How to plant succulent seeds
Let's consider a step-by-step process of how to grow succulents from seeds:
Preparation. To evenly distribute the seeds, you will need to take a thick sheet of paper, bend it in half, and place the seed there.
Directly the planting process. By tapping with a needle or thin stick, you will need to scatter the planting material over the surface of the substrate. The seeds are laid out on top, so that then another layer of coarse sand can be placed. Its layer should be about 2 millimeters.
Keep in mind that it is important that the sprinkled layer does not exceed the size of the seed itself. Therefore, small "peas" do not need to be sprinkled at all.
Markup
Be sure to make plastic tags, which indicate the type of crops. This allows you to understand the name of the plants in order to provide them with proper care in the future.
Watering. From above, you will need to water the surface of the soil, using filtered water for this. A spray bottle is used for this process. This is important so as not to wash out the ground. Next, you need to cover the container with a film or a lid. The greenhouse is covered before the seed germination begins until the plant grows stronger. Then the covering is gradually reduced.
Your seeds can germinate from a few days to a few weeks or more. It depends on the type of succulent, the temperature of the content and the lighting conditions. Some varieties can even germinate up to one year.
Soil preparation
Once the seeds have arrived and you have prepared everything you need for planting, you need to find clean sand. The sand that is sold in garden shops may contain fungicides or herbicides. That is why it is best to use construction sand, which is mixed with cement.
Small pieces of rock create small air pockets and ensure good root development.
The best advice we can give is that you need to wet the sand well before sowing the seeds. Succulent seeds are tiny in size and therefore rinse off easily when watering. But if the soil is wet, they will stick to it and stay in place until they have roots.
Conditions of detention
In their natural habitat, succulents usually face rather difficult conditions - there are certain problems with water, it can be very hot, soils are usually not particularly fertile. Paradoxically, it is not necessary to create an ideal comfort for a plant of harsh deserts in our understanding - all the mechanisms of this organism are adapted for survival in such conditions, therefore, improved watering or the desire to add extra fertilizers to the soil usually does not lead to good.
Moreover, all these cacti are so highly prized precisely because they can be left to themselves. You can, for example, not water them for a month or even two - and they will have nothing, which is very convenient in the conditions of the modern hyperactive world. At the same time, experts say that a certain regime should still be adhered to. The fact is that the plant will be as beautiful as possible only if we provide it with conditions close to those that are familiar to it at home.
Lighting
Since succulents are guests from the far south, they will not be surprised by bright sunlight - they need it to survive. At the same time, it is worth remembering that some of these plants can also originate from our latitudes, then they, like, for example, the majority of the Tolstyankov family, need a lot of rays, but not direct, but scattered ones.Typical domestic succulents such as cacti, Kalanchoe and aloe still originate from deserts and open mountainous areas, so for them direct sunlight is synonymous with comfort. Such greens are usually grown on the south side, in the summer they are specially taken out into the open space.
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Winter, contrary to all expectations, is not a huge problem - although there is less sunlight, the plant does not die, but simply goes into a long hibernation. However, the pet will not survive without light at all, so try to choose a relatively lit place for it.
Temperature and humidity
There are no specific temperature recommendations for all succulents in general - it all depends on the natural conditions in which this species usually grows. In general, it would be correct to say that such plants love heat and do not really like cold, but everything is relative here, therefore it is better to be interested in the appropriate temperature for each individual species.
Some average conditions for everyone are as follows: on a summer day it should be 25-30 degrees with a night temperature drop to 15-20 degrees, and in winter some are able to withstand only 5 degrees of heat, although it is better to limit yourself to the usual home 15-20 degrees.
It is important to provide full air access to the plant from all sides. Living in a desert area, the typical succulent breathes with all its parts, including the root system that is underground.
This means that even the soil must allow air to flow to it, so you can imagine how uncomfortable it is for such a plant to be indoors. Good ventilation is considered a prerequisite for growing a beautiful and healthy plant.
Note that many succulents, as plants from arid regions, are very fond of moist air. This is because in the absence of precipitation over a long period, succulents learn to extract moisture literally from everywhere - including sucking it in directly from the air.
Again, you should not create comfort for the plant in your understanding - you will not be able to simply compensate for dry air with increased watering, since tissues located close to the surface of the leaves can be focused on obtaining water from atmospheric moisture.
Germinating succulents from seeds
To grow a plant from planting material at home, you will have to make a little effort.
