YOU WILL NEED
1) Seeds
2) Compost
3) Pots
4) Kettle of just boiled water
5) Heat proof saucer or tray
6) Plastic Bag
7) Water
8) Labels
–Mix the compost. There should be 50% of soil and 50% of cat litter (by volume).
–Put compost in pot and level off the top. Do not press compost down.
–Half fill a heat proof tray or saucer with boiled water – ideally straight out of the kettle. The hot water is used to kill any fungus/moss spores in the soil. Take care when pouring the water.
–Stand pots in boiled water until the surface becomes completely wet. Allow to cool.
–Stand each pot in plastic bag and place labels towards the back of the pots.
–Sow seeds into each pot and then insert labels to the front of the pots. The labels are to stop the bag from collapsing onto the seedlings.
–Carefully pull bag up and tie with a knot. Do not use a wire tie – the bag must be air-tight.
AFTER CARE
–The pots should be left sealed in the bag for at least eight to ten weeks (early June). The seeds should start to germinate within 14 days, but often a lot less.
–The sealed bags should remain in a semi-sunny location. A windowsill is ideal, but if south facing a little shading will be needed.
–The compost shouldn’t dry out as the water is contained within the bag. If the pots do dry out, and assuming you have seedlings growing in them, remove from bag and thoroughly soak – DO NOT PUT BACK IN BAG.
–Once the plants are big enough to handle, they can be re-potted several together into larger pots using similar compost and watered when compost is dry. Do not allow the compost to become bone dry. Cacti seedlings LIKE WATER, as long as they are not over watered.
–If any cacti become big enough to plant into pots on their own (maybe after 2 years), then a compost with soil and grit should be used; 50% of each by volume. Water between late March and late September only, and place on a sunny windowsill. A little water may be needed occasionally in winter – but only a little and only once every few months.