ULTIMATE HELP AND INSTRUCTIONS IN CACTI GROWING

[Goran.Hrsak]

STARTING:
I prefer a soil-less compost, with the addition of about one part in three of sharp sand to improve drainage and texture. Partial sterilisation of the soil is useful and may be achieved by either baking in a conventional oven for a few hours, or by treatment for a few minutes in a microwave oven. Following such treatment, the compost will not be clinically sterile but will be free of insect pests and their larvae and will have a reduced burden of fungi and other micro-organisms.
Complete sterilisation is undesirable, as the first infecting fungal spore landing on the compost it will over throw and eat sterilised soil with highly expanding speed! Like shroom tek!

SECOND STAGE
Some species from environments with cold winters may require exposure to cold or even freezing conditions to break dormancy (simulating natural passage through a winter).
Several strategies may be tried:

Sow seeds in January-March and cover with fine grit or sand. Water so the compost is moist and place outside where a range of natural freeze-thaw temperature cycles will be experienced.
Sow seeds, cover and place the container in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Sow seeds, cover and place the container alternately in the refrigerator and ice compartment of the refrigerator over several weeks to simulate freeze-thaw cycles.
Seeds of other species are activated by chemicals found in the smoke from bush-fires but this doesn't have any impact to Peyote or Tricho cacti.

THIRD STAGE:
Following sowing, the seed should be kept in a moist environment in a propagator, or the whole container wrapped in a clean plastic bag. Following germination, alternative strategies can be used. You can remove the covers after e.g. 1 month to allow the circulation of air or to leave the seeds sealed up in their containers for up to a year. Whichever method is followed, it generally advisable to avoid the compost drying out for about the first year, and watering with fungicide may help survival of delicate species. Seeds may continue to germinate over a long period of time and it should not be assumed that the first seedlings are all that will be obtained.

Minimum temperatures of 28-38°C (even less will work) are usually desirable and will allow germination of the majority of succulent plant seeds, but some tropical species may require warmer conditions. Germination does not usually appear to be inhibited by light, and may be essential for some species, but bright sunlight should be avoided as the delicate seedlings may be scorched. As the seedlings grow, the amount of light given can be gradually increased, but beware of direct sunlight.

I WILL POST MORE BOUT GROWING BUT NOT JUST NOW. FOR NOW THIS IS ENOUGH.

ANY QUESTIONS? JUST ASK. PEACE.

 

[user_1919]

Thanks Goran. I was wondering if you could provide me with some advice to transplant peyote. Spring has came, and I want to put 3 of my peyotes into one bigger pot. I was wondering about when I should water, before or after, or both? Also a correct soil mix. Right now I use regular Cactus mix from the store. Should I add some sand? Also sun light, should they recieve the same amount of sun light as before, or should they recieve less until they have adapated to there new home...

Thanks, PEACE

 

[Goran.Hrsak]

TIP FOR NEXT WINTER TIME:

During the low-light winter months, cacti should be watered only enough to prevent shrinking and withering. When watering, do it thoroughly. Water should flow through the drain holes, and the excess should be discarded after a few minutes. A series of repeated shallow sprinklings often results in distorted growth. As the amount of light increases in the spring, so does the plant's need for water. The soil, however, should always be allowed to dry out completely between waterings.

ANSWER NUMBER ONE:
Minimum on week before repotting leave plant soil-dry and wait at least a week before new watering, this gives the succulent roots time to heal before being exposed to water. Also repotting shock will be significally lower.
Water slow and deep with in ground cacti, this really keep them from stressing so much with grow more evenly.This is also referred to as 'deep soaking'. Deep soak is a slow, but steady, drip from a garden hose over a two to six hour period. The size of plant determines the duration. But also watering from below like sucking water from holes at base of pot is also fine.

NUMBER TWO
Fertilizers can be organic or inorganic. The advantage of inorganic fertilizers is that their chemical content is consistent. Organic fertilizers are high in trace elements yet they may lack some elements which will cause a deficiency with prolongued use. Advice, USE CHEMICAL fertile also because they doesn't have no bacterial history. Bacterial disease are hard to get but also hard to get reed of! You can use a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer in the early spring.
Why and which elements are used by cacti

(N) nitrogen - encourages good top growth.

(P) phosphorus (phosphate) - encourages good root growth. Aids in the ripening of fruit and seed germination.

(K) potassium (potash) - encourages good flowers and fruit.

THIRD:
Sun is not so strong now so you can free minded expose Peyotes to sun.

 

[user_1919]

Thanks Goran. I do have a grow light that when the darkness comes, I put my peyotes under the light. There lighting is a mix of sun light and a grow light. In the morning, I switch the grow light on, and then when I leave for school, they go at the window. When it gets dark at night, I put them back under the grow light. My question to you, should I still treat this as 'winter', because they are recieveing around 14 hours of sun everyday, which is a mix of artifical light and natural sun light....

Thanks

PEACE

 

[Guest]

i'm glad you opened this thread, goran!

