Cactus seed soil battle! | Episode 1: How many Astrophytum & Ariocarpus seeds germinate in 4 weeks?
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- čas přidán 17. 07. 2024
- Have you ever wondered if the type of soil used for sowing cactus seeds makes a difference? I certainly have and in particular I've always wondered if the premium soils that you can find on Etsy are really better than mixes you can find at a big box store or at your local nursery because there's a significant difference in price. So here we go, it's soil battle time!
In this video we compare 6 different soils for growing Astrophytum and Ariocarpus from seed. In no particular order:
1. Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix
2. MIracle-Gro Seed Starter + Miracle-Gro Perlite
3. Uni-Gro Cactus Mix
4. Rob Romero's mix: 60% pumice + 20% mushroom compost + 20% native soil
5. EastCoastCamanchaca's Seed Starting Soil Kit
6. MikesRarePlantsLLC Lophopro Seed Soil
The prices range from $0.10 to $4.50 per 2.5" nursery pot. Yes, you read that right. We will go over the different soils, the plan for the experiment, look at close-ups of each soil with my commentary on how much I liked or disliked working with each soil, sow the seeds, and then follow-up with updates over 4 weeks. I include information on where I purchased the soils and prices for all the soils. I also include information on how I calculated the cost per 2.5" nursery pot. Then we end the video with graphs showing the number of seeds that germinated over the 4 weeks along with my analysis and commentary on the results so far.
This is a fun one. It's also a long one! This is by far the most time and effort I have ever put into video. I find the entire experiment and the results so far to be absolutely fascinating. I will continue to follow-up with monthly updates, hopefully, for the next year. I find often that germination is the easy part of the growing journey. Keeping the seedlings alive and well is the true challenge. So let's see how these soils do!
00:00 Soil overview and cost analysis
15:00 Soil experiment & seed description
18:14 Seed sowing with soil close-ups
32:13 Day 1 check-in
38:41 Day 4 germination begins!
42:53 Day 7 check-in
50:07 Day 8 check-in & germination count
55:43 Day 16 check-in & germination count
1:01:33 Day 21 check-in & germination count
1:07:24 Day 28 final check-in & germination count
1:12:30 Day 28 seedling progress & close-ups
1:19:58 Soil cost analysis table
1:27:31 Soil performance chart - Astrophytum
1:32:56 Soil performance chart - Ariocarpus
1:38:06 Overall soil cost & performance discussion
1:40:19 Final words & next steps
Mesa Garden's video featuring Rob Romero and his soil mix: • Soil update and Sowing...
Connect with me on Instagram: / cookiescacti
Some of the growing supplies used for this experiment:
2.5" nursery pots:
www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
1020 Trays without holes:
www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
Tall clear dome for 1020 tray:
www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
Disclosure: The links to Amazon are affiliate links, which means that I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. There is no additional cost to you. I encourage shopping around as always.
Grow light without dimmer: SPIDER FARMER SF1000D (this is the one I use)
amzn.to/3OSPR6c (paid link)
Grow light with dimmer: SPIDER FARMER SF1000
amzn.to/3STyRyJ (paid link)
Succulent tools & transplanting kit
amzn.to/3XQZrup (paid link)
Plant labels
1000 count: amzn.to/41nUSdc (paid link)
200 count: amzn.to/3to3MLl (paid link)
Hi cactus friends! I hope you find this new seed soil comparison video to be interesting. I do want to mention that this experiment is by no means perfect nor comprehensive. It only covers my costs, my growing method, and my climate and equipment. Costs can vary greatly depending on where you live and your access to growing materials, so the numbers I list could be completely different for another individual located in a different part of the country or world. Also my soil performance results may not apply to everyone else as well. As we all know, just because a growing method works for one person doesn't mean it works for everyone else. We all have to find out for ourselves what works the best and I encourage you to experiment as well. I so wish this experiment could be repeated somewhere else because unless that happens, we have no idea if the results I get here would be the results someone else gets somewhere else. And with that said, happy growing!
Aw I wish you could have included this soil that I buy and use from Home Depot, the Kellog Palm, Cactus, and Citrus All Purpose Indoor and Outdoor Mix for all my plants but mostly succulents.
@@sonnyalvarado768 you could always run your own experiment! I'm super curious what kind of results other folks get.
