 05/13/15
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Re: When to water? (first germination attempt) [Re: When]
#22059188 - 08/07/15 03:22 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Some of mine are a little orange, but ive been hardening them. Most are doing well. I gave them their first ferts, already looking better. First seeds were sown 5-18
-------------------- I am.
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karode13
Tāne Mahuta




Registered: 05/19/05
Posts: 15,290
Loc: LV-426
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Re: When to water? (first germination attempt) [Re: Convergence]
#22060386 - 08/07/15 08:08 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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So long as the soil is moist and the seeds on top are also moist you should get germination. Only water when the soil surface is dry, or drying out. The info you got from AusCactiForums is very good. Follow it.
Do this and be patient. If the seeds you have are viable you'll start to see germination in a week.
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kosmokratorshaman
Cosmic Creator

Registered: 05/13/15
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Re: When to water? (first germination attempt) [Re: karode13]
#22060432 - 08/07/15 08:20 PM (8 years, 5 months ago) |
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Fresh seeds are the best.
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