Choosing the right container
For seed breeding, it is better to purchase long plastic containers with holes at the bottom (to drain excess moisture) and transparent lids
In fact, any trays will do, it is important not to forget to make holes from the bottom. And you can cover the seedlings with foil
Preparing the soil
- a combination of sand, fine gravel, crushed coal;
- universal peat mixed with sand.
Purchase substrate ingredients from florist shops. If you decide to take them from a park, forest or from a summer cottage, be sure to bake them in the oven. This will destroy pathogens that can kill seedlings.
Before sowing, the soil must be well wetted. Succulent seeds are small and light. They stick to the moist substrate, remaining in it until they take root.
We land
Find a room protected from drafts and wind. Succulent seeds are tiny, even a weak gust of wind can dispel them. Place the seed on a clean sheet of paper
Gently tapping it with your finger, pour the seeds evenly into the soil. Gently tap the bottom of the tray on a flat surface to help the planting material adhere to the soil
Cover the tray with a special lid or plastic wrap. This must be done to maintain high humidity conditions.
Temperature
Maintain temperature conditions in the range of 20-26 degrees during the day. Do not go beyond these limits, it will reduce the "yield" or even destroy the seedlings. The temperature should drop at night. The coolness stimulates the growth of seedlings, but gives them a break from active daytime formation. Keep the night temperature in the house between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius.
Illumination
Succulents love an abundance of light. However, you need to protect the seedlings from direct sunlight, they can burn fragile roots. Use phytolamps if you are germinating seeds in winter. In summer there is enough natural light, as the daylight hours are long.
Watering
Timely, competent watering is extremely important in the first month. The top layer of the substrate should never dry out, this will destroy the fresh roots. Three weeks after sowing, you can gradually switch to a standard irrigation regime - once every few days.
Air humidity
Make sure there are always drops of water on the inside of the transparent lid or bag. High humidity is important for succulents. Don't let the droplets disappear!
Fertilizers
Top dressing for seedlings is unnecessary. If you use nitrogen fertilizers while waiting for sprouts to appear, this will speed up their emergence, but reduce the immunity of the plants. More important is not the size of the seedlings, but their resistance to negative environmental factors.
Insecticides
Lovers to feast on their sprouts, for example, sciarids, can settle in a garden bed with young plants. They can get into the soil with poor quality planting material. They also appear if you fill the ground. To combat parasites, it is permissible to use a weak insecticide solution. Powdered fungicides are strictly prohibited. When sprayed, they create a crust on the soil that destroys the plant roots.
Dive
At first, group content stimulates the development of seedlings, their active growth. The roots take up moisture more readily, the plants are difficult to flood. Place them in separate pots when you notice that succulents have begun to interfere with each other or 3-4 true leaves have appeared.
Growing succulents from seeds at home is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. You can breed a whole family, and later donate these beautiful representatives of the flora to relatives and friends, or decorate your own apartment and office with an interesting composition. Be patient, succulents grow slowly, because these are plants accustomed to the harsh conditions of existence. Be sure to try growing them from seeds according to the algorithm described in our article if you like to practice floriculture.
How to choose a soil?
Seeds should be planted in well-prepared soil. In stores, you can find ready-made mixtures, the composition of which is optimal for growing.
However, when preparing the soil, a number of important points should be considered.
- Succulents are able to grow even in difficult conditions, therefore, try to use rough soil for quick adaptation to the crop soil. It can be an earth-sand mixture or a mixture of earth and fine gravel. There is an option for adding crushed coal to the composition.
- For planting plants, you need to take just a ready-made substrate - the land taken, conditionally, at the entrance, of course, will not work. If you buy soil in a store, you can be sure that it is not just packed in a bag, but also disinfected.
- If it is not possible to purchase soil in the store, you can buy a regular peat filler. Add sand and valuable minerals yourself.
Fresh soil, and not already used for growing another crop, is a more reliable option for propagating succulents by seeds. In rare cases, it grows well in not the most suitable soil. Therefore, buying a bag of soil in a special store is already 50% of the fact that the plant will take root and begin to develop intensively.
Rules for transplanting succulents after purchase
During this time, the succulent plant has the highest chances of survival and a successful transplant. In most species, the growing season begins in early spring, and this is the optimal transplanting time. It is worth noting that certain species begin to grow in the fall or winter, so be sure to determine the type of your plant.
Remove the Succulent Plant from the old pot. In most cases, you will find that the root system is indeed too compacted, and most likely the plant is suffocating in this pot. Try to separate the roots from the compacted soil.
Why do you need to transplant
When cleaning the roots of old soil, be careful not to pull too hard so as not to break the fragile roots of the Succulent. It is best to use a small wooden stick. You need to break the root ball shape before planting the flower in a new pot.