@@cookiescactiTrue but I the moment I don't have the space and I don't use grow lights which I think it's best for growing from seed. Btw, have you ever used Kellog's brand soi? @cookiescacti
@@360revolucion8 I've used Kellog's for adult plants years ago but never tried it for growing from seed. I've heard that it does fine. I can't run anymore experiments though - 12 different soils hit the limit lol.
@@cookiescacti Aww. Yes I should specify my plants and growing them is not by seed. Also I use perlite or pumice with any & all soils I use. I amend my soul depending on what I grow such as using lava rocks, wood chips, cco coir, etc.
One last thing I forgot. I do sift the mushroom compost through quarter inch screen to remove the bigger chunks.
Thank you for the note, Rob! My laziness got in the way (as usual)...
Wow! I admire your patience in counting the seeds and counting the ones that germinated. That is not easy! I think the decomposed granite are so close (compact) to each other that it is not providing enough space for the seedlings to easily work their way out. I really don’t know that’s just my (somewhat) intelligent guess. Lol! Thank you for doing this experiment, .Jenny. It is really interesting and helpful. ❤🌵
That's a good observation, Ana! I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I feel like this experiment has only opened more questions rather than providing answers. Many folks are sharing their own mixes and it's making me question how I've been doing everything! I guess that's part of the fun. Onward with the experimentation!
Brilliant video! Really interesting results so far, exciting to see the changes.
I think that the colourful mineral top dressing was giving high germination rate, because, in my personal opinion, I believe (based on the appearance) there are volcanic lava rock gravel, red or the black... I think because these are high in minerals its supporting the growth and speeding up the growth of the fine seedling root hairs, plus the relative humidity and moisture that is present in between the gaps, enabling the seeds to stay moist speeding up the germination time.
Another factor also, is that lava rocks absorb surrounding heat very well and hold onto it, helping keep any seeds warmer, especially during the daylight hours, then releasing heat slower at night, so the seeds are kept at consistent temperature.
I think all these combined factors is why the seeds sown with that top dressing are far exceeding all the other seeds at that early stage of germination.
Its going to be interesting to see how all the seedlings perform, once their roots really get settled into the actual soil mediums.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😁😁👌🌵🌵🌵
Wow, this is an amazing analysis, Claire! Your comment on temperature is very interesting. Someone else also mentioned temperature differences. I have an infrared thermometer that I can use to check. I never realized how significant lava rock can be... It's making me question how I've been doing everything! This experiment has created more questions than answers 😂
@@cookiescacti Happy growing and happy Christmas to you, cookie, and all your seedlings! 😀🎅🌵🐈⬛
Thank you for your efforts in making this video. It’s appreciated.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video! Makes all the work putting it together more than worth it 🙏
Crushed lava rock, crushed pumice, crushed granite, gravel bought in bulk from building supply stores for dirt cheap, sifted and washed. Light seed starting soil for the organic part. Mix all in pretty much equal parts. Pumice can be replaced with perlite for a lighter mix. Cheap to prepare in bulk.
If I may ask, how did you come to this mix? The reason I ask is because I feel like I'm seeing a trend from folks who mix their own soils and it's making me seriously reconsider my mix. Do you use this mix for both adult plants and starting seeds? I feel like this video ended up creating more questions than answers!
@@cookiescacti It’s a mix that works better in my humid climate. It dries out fast, never compacts, and isn’t very welcoming to insects and mold. There’s also some evidence that some cacti can actually use the rocks for nutrition in collaboration with certain bacteria. I’ve used all kinds of starting mix for seedlings, from peat and perlite to almost entirely mineral. They all work. For highly organic soils, you just gotta watch out for mold and insects eating your seedlings. For mineral soils, you have to be careful not to let it dry out or it might kill or stunt your seedlings.
In the Netherlands, most growers use highly organic soil mixes for all cacti. Even when you buy something like peyote it will often come in peat with maybe some perlite or gravel. In Germany, I know a lot of nurseries that use almost exclusively mineral or predominant mineral mixes. Both are clearly able to produce healthy plants.
I think you’re way overthinking this. There’s no perfect cactus soil. Cacti are a huge family that grows on a tremendously vast territory in North, Central, and South America. They grow in different habitats and can cope with different soils and environmental conditions. Then this vast and complex family of plants is grown pretty much all over the world in extremely different climates and in extremely different growing setups. It’s impossible to find a soil blend that works for everyone and every cactus.
