Chris,
Sorry but I had a hard time checking out your site. I believe you used the bag method. I use covered dishes. Like the free take out kind. They need high moisture to germinate and little water. They must be kept from drying out. The covered dish solves all this. Also I use a regular potting mix with a little sand mixed in. Repotting after seed germinates into a more freely draining mix. Repot seeds after maybe a few months. Seems like it takes forever for them to grow. Best of luck.
Stush

Hi

Thanks for your comments. Sorry that you had problems with the site - maybe that was because I had a revolving slide show on the first page?

I still haven't resolved how I cover the seedlings. I want to keep the pots sealed, but I'm finding that cling film (my current choice) is getting so much condensation that I can't easily see through or photograph.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: My Succulent Diary

I have a large box made out of plywood out in the greenhouse. I cover it with sheets of scrap polycarbonate to maintain moisture as seeds germinate. Seeds are sown into 3" pots with my standard cactus mix: 5 gallon topsoil/loam, 2 gallon sand, 2 gallon perlite, and 2 gallon gravel. Here's Ferocactus gracilis seedlings:

Thank you. I don't have the benefit of a garden or greenhouse, and I'm trying to keep things clean indoors by using vermiculite/perlite rather than soil. Not sure how sustainable that is.

Clearly, especially looking at the two pictures above, I might be sensible to sow more closely. At the moment, I've been using 5-9 seeds in each 7cm pot.

The link below points to my latest pot design!

Here is a link that might be useful: New Pot Design

You might have a much easier time if you find some delis where you can get clam shell or hinged styled deli containers, like they use for a slice of cake or something like that.

Those can be opened & closed tight, yet the clear plastic allows one to see in, including keep an eye on how much condensation collects inside. Sometimes I use these to root Begonia leaves & will just open the container to let some fresh air in, wipe the interior surfaces off of moisture & close it back up.

I wouldn't have the patience for plastic wrap & straws, & the hinged containers can me made almost airtight.

Good suggestion. I'll have a look online for other containers. I'm a little hampered by my two requirements of not opening the container and yet being able to photograph.

Though I must admit I'm finding the Professor Branestawm/Blue Peter effect quite jolly. :-)

Chris

Why is one of your requirements to not open the container? Bad idea.

You MUST be able to open the container or risk rot from lack of air circulation. I haven't done a lot from seed, but have done some & imagine that's a common contributor to death by damping off (a common affliction for seedlings from what I read). Fresh circulating air is CRITICAL to new plants, seeds or not!!

Don't look online for these, look around for local delis, bakeries, can be different shapes, but the hinge is the key. Can be snapped shut & then re-opened. I'll look around to see if I can find some of my older pix of these.

OK, this is several years old, but shows some hinged containers as I described 'em above.

{{gwi:509933}}

Note the hinge on the upper left of shot; from a Mango Pit I'd planted.

Thank you for that (your second post). Just what I was looking for - some polite and constructive criticism that would make me question my assumptions.

I'm going to open up a new thread about open and closed conditions for seedlings; and will reply to your comments about pots in a separate post on this thread.

Chris

(your third post)

Nice pics.

I'm a little bit cautious about containers that have been used for food as propagators - it seems to me that they could spread disease. And pouring boiling water into them to kill off germs can lead to some rather bendy plastic (at least my experience on the recyclables used in the UK now).

Also, I don't use delis much, and I can't think of anything I've seen that is similar to your pictures.

But I certainly like the idea of moulded plastic domes or similar. I did see some on sale on a gardening site, but they had sold out. I guess there are others looking for the same sort of thing.

Chris

I appreciate your intentions, but in my opinion & experience you are overthinking this & anticipating things which simply have not come into play in my experience.

You have to be able to open the container to control the ambient humidity & fresh air. Germs from food containers have NEVER been an issue, no need to wash w/ boiliing water, simply ordinary washing was fine.

My containers are transparent, so shooting through them is a breeze.

Will try to post more pix later.

FYI: your posts ar just fine, but one need not start a new thread, for each change, expansion or zig zagging of topics.

Thanks.

I always overthink. That's me (nickname 'Prof' at school 35 years ago). Wouldn't have any fun doing this if I didn't.

No need for more pics - as I said, I'm happy with the idea, but I don't get any plastic containers from delis. I would need to find something commercially available on the web.

Chris

That's not the only thing I've got to show you or only Idea of how to do it. Gotta open one's mind just a bit here - use some imagination a little bit too. Another idea later.

That's what makes a horse race I guess, I'm not a fan of the overthinking (to me, it's a waste of time & energy, also kills the fun for me, anyway).

But most importantly, it sure doesn't serve the plants any better; just my two cents on that thought.

Also seems to be a conceptual difference here -- you seem to want to anticipate problems. I choose to anticipate success, at least in some fashion.

You could always build a box to germinate seeds in. The one I use is constructed with scrap plywood, Extra pieces of twin wall polycarbonate were cut to size and fit the top of the box, maintaining moisture during germination. The sheets of polycarbonate are easily moved, to provide more or less air circulation. This box is 8 feet long and 22" wide, but the same design could be used on a smaller scale. Another idea, which I've used in the past: Use plastic "kitty litter" containers. Look for one deep enough to hold pots of soil with labels. Have a piece of window glass cut to fit the top and you're good to go.

@cactus_cowboy

You don't want to see my DIY carpentry!

I think I prefer to keep the pots separate, really for experimentation. Your approach is a more confident mass production technique; and I don't think I'm anywhere near that yet. But thanks for the suggestion - I can see myself doing something like that in a couple of years.

Chris

Chris,
When your at your favorite restaurant, ask to see their take home containers. I just got one from Bob Evans and it was just perfect for starting 100 seeds of mix Euphorbia in. So far I have a 50% germination rate. It has a back bottom with clear top opening. Approx. 10" X 10". And like Karen saids, you need to open and inspect the seedlings and let them dry out a bit, or gently spray them.
Stush

@Stush2049

Thanks for that. My efforts are at a much lower volume.

I've been experimenting so far. I've thrown in a packet of mixed cactus, and a few more (cactus+) that are defined. Mixed results from 0%-100%. And some more recent 'living stones' - too early to tell.

I'm pleased with my Mammiliaria Duwei, with a 100% strike from 5 seeds.

On the other hand, some pots have produced 0% from a commercial cactus seed mix that has produced, at best, 80% in other pots. My feeling is that I've let the 0% percent pots dry out.

Chris