This will help it grow better and make the most of the increased space.
Place a small layer of stones on the bottom of the pot to improve drainage. Place the root ball of the plant and cover the remaining free space with soil. Before transplanting, too, the earth should be allowed to dry. When watering, do not allow water to enter the leaves and into the outlet of the plant, this provokes rotting.
Bottom watering can be used if there is a hole in the bottom of the pot.
But, sometimes, you just need to get dirty With our love for Cacti and Succulents, you will definitely need to spend a little time transplanting these flowers
We know some people may not like doing this, but it is vital for the healthy growth of the plant, so you have to endure. How to make a transplant correctly and quickly, read the article
Shades of succulents and cacti provide very important information!
Watering should be regular about once a week in summer, less often, determining the softness of the leaf, and once every three weeks in winter. Always make sure the topsoil is dry before the next watering. Use settled or filtered water at room temperature. If your pot does not have a hole at the bottom, you should set a limit on the applied liquid, about 5 ml at a time, if you see that the leaves of the plant have become less fleshy and soft, increase the amount of liquid applied.
The lighting should be good, you can choose a south window to accommodate your friend, but despite the fact that succulents tolerate open sunlight well in the wild, it is better to shade the plant in summer, and gradually accustom it to the bright sun after buying in the store, and also after the cold season.
Sowing technology and care of seedlings
Growing a variety of succulents from seeds at the sowing stage follows the same rules, regardless of the type of plant. These rules are not complicated and may differ slightly in different textbooks, but the essence of the described procedures is always the same.
At home, sowing seeds in the ground is easiest to do with the help of a regular A4 sheet. It needs to be folded into a small envelope with a free edge, from which the seed will fall into the moistened soil. From above, the seeds are covered with a thin layer (the thickness should not exceed the size of the seed) of sand or a mixture of sand and earth.
After the first planting, the ground is watered from a spray bottle with water at room temperature. Very little water is needed, just to create a greenhouse effect. The home greenhouse can be closed afterwards. Growing in a greenhouse allows you to save a lot more seeds than in the open air, so you need to remove the cover only when the sprouts are clearly visible from the ground (at least 1-2 cm).
Succulents will begin to sprout after several months of abundant watering, so the gardener needs to be patient if he wants to decorate his windowsill with these exotic plants.
In order to maintain the health of future seedlings, you must follow the following rules:
- Maintain the optimal temperature in the greenhouse - from 20 to 30 degrees during the day and 18-20 degrees at night.
- Succulents cannot stand drafts.
- Young sprouts should not be exposed to direct sunlight, but at the same time they need abundant lighting, so you cannot keep the greenhouse on the windowsill, but you can do it on a table in a well-lit room.
- Succulents need to be watered regularly so that the soil does not dry out. At the same time, for succulents, stagnation of water is just as harmful as drought, therefore, the moisture of the soil must be monitored extremely carefully.
Features of sowing certain species
Not all plants in the same family can be grown under the same conditions. Planting succulents of different types requires observance of certain nuances, otherwise the seeds will die before the sprouts appear.
- Some plants are not as thermophilic as their counterparts. For example, Dioscorea grows best in temperatures between 18 and 20 degrees, so it is best to plant its seeds in winter rather than summer.
- Certain types of succulents need to be planted in specially prepared soil. For example, the more thermophilic members of the family prefer soil with sand, and those that like lower temperatures are better planted in the ground with fine gravel.
- The amount of watering also varies from species to species. Leafy succulents are watered more often than their other cousins.
The emergence of sprouts
After the sprouts have grown to the amount necessary to remove the cap from the greenhouse, gardeners have new problems with their breeding. The main ones are diseases and the need to fertilize the sprouts that have appeared.
Planting and caring for succulents is impossible without enriching the soil with useful minerals. Since fertilizers are practically not mixed when planting in the ground, after the sprouts appear, the soil must be watered with liquid fertilizers. Succulent nutrient bottles available from flower shops are suitable for this purpose.
Taking care of plants after the appearance of fungi or bacteria is extremely difficult, so you need to work ahead of schedule. Fungicides can be used to prevent diseases. For the best effect, you must strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions, which are indicated on the packaging.
Succulents are ideal for those who want to beautifully decorate their windowsill, but do not want to buy too "capricious" plants. You can easily choose a species to your liking: leafy or more similar to a cactus, thermophilic or accustomed to cooler temperatures. Succulents grown from seeds will immediately tune in to the conditions of the house in which they were "born" and will not cause the owners almost any trouble.