You live in a climate vastly different to mine. Yours is dry and hot for most of the year. Mine is very humid and gets freezing cold, rainy and dark for many months. While I can grow cacti in peat and perlite, I just don’t have to worry as much as about rot and mold when I use a mineral soil. For you, a mineral soil may be a pain in the ass to deal with due to it drying out too fast.
Lastly, there is a trend of growers wanting to replicate the look of habitat plants. Cacti grown in organic soils can often look a bit too healthy, some would even call it bloated. Look at a peyote grown in a pot indoors and at a peyote growing in habitat. The habitat one is covered in blue-ish farina and almost flat. The ones grown in a pot are typically nice and round, and perfectly green. Using a highly mineral soil with few nutrients that dries out fast can help you replicate the look of habitat plants.
Again, it’s all personal preference.
For seedlings, how fine do you sift your mix?
@@zpeckler 2-4mm
Totally agree with morningstar here. Have been growing loads of cactus varieties from seed with success using various mixes myself, but in the end it all depends on ability to retain moisture and nutrients, and it all comes down to your climate. Nonetheless i don't understand 'premium' mixes...expensive for nothing, just ensure a neutral/slightly acidic ph and you're set. No need to overspend
Great start to the new series! Looking forward to seeing their progress over time👍 The mix I use is similar to East coast Camanchaca so glad to see it doing so good.
I’m sure you know but the plural of Genus is Genera not Genusus, bit it did make me smile every time you said it. Looking forward to part two🌵
Thank you! I'm really looking forward to seeing how this experiment goes and maybe adding some more along the way, we'll see.
I've often wondered about the plural form of genus and I googled it to find multiple sources that state that both "genera" and "genuses" are acceptable, including the Merriam-Webster site: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genus. Can you share with me more info on how "genuses" is incorrect? I'm just asking for the sake of learning - it really bugs me when I make mistakes like this (which I often do, I spelled "Tucson" as "Tuscon" for the longest time until someone got super upset at me on CZcams, never made that mistake again LOL).
What a neat experiment! Thanks for putting in so much effort to share this ❤
Hello Manuel! Your soil is doing so well!
@@cookiescactiI’m glad it’s doing its job! 💪🏽 I hope you get some variegated 👾 in those batches of seed 🤩
Thank you for sharing! Love your content!!
Ahhh thank you so much!! I really appreciate the kind words! 🙏🙏🙏
Thankyou so much for this video. I've started growing cacti seeds & your video has given me so much ideas on how to improve my soil mix. Thanks so much. Love your videos!
Woohoo! I'm so glad you're also growing cactus from seed! I swear this experiment has created more questions than answers for me... I don't know what to do! All I know is whatever method I had been using can be improved. Happy growing my friend!
Such an informative video, thank you
Thank you so much! 🙏🙏🙏
Thank you. Wonderful video tech for cactus seeding at home.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video! It just shows me there's so much more to learn omg....
Way to go Manny! That guy knows his stuff, must have some magic ingredient :) Great idea for a video Jenny and interesting to see how well the arios did for you after the battle they had been in the past
Manuel's soil is doing so well! Let's see if the 5th or 6th time is the charm with those darn Arios!
@@cookiescacti I'm not trying them until I see a batch of yours make it!
Omg I didn’t realize how long this video is but I like it
Wish I could give ribbons to viewers who make it all the way through. I even fell asleep into a wonderful nap as I was watching back this afternoon 😂
I used Miracle Grow Cactus mix with a finer top dressing and only 3 of 10 Ariocarpus seeds germinated. All died but it was probably my inexperience that killed them. I spent $7 on 10 seeds, and if I were to do it again, I would invest in better soil. Thanks to your video I am certain soil type has a lot to do with seed viability.
That sounds like my experience with Ariocarpus. Then some of them make it to more than a year old and then die off 🤦. They're still a mystery to me! Let's see if this batch does any better.
Wow sell great stuff jobs show you thank you so much 🥰🥰👍
Thank you so much!! 💚💚💚🙏🙏🙏
Science rules !
Yahhh! In this case, a very uncontrolled varied experiment! LOL!
