hottiehorti:

Germinating Astrophytum seeds

I believe this is NOT the only method that you can use, but it works for me, so I’m sharing 🙂 Happy growing!

1) Soak the seeds overnight in warm (but not hot) water. It’s normal for the water to cool down over time – it’s OK.

2) Prepare your potting media. Use ≥90% coarse material eg. Pumice, volcanic rocks, leca, and ≤10% cactus potting soil.

3) Fill your pot(s) up with the potting media, nearly to the brim.

4) Prepare fungicide solution. I don’t know which brands are good, but I use the baba organic liquid fungicide spray. So no preparation is needed. Some people use powder fungicide, so dilute it with water according to instructions I guess.

5) Prepare “Greenhouse”. You can use any transparent container. I use plastic takeaway boxes. But a friend gave me a few plastic boxes that has ridges at the bottom and elevated platforms, so there can be a layer of water at the bottom without letting the pots take up the water from the holes at the bottom (of the pots). They also have transparent lids.

6) Spray the “greenhouse” and external of pots with your fungicide solution. Water your pots of media with tap water (left exposed to air overnight for chlorine to evaporate), and spray the media with fungicide solution. Pour some water into the “greenhouse”, such that the water will reach the level of the base of the pots, and the pots can wick the water to the seeds.

7) Scatter the soaked seeds onto the media. Try to let the seeds have some distance between each other to allow space for them to grow without crowding each other.

8) Put the pots into the “greenhouse” and leave it in bright shade. Astrophytum seeds germinate quite quickly; usually within a week.

9) Gradually move the “greenhouse” into brighter area(s) every 2 weeks. Eventually, it should be in bright, indirect light. Don’t put it under hot, direct Sun, as the high humidity and temperature in the “greenhouse” will “cook” them.

10) After the first 2 weeks (after sowing), pour out the water from the “greenhouse”. Don’t let the pots wick water anymore. But close the “greenhouse” to maintain the humidity.

11) Watch them grow. You can leave them in the greenhouse for at least 6 months. Don’t let the media completely dry out. Keep it moist with the high humidity and occasional light watering (if required) I haven’t reached this stage with my babies, but I heard at 6 months they should be big enough to take out from the greenhouse.