Succulent seed sowing methods you can learn in one go, easily filling a whole balcony with plants

Spring and autumn are good times to sow succulents. Friends who are interested can give it a try and experience the whole process from seed to a grown succulent. Many plant lovers are no longer satisfied with directly buying succulent seedlings, and instead want to sow succulent seeds, but they struggle to find a suitable tutorial for sowing succulent seeds. This article is a summary of the steps for sowing succulent seeds based on a plant lover's own sowing experience, and it is suitable for beginner plant lovers.

First of all, I must remind you that seeds must be sown at a suitable temperature. If the temperature is too high or too low, it is easy to cause a low germination rate or complete failure to germinate. For Crassulaceae and Aizoaceae, it is 15-25°C, for spring sowing or autumn sowing; in the north, a heated room can be used for winter sowing. For Cactaceae, the sowing temperature is above 30°C, and it must be sown in summer. Before sowing, first prepare peat soil and akadama soil. Put the mixed soil into a sowing box, pour carbendazim solution from the soil surface, or add enough carbendazim solution to the box for bottom watering, so that the potting soil is thoroughly wet. If there is no carbendazim, clean water can also be used.

The soil used for planting needs to be sterilized. It is recommended to add water to the soil and stir it until wet, then put it in a plastic bag, do not seal the bag opening, and place it in a microwave to heat and sterilize. Select microwave, 10 minutes. After taking it out, spread it into the pot, and use it after it has cooled completely. Microwaved soil can effectively remove insect eggs, weeds, and pathogens. The soil should be relatively fine in particle size, well-draining and airy, while still having a certain water-holding capacity.

You can spread a layer of small particles (1-3 mm) of vermiculite or akadama on the surface. Vermiculite or akadama holds water and allows air through, and the color differs when dry versus wet, so it is easy to see when the soil is dry. If you do not use small-particle vermiculite and akadama, you do not have to spread it, but you must use tweezers to pick out the perlite floating on the soil surface after bottom watering is completed, so that there is no perlite, that is, small white granular stones, on the soil surface.

Before germination, do not place it where it is exposed to the sun. It must be placed in very, very bright indirect light. Be sure to pay attention to this point; this is a mistake most beginners easily make. That is to say, after sowing, it must be placed in a bright place, but one not exposed to the sun. Before germination, maintain it in indirect light, then gradually transition to natural direct light, and provide shade in summer. Seedlings are not afraid of becoming leggy; as long as they are alive, they can recover later, but if they are sunburned to death, there is no way to save them.

After sprouting, continue maintenance and open the lid for one to two hours every day for ventilation. Different varieties and different environmental conditions lead to different seed germination times, generally 7-30 days for sprouting. If the time is too long, it is generally because the environment is unsuitable or the seed viability is insufficient. Even if they sprout later, the seedlings will be weaker. When the seedlings grow their third and fourth leaves, they can be repotted for the first time. The new soil can increase the proportion of granular soil such as akadama. When repotting, do not plant too densely, and leave some growing space.

After repotting, spread a top dressing, which is good for supporting the seedlings and preventing fungus gnats. After that, as long as they are crowded, they should be repotted, otherwise the seedlings compete for nutrients, soil, and light, which is not good for growth. After repotting, the spacing between seedlings should not be too large either; a spacing of one finger's width is fine. Appropriate competition is not without benefit. When they grow larger, they can be moved into plug trays for individual cells.

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