This video/experiment comes at a PERFECT time! I have just started getting into sowing seed.. I’ve watched your videos (& Hunter’s). So far, I’m having moderate success.. using a Mother grow light, mesa garden seed, physan 20, hydrogen peroxide 3%, regular cactus soil mixed (sifted) mixed with small pumice (about 15-20%), with bonsai small turface on top.. in a two inch nursery pot put into a ziplock baggie under the grow light. Cactus soil and the right mix is always a head scratcher for me.. thanks for doing this experiment!
Ohh what seeds are you growing? I honestly feel like this experiment has just made me have more questions than answers. I'm questioning the way that I've done everything! Omg! I guess the only way is to read all the info and watch all the content that's out there, pick something that makes sense and then go try it. Then assess, adjust and try again! I also watched Hunter's video, Ana's video, Lynn's video and all the seed sowing videos out there I could find when I started.
Hi! I started in late November with Copiapoa mixed varieties. I started more seed in early December and added some Ariocarpus (even though I’ve heard they’re really hard to grow). I am using Hunter’s method with physan 20, peroxide to sterilize the soil, and baggies and it’s going well so far.
Because of your soil comparison video, I’m about to change my ways! I recently purchased a 20 x 10 tray (with dome like you have), and EastCoastCamanchaca’s seedling soil, and am switching to that method.. I got really lucky and was able to get some C. Cinerea seed from MG! My birthday is on the 27th, so I’m waiting to sow them then. Wish me luck! @@cookiescacti
Good luck! Keep us posted on your copiapoa mix progress. I am also trying the assorted-copiapoa-mix from MG, but my germination rate with those guys was a lot lower than with, for example, astrophytum (capricorne 49 & ornamentum 68.4)or stenocactus lamellosus (299.3), all of which absolutely rocketed out of the ground. I should get some counts on what I wound up with because the astrophytums and the stenocactus just... succeeded ridiculously. I am still learning, so navigating the "as your seedlings grow" part of the program is going to be an adventure.
The Romero mix seems like the obvious choice here when it comes to cost vs performance. I think the Romero mix with an East Coast like cover would be the top performer.
It definitely seems so! I started a second tray about a week ago using Rob Romero's mix but replacing the native soil with cactus soil, including trying the MG cactus soil again but with this amendment. Going to be interesting to see what happens.
@@cookiescacti Hopefully you post a video going over the results. I've got dozens of species I'm wanting to get sowed. I've held off for a bit researching soils. Your data would be really helpful. We like the same genuses, so it'd be really relevant to me.
Great job! I really liked the line graphs, it puts everything into perspective. I want to try the Uni-Grow now lol. All I use is sand and they germinate pretty well, but I think some could be more robust. I’m curious if any will die off or things will remain consistent. It’s funny the one you seemed not to like did the best. I do think they could have added more soil. I was surprised the ones with miracle grow did so bad. Now I’m wondering if it’s not that good for adult plants either and that’s literally all I use mixed with perlite.
It will be really interesting to see how these seedlings do with time. I'm wondering if all the miracle gro needs is to be amended with inorganics. I want to try again to see if that makes a difference. We won't know without trying!
Wow! Amazing experiment and results, and makes me wonder about my seed mix as I,m getting ready to sow my seeds! Thanks for the data and graphs. Did you use heat pad or monitor temps? Hope Cookie is doing well, and looking forward to the next videos!
Thank you, James! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. I feel like this video has ended up putting even more questions in my head rather than providing answers! I'm completely questioning everything that I've been doing. I always thought that simple was the way to go but perhaps a little extra can go a long way. Oh my gosh, what a journey and I can see a long, fun road ahead. But I'll always be battling my inherent tendency towards the laziest way possible.
I prefer simple and easy mix too and knowing what these seeds and plants need to grow semi-optimumly is important to healthy growing. I use sifted Kelloggs cactus mix with sifted DG, pumice/perlite for my seed mix has been up and down success with a wide range of cacti and succulent seeds but still works, and I may change to Rob mix or uni-grow because I do grow a lot of seeds. We all would love to have super high germination ratios. Look forward to the next videos and progress!!! Thanks. @@cookiescacti
Perlite is very affordable, but I think I’m moving away from it towards pumice. I’ve noticed when I water the perlite just floats to the top, and eventually is blown away.
