Hi,
I have a small cactus that flowered in Spring. The little buds dried up and remained attached to the plant still now. I grabbed one today and it broke open and this yellow stuff was inside. They kind of were round like seeds, but they all sorta fell apart they are really fragile. Are these the seeds? What is a good way to collect them?
- PunkRotten
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- PunkRotten
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
It will depend, I think, on the species of cactus. Some cacti require cross-pollination by a different plant. That was the situation I found when I tried to collect seeds from my mammillaria when it bloomed last year. I even hand pollinated the flowers, but since I only had the one cactus of that species, it didn't work. If your plant wasn't outside, you would have needed to hand pollinate it. Did you do that? [img]https://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/Kisal_photos/dunno.gif[/img]
- PunkRotten
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- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
- PunkRotten
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
If it was outside, and a pollinator is available in your area, then maybe what you have are seed pods, rather than seeds. Cacti usually produce very fine seeds, almost like dust. Why not break open one of the little seed-like things over a container of prepared soil and see what happens? Can't hurt to try!
- PunkRotten
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- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
- PunkRotten
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- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
- Gary350
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You can pick the buds off before they dry up stick them is soil and they will sprout roots in a week and grow cactus sprouts on top in another 2 weeks. Let the sprouts grow as large as you like. You can cut the sprouts off stick them in soil and grow more cactus.
I have better luck with cactus cuttings than seeds. During the summer I can grow 50 new cactus from only 1 piece of cactus. Soil needs to be 30% child play sand and 70% potting soil water once a week in a well drained pot of in the yard. If you want them to grow fast they need to be outside in full sun. A tablespoon of 15/15/15 fertilizer makes them grow many times faster.
I have better luck with cactus cuttings than seeds. During the summer I can grow 50 new cactus from only 1 piece of cactus. Soil needs to be 30% child play sand and 70% potting soil water once a week in a well drained pot of in the yard. If you want them to grow fast they need to be outside in full sun. A tablespoon of 15/15/15 fertilizer makes them grow many times faster.
Last edited by Gary350 on Sat Sep 03, 2011 7:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- PunkRotten
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- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
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