1) i have a "classical" question: watering seedlings from birth until they have reached 1cm in diameter, from fall to summer, how to do it ?
2) how long before a peyote first flowers ?
3) is it effective to mix different sub-species of the lophophora ? (i mean, can we have seeds with mixed genes ?) and, if so, what's the advantage we can acheive from it ? better adaptation to our enviroment ? sterile hybrids ?
4) how long can seeds be stored ? how to store them ? if the seeds are self-fertile, is the son completely equal to his mother ?
5) what's the best way to water a cactus ? should one give chemical fertilizer or is there a natural way ? when can one know that a cactus has a phosphate (for example) deficiency ?

i might have some more, i'll post them when i remember. thank you for your answers.

 

[Goran.Hrsak]

FIRST I NEED TO ANNOUNCE SOMETHING BOUT WATERING:There is no simple recipe for advising on the right amount, or frequency of watering, as there are so many environmental and other factors that determine a plant's needs. This includes the climate, type of soil, ambient air temperature and of course cacti specie!

BUT HERE YOU HAVE SOME TIPS AND WAYS HOW TO REGULATE WATERING
Use plate for kitchen oven or syrophor plate. Something wide and long but with 3-6cm side "shields"(can't find right word). Fill plate with earth and moist it until you get almost muddy mix. Place seeds on earth and cover them with thin layer of sand. After that cover plate with plastic foil. Very simple and efficient! Moisture will remain in "greenhouse" for long period of time. But use some fungicide for mold protection. Powder form is the best for this particular way. Occasionally remove plastic foil for fresh air but first wait for small cacti heads to form. How to give more water when base moist starts to evaporate? Make small holes on plate (this is why I prefer styrophor or hard plastic) and place plate with holes (soil and cacti) into another plate filled with water. This way soil will suck recommended amount of water just like young Peyote roots. The biggest advantage from this way is minimal stress for Peyote. Stress is beginning of all troubles and diseases! :!:

Flowering of Peyote? This is one of one million kind question!!
I have experience with this and I will tell you what I know bout this from growing experience, not some kind of fortune telling or Internet read-write.

Peyote need 2-3 years to mature. Time when Peyote starts to propagate. In winter time give little bit more water to cacti, this way cacti will expand his skin and size which stimulate cacti enlargement for one-third more if you compare it with normal cacti treatment. This is also way how to enlarge alkaloids production in coming growing-sunny days! You will feel-see when is enough first with looks (Peyote become like large marble) and gently squeeze give hard, stone kinda consistency.

When spring time come spray cacti but do not spray green part, spray soil but also give cacti water from bottom, trough pot holes. This way muffs and center of Peyote isn't shocked with water and also Peyote will look beautiful! Large dose of high power sun at begging of hot times will harden in some way cacti skin. This way Peyote shield him self from summer frying sun just like humans skin on hands from work at construction yard.

Why I am telling this? Because skin is the most important cacti above earth part-component(sun-factory) and roots are the most important below earth part(mine-mineral factory). Skin dictates flowering time, amount-percentage of alkaloids. So this is also very tricky and risky Peyote growers decision! To expose Peyote to hard sun for higher alkaloid production or just leave it in shade cause you want to have "Peyote" like decoration?! Now you can see why I sad that flowering is one million question! I forgotten one thing!! Use double amount of fertilizer in spring time re-poting! But use it only after second year!!!

I did not understand question very well. But if you are afraid that your Peyote will become sterile if no other flowering Peyote cacti is near, don't be. Peyote produce seeds anyway. Doesn't matter if no other flowering Peyote is near! I am not agricultural or biological expert but I think that Peyote can impregnate by himself alone! :wink: (I guarantee this, I see that by myself)

One thing bad with this is degradation of DNA and resistance to disease, less seeds and germination success after couple generations. DNA doesn't change if cacti is impregnated by himself. I use cotton on needle for pollen collection and fertile my Peyotes by hand. This way one Peyote produce over 100 to 200 seeds per year! -answer to mother question

Seeds can be stored for long period of time but with years germination percentage drops. After three years dramatically! THE BEST WAY IS TO PLANT SEEDS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU COLLECT THEM. WAIT ONE-TWO WEEK AND PLANT THEM. THEY WILL GROW WITH DOUBLE SPEED COMPARING WITH ONE YEAR OLD ONES. SKIN IS MORE SENSIBLE TO GROWING STIMULI!!! BUT SOW THEM BEFORE ENDING OF 9'th MONTH.


(N) nitrogen - encourages good top growth, it helps to build protoplasm, protein and other components of plant cells.(THIS DETERMINE SIZE&ALKALOID PRODUCTION-THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT FOR PEYOTE) Slow growing rate and malformations in shapes or discolorations are indicators for lack of nitrogen in earth

(P) phosphorus (phosphate) - encourages good root growth. Aids in the ripening of fruit and seed germination (seed viability). (ALSO DETERMINES RESISTANCE TO SHOCK, DISEASE, OVERALL HEALTH) Slow growing rate and only couple of flowering show lack of phosphorus.

(K) potassium (potash) - encourages good flowers and fruit.