Totally agree, perlite floats too easily. And since the grain sizes from MG are pretty small, they also hold onto water. I definitely prefer pumice too.
search for horticultural pumice and horticultural lava stone. its important to include the word horticultural in the search term otherwise you get search results for landscaping pumice/lava stone and those are too big.
I’m scouring the internet for Uni-grow and it’s only sold locally not near me 😢. I guess I’ll try the Romero one with mushroom compost 🍄. I’m curious about worm castings as I’ve tried it before on a small succulent and had great results. Now I’m getting into a make my own cactus soil type of mood 😄.
Yessss! This is seriously making me think I should be making my own cactus mix too. But now I have no idea what to do lol. I bet many amended cactus mixes work very well besides Uni-Gro. Let me know what you find out!
Thank you so much for doing this for us !!!
The Miracle Gro cactus really never stood a chance without pumice or perlite added.
Robs mix probably would have been better for me mixed with Uni Grow I bet since not all native soil is the same (lol I'm in the Florida Panhandle, so big difference than his New Mexico soil). As for the mixed rock top dressing, I agree, it helps (i don't know why either) . I have been looking into it as a top dressing and amendment for cacti and euphorbias. I used it for Hoyas and it made them grow like weeds when mixed in the chunky soil mix. I can't wait for the next update, thanks again. ☺️
Now I want to try the MG cactus soil again but amended with inorganics and see how it does. Omg this experiment has ended up creating more questions in my mind than answers! You're totally right about my native soil, clay is no good and Rob himself even said so. It means I'd also ideally try his mix again but using Uni-Gro or something else besides my native "soil". Omg so many more experiments that must be considered...
I even tried regular miracle gro, #4 perlite ( from mother earth ) in 2 pots each for 2 different types of cactus seeds, 1 each topped with vermiculite, the other 2 with sphagnum moss , 10 seeds per pot ... 4 seedlings from 1 type popped up and only 1 from the second that was toppedwith moss , but at 5 weeks all are doing well and have tiny spines already.....
They were my first cactus seeds ever, and I wanted to go against the norm and try something different.
Watching your videos gave me courage to sow over 800 seeds 2 days ago. Thank you for making videos and sharing your experience (even more so for showing what does work well or at all !!!!)
@@cookiescacti
This time I used 2 parts mixed lava rock type mix from Amazon, 1 part MC cactus mix, 2 parts regular size perlite and 1 part course horticultural sand , and topped with the course sand... I also put the lava rock mix in the bottom of each pot about an inch or so.
I ordered all the seeds from Rob, thank you for mentioning him in your videos.
I'm playing Cactus Seed Starting at home. Soil is Miracle Grow Cactus/palm/citrus amended as follows: 1 part MGcpc, 1 part perlite, 1 part coarse sand. Fill pots, then get a sifter and sift a fine dust of this soil mix over top to provide a small-particle surface for the seeds to be in contact with. Sow seeds. Lightly sprinkle washed coarse sand over the top, not enough to cover the seeds. I am not sure what the coarse sand topdressing does for the process, but my germination rates were all 80% or better. I got the coarse sand online and it's sort of sparse on the surface. Seed source was Mesa Garden. I am using lights and takeaway tek methodology with dollar-store food containers (black bases, clear lids).
Sorry forgot to add: astrophytum capricorn, astrophytum ornatum, stenocactus lamellosus, E. grusonii, echinocactus mix, and copiapoa mix. I did get slightly worse germination with the copiapoas than I did with everything else, not sure why. Maybe too wet? Too warm? I'm still new at this. Babies are still only 12 days old, so it's not that far along yet.
Thank you for sharing your growing process! Now I want to try the miracle gro cactus mix again but amended with inorganics.... More experiments to consider... In my experience, Copiapoa tend to have lower germination rate but it could be due to seed freshness or my method of growing... Now I have no idea! My average germination rate is 30% for Copiapoa, the highest being 60%. It's all still a mystery to me.
Great video! A quick aside, for my soil, I also add a bit of gypsum, limestone and Azomite.
Thanks for the note, Rob! I'll make sure to mention this in my next update video. Where do you source these ingredients from?
@@cookiescacti the pumice comes from a gravel supply and I use that same mushroom compost. We dig the native soil from nearby the nursery.
