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Multiplying Cacti

From seeds

An easy way to inniciate your growing experience of cacti is with seeds. Most cacti seeds germinate quite easily and do not require too much care or a very specific growing environment.

The first step is choosing the soil mixture. There are several different recipes for a propper soil mixture.

One very used and successful mixture is:
- 1/3 pot soil
- 1/3 peat
- 1/3 small gravel (1-3 mm)

On top of this mixture it's wise to spread a simple layer of sand or small gravel (1/2 - 1 cm.).

A big danger for the seeds is the huge amount of organisms contained in the mixture. Especially in the early growing phases the seeds are very vulnerable to sicknesses and plagues. It's therefore important that the soil mixture and the top layer of sand or small gravel are sterilized before the seeds are placed in. This sterilization can be done with a pressure-cooker or a microwave. It's preferable to use the pressure-cooker because it gives you a bigger chance to achieve a good result.
Pressure-cooker: 60 minutes on 15 psi
Microwave: 8 - 10 minutes HIGH volume

When the soil mixture has cooled down and been placed in the right pot (with holes underneath), spread over it a thin layer of the sand or small gravel (also previously cooled down). The seeds may now be spread over the pot. Do not press the seeds any further in the soil. These very small seeds will not germinate if they are placed to deep in the soil. Spreading them carefully is more than enough. Finally give the seeds and the soil a good spray with water. The seeds will then sink down a bit all by themselves. It's wise to use a (light) fungicide at this time to prevent bacterial contamination. Place the pot for 5-10 minutes in a bucket with water so that the soil can also absorbe the water from underneath.

Now it's time to let the seeds geminate. Therefore keep them in an environment that sufficiently meets the followings standards:
- Warmt. Keep the pot with seeds in a warm spot with a (constant) temperature between 20 and 30 °C.
- Light. The seeds need light to be able to germinate. However be sure to keep them somewhere away from direct sunlight. Seeds and small cacti are very sensitive to (bright) sunlight.
- Humidity. Germinating seeds love a high level of humidity in the air. The ideal percentage of humidity is between the 60 and 90%. To achive these levels relatively easily it's wise to keep the seeds in the smallest possible growing space. This means that in the early phases of germination the seeds should be kept in a closed pot or bag.

After 3 to 10 days the seeds should start germinating. From this point on most of the work will be processed by itself. It's important, however, that you make sure the growing environment keeps its optimal conditions, to assure a good start to the new lives... So give them enough light, keep it nicely warm and maintain a high level of humidity in the air! After 2 - 3 months it's wise to make a few holes in the bag every two weeks, so that the small cacti can slowly get accustomed to the dry (or less humid) air.

After 6 months the cacti are already much bigger and stronger and can be removed from the closed pot or bag.

Cuttings

Growing from a cutting is done by simply cutting off a piece from a cactus and placing it again in the earth. This piece will then grow roots and live on as an independent plant.

The best time for making a cutting is the beggining of the growing seazon. If you cut a part from the cactus, always do this with a sharp and sterilized knife. If you don't sterilize the knife the cutting can lead to contamination.

Afterwards let the cutting dry well before you place it again in the earth to grow. This drying period can vary per cactus from a few days to a few weeks. To let the cutting dry really well it's best to keep it in a warm spot with a little air circulation.

A lot of cacti from which a cut was extracted will develope new springs where the cutting was made. After a while you can also cut these new shoots to use as cuttings.

Grafting

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