@@robromero5921 thanks, Rob! What about the gypsum, limestone, and azomite? Where do you find those ingredients?
Also one more question on the native soil. I'm in Chandler where the native "soil" is clay. Any thoughts on clay as a component to the mix? When you were in Tucson, what was the native soil like?
@@robromero5921 why gypsum, limestone and Azomite? and is it more corse than fine?
@@jamescarr2156 The gypsum adds calcium which is beneficial for cell development. The limestone helps to balance the acidity of the compost and the Azomite is new for me. Apparently it contains several essential minerals derived from volcanic dust. I recently started using it so I don't have a point of reference yet.
Can't say you're not learning from all of your work!
I love that we're all learning together! You're all watching me stumble along trying to figure things out as an amateur.
A comment about native soil. I am lucky to be in a cactus rich part of the US so I have good soils available to me. The main thing to look for is soil from a well draining area and try and avoid heavy clay based soils. You can also try local gravel supply places and see what kind of topsoils they might offer.
Oh gosh, my native soil in the Phoenix area is definitely not good for this! It looks pretty when dry but it's an awful mud when it's wet.
what type of top dressing would you suggest for sowing? or is it even recommended?
@@jamescarr2156 I have used a small grit quartz type aquarium gravel. I have also used gravel from any hills but you have to wash it thoroughly to clean off the formic acid.
2:33 I see the owner has made a surprise visit 😊
Yesss! My #1 big boss who has the highest expectations 😁
This is the most interesting thing I've seen on CZcams in a long time. Well done!
I have an important question. At the beginning of the test you added your "adult mix", which is 70% pumice and 30% organic soil. But you didn't include the adult mix results in the final results. I'm very interested in those results because it sounds like your adult mix is basically a DIY version of Rob Romero's mix. It's also something I could easily reproduce because I have plenty of pumice available, and I have plenty of Miracle Grow Cactus/Succulent/Citrus soil available.
Thanks!
I'm so glad you found this video to be interesting! I feel like this type of content doesn't reach a wide audience so your comment is very encouraging.
You're right, my adult mix wasn't part of the experiment - it has a different species of Ariocarpus from the main experiment and I just dumped a bunch of seeds in, so it would be difficult to compare against the others. However, I am planning on starting another tray of more soil mixes with these same seeds, and with your comment I will include my adult mix in there. I want to try the miracle gro cactus mix again but amended with inorganics this time, so this would be perfect for what you have on hand. I also want to try Rob Romero's mix again but replacing my native "soil" with the bagged mix because my native soil is so bad lol.
Are you going to try your mix? I'd love to know your results.
@@cookiescacti Last week, before I saw your video, I started some Ariocarpus seeds in a mixture of 1/3 pumice and 2/3 Miracle Grow Cactus mix. After seeing your video and the results you got from the Rob Romero mix, I'm going to start using 2/3 pumice and 1/3 MG Cactus mix in the future. I'll start those next month. For the next three or four months I'll be sowing Ariocarpus and Lophophora seeds. I plan to sow more "traditional" cacti seeds by April.
If you do another set of soil tests, and if you have room, it might be interesting to include some pots with 100% sand. Three years ago I sowed a couple hundred (I'm guessing 300-400) Opuntia seeds and about thirty Ecinocactus grusonii in pure sand. I had 170 Opuntia successfully germinate in one little take-away tray! I had 11 out of ~30 of the grusonii germinate. I kept two Opuntia (they are about three feet tall, now) and gave the rest away. All eleven of the grusonii survived and are still thriving. They are about the size of ping pong balls, now.
the quality of the top dressing is the key to successful seed germination. so there's chemistry of the top dressing but more importantly I think is the physics of the top dressing. how it holds and releases moisture and manages temperature in the micro-climate around the seeds. btw: I know of someone who uses straight limestone for top dressing and gets good results. he was interviewed about his seed starting in a video posted by Crime pays but botany doesn't. I've tried looking for limestone like he uses but its hard to find- I haven't been successful yet. for now, I'm using my own but I did also buy a bunch from eastcoastcamanchaca but I haven't used any of it yet. so its interesting to see how it worked for you.
I started a second tray of experiments where I vary the top dressing. Not a perfect experiment but an experiment nonetheless. Next week's video will show the results so far. Was it MilesToGo in CPBBD's video? I've also heard of folks using limestone but I have no idea where they source it from!
Welcome to the world of experimentation :)
There are some things that I think about, which might have influenced the seeds germination, depending on the substrate you've used in the experiment.
One thing would be the substrate water potential - it's a key parameter that describes how the water is available to seeds and if they can absorb enough of it to germinate.
Another thing would be the substrates salinity and overall amount of solutes - the more of these, the lower water potential is, which may cause lower germination, at least for some species.
There are also differences in water sorption and water holding capacity for each of the substrate. As far I can see from the video, you've added enough water to make every substrate visually damp, but I would rather recommend to put the mixes in the pots first, then partially submerge it to reach full saturation, remove the excess water and use it that way.
ECC substrate seems to have quite good ratio of different fractions, that are fine enough to hold water well, but coarse enough to let the roots penetrate deep - I'm using different ingredients, but with very similar texture and also have good results.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. That's very true about the variation in water that I added to the soils - definitely not well controlled. What would you say would be the goal of the water potential? ECC's seems to be a good example of the nice balance - but what exactly is it that makes it that way? What about the other mixes (besides the Miracle cactus mix)? I feel like this experiment has ended up creating more questions than answers LOL! Now I'm thinking about perhaps making my own mix in the future.
@@cookiescacti Well, actually there are some studies on influence of water potential in cacti germination, at least for some species.
As far as I know, an optimal water potential that promotes the highest germination rate and percentage for cacti seeds (and basically for any other plants seeds) is at 0 MPa.
The more MPa decrease below 0, the worse germination percentage is. Of course in nature it's usually slightly negative anyway, but in a lab or collection we can get up to the 0.
The germination percentage drops differently for different species, some may germinate equally well (sometimes even faster) at -0.2 MPa, but at 0.4 MPa and lower most of cacti will decrease their germination percentage, the lower MPa is, sometimes drastically.
At this point there is no way to precisely tell the safe MPa range for every cactus species in existence, that why it's good to play safe and keep the MPa as close to 0 as possible.
You may be asking yourself now what MPa at 0 even means? Basically, it means that the water is in most accessible state for the seeds (not bound into soil, not closed into soil micropores and it's free from solutes - basically a clear and free water). That why it's good to use ingredients that holds water well but at the same time do not change it's chemistry (particularly salinity) drastically.
If you ask me why different soils in the experiment affected germination percentage differently, it's hard to tell. One thing would be the water saturation, that I've mentioned before. Another would be the chemistry of each of the soil. Without having a special tools for measuring MPa, giving a definite answer would be rather a game of guessing. But still, higher water saturation increases water potential (salutes are diluted and pressure increased), so you can try doing exactly the same experiment, but this time making sure everything would achieve the full saturation (just remove the excess water to make sure that soil pores on the top are not flooded).
I’ve heard good things from miracle Gro seeds starting potting soil, but I find it a bit too chunky in my opinion. I use Jiffy organic seed starting soil. I think it’s a better mix.
I haven't tried Jiffy yet but that's a good point. This makes me realize there are so many different products available out there. It can turn into an endless experiment!
I would love to see a follow-up video on this topic. In general the problem with soil media, at least to me, comes from fungi or insect attacks in heavy organic mixes and stagnation in growth in heavy mineral mixes after some months. It was surprising the variability observed in your experiment, as I believed that the most crucial factor in germination was just humidity, and probably as time goes on you should see more similar results. Maybe it is due to the lava rock high porosity and darker colour absorbing more light, the Botanic Garden of Gibraltar have made experiments on that. For sure the earlier, the better when dealing with seedlings, however other factors start to be prevalent afterwards (pests, growth rate, root development, etc.).
These are great observations. I need to look up the experiments from the Botanic Garden of Gibraltar! Do they have videos or papers published on their experiment? I am planning to do monthly updates on this batch of plants, so you will get to see how the seedlings progress. I agree, germination is only the beginning, what comes later is very important too.
@@cookiescacti yes there are some papers published that you can find in Google scholar
Whoa!!!! Who needs sleep!!!
😂😂😂 right? Who needs sleep with new cactus content?!?
so ive heard the use the soil in your back yard (rob ramero) BUT the exception is make sure its not clay
Ha! Rob has been commenting on this video so I'm asking him about my whole clay situation. I wonder what his native soil was like when he was still living in Tucson.
I plant my seeds and they germinate with pot in a baggie. They die if I leave them in the baggie and die if I take them out. I use peat moss and perlite as soil. HELP
Omg what a struggle huh?? What cactus species are you growing? The Astrophytum definitely aren't doing as well in the peat+perlite as the other soils. I'm still not getting consistent results so I feel like I'm even more lost than before lol!
It would be really interesting if you had a way to measure the temperature of the top dressings, i think the pumice holds alot of water so the surface will be cooler and will probably slow down the germination of the seeds.
Ohh this is a very interesting observation. I have an infrared thermometer, I will check!
That would be the ideal instrument to measure the surface temperature. Also with Robs mix, if I remember correctly he covered the surface with like a course quartz sand and not pumice, but I could be completed wrong on this, as it was sometime ago that I saw his video.
A polarizing filter will reduce the interference from the reflected light.
Ohhh this is an interesting idea. Thank you for sharing!
Your voice expressed both terror and disgust when preparing the miracle grow soil. Hilarious
I'm chuckling reading this, Joshua. LOL! My computer doesn't allow me to enter emojis otherwise I'd be emoji-ing
When do you remove the shade cloth, for astrophytum and copiapoa? My domes get pretty hot, i added shade cloth and it fixet the heat problem. But without the shade cloth it will get hot in there. Do you know what the max temperature are inside your domes? Best regards from Denmark and thank you 😘
That is a good question and I don't have a set formula except that usually when I start to acclimate them to regular air the shade cloth usually gets removed a little bit after they're fully acclimated. But it also depends. You can look at them and see if they need the cloth again. I'm not that sure about temperatures under the dome - over the winter I checked and it was in the mid 70s-80s F. Now it might be mid 80s-90s F since it's warmer.
@@cookiescacti Thank you so much :) i have replicated your setup, just have mine in a grow tent ^^
@@zhaezz84 Wowwwowowowowowowowww, baby cactus galore! 💚
@@cookiescacti we will see, so far i overdozed half my pots on fungicide, the rest i cooked. I always had success in the windovstill, then i invest in whole grow room, for baby cacti and it all goes down the drain :p So i ordered 2 k seeds more, and will retry, less fungicide more shade cloth this time 😁
try not using a top dressing at all for your next experiment
i think the seedling would all fall over but it could probably be done. i was thinking about just starting some in a wet paper towel for fun.
@@HyrimBot a long time grower in cactus DMed me and said that he has never used top dressing in all his years. its another variable that can effect it. so im curious now
The top dressing is to give the young cactus roots something to hold onto so they can stand upright. You'll notice that almost all of the seedlings in the video are standing upright without my help. The first time I haphazardly sowed Astro seeds in pure cactus soil, they would come up and be toppled over on their sides and I'd go in and help them stand up. Do you grow cactus seeds without a top dressing? This is the first time that I've heard of this so I'm interested in learning more - all the videos I have watched over the years from various growers, including Rob Romero, use some sort of top dressing.
@@cookiescacti the algorithm showed me this the other night after commenting on this thread and i don't think they are using any so i might still try the wet paper towel method - czcams.com/video/75fBaNejwUY/video.htmlsi=VlQ90og8R038pO5x
@@HyrimBot woah, how have I not seen this before?? I wonder who this is. Why had the algorithm gods not blessed me with this video?? Well, at least I have you helping me out 😁
Woohoo! 2nd place!
Your mix did so well, Rob! Especially given that I didn't quite do it right either 😂. And the fact that it's the most inexpensive per unit. You know what you're doing!
26:50 to answer how the miracle gro “cactus soil” is cactus soil, I don’t think it is, it completely lacks drainage, very confusing. Also think if it is sifted it could work, but probably need some pumice also
I agree, it's so organic and it has so much fine particles. In a later episode in this series, I start another tray of experiments where I mix the Miracle Gro soil with inorganic material and it does much, much better.
why are you doing that scary maths. tell me in metric. jajajajajajajajaaaaaaa
did uni-grow win? those thelocactus are looking good.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@HyrimBot so far EastCoast has the lead. I think in terms of seedling progress Uni-Gro is doing pretty well. Those thelos make me wonder if Uni-Gro with pumice is better. Omg the number of potential experiments is infinite....