When should you sow succulent seeds? A detailed guide to sowing methods for beginners

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Therefore the term "succulent plant" has both a broad and a narrow sense; the broad sense includes cacti, while the narrow sense does not include cacti. We can call cactus plants succulents, and by the same token we can call succulents of all families other than the Cactaceae cactus-type plants.

Overall, succulents are very easy to grow. But because succulents are becoming more and more popular and more and more people are growing them, the question "why did my succulent die?" has started to appear. So that you don't become that unlucky person, come and hear how succulents should be grown.

Growing plants always comes down to three things: water, medium and light, and succulents are no exception. Light mainly affects how well the plant grows, so it belongs to the advanced level. But water and medium can directly affect whether the plant lives or dies. Many planting beginners, when they first grow something, casually use some soil, then enthusiastically and lovingly water the plant every day... and then... there is no then...

Therefore, although succulents are easy to grow, you should still pay attention to the following points.

1. Medium: the soil should be loose and breathable, with good drainage, but with a certain water-retention capacity, and neutral or slightly acidic.

There are many media suitable for growing succulents, but a very important point is that they must be sterile. The direct cause of succulent death is often rot, and there is only one direct cause of plant rot: fungal infection. During the transplanting process of succulents, if the medium itself carries various pathogens, plus improper later care (such as frequent watering), it is very easy to cause fungal infection. Therefore, when choosing soil from the very beginning, you should choose sterile or sterilised soil.

There are two common ways to sterilise: one is to use a fungicide such as carbendazim. The other is to use high temperature to sterilise, for example, I have heard of someone stir-frying soil in a pan, and also heard of someone putting soil in a microwave to bake it. A good medium, a good start.

2. Watering: the principle of watering is "dry then wet", that is, when the soil has dried out completely, water thoroughly.

If it is hard to judge whether the soil has dried out completely, you can stick a toothpick into the soil, and when it is time to water, just look at how dry or wet the toothpick is. "Dry then wet" is a common term in flower growing, meaning to water thoroughly once, then wait until the soil is almost dry before watering a second time. Its purpose is to prevent root rot caused by overwatering and pests and diseases caused by dampness. Of course, it does not need to be so strict; as long as you do not water too frequently, it generally will not cause succulent death.

3. Sunlight: succulents all love sunlight, and with a certain amount of light they will grow better.

Growing succulents is actually not difficult; in fact, just grow them rough! Many beginners kill their succulents because they water too frequently.

Growing succulents from seed

The sowing period is a very important part of seedling raising work. It affects the plant's growth period, as well as how strong or weak the seedlings' ability to adapt to the environment is. A suitable sowing period can increase the seed germination rate. The seedlings emerge uniformly, the plants grow robustly, stress resistance is strong, land and manpower are saved, and high-quality products can also be cultivated.

The sowing period is usually from April to October. Cactus seedlings (seedlings within one year) do not go dormant in winter, so as long as the minimum winter temperature is guaranteed, they can be sown during this period. Succulents are best sown in two batches: summer-dormant types in September to October. Winter-dormant types in April to May. 21-27°C is the most suitable temperature for sowing cacti and succulents.

At this temperature the germination rate is relatively high, so sowing in spring and autumn is best. At this time the temperature difference between day and night is relatively large, seedlings emerge more uniformly, and after emergence the seedlings also grow faster. When there is a 15°C temperature difference between day and night, it is most favourable for germination. However, experts point out that when the daytime temperature is higher than 30°C it is not very favourable for seedling growth, so when choosing the sowing period it is best to avoid summer. Also do not sow in the plum rain season, when pathogens are active and seedlings are easily infected after emergence.

Direct pot sowing and seed soaking to promote germination are the methods generally used. In most cases the direct pot sowing method is used. Direct pot sowing can be divided into spot sowing and broadcast sowing. When the number of seeds is relatively large and the seeds are relatively small, the broadcast sowing method is generally used: that is, slowly and evenly scatter the seeds into the seedling pot (be sure to disinfect the seedling pot). When the seeds are large and few, the spot sowing method is generally used: you can use your fingertip, a pointed chopstick or a bamboo skewer, and place them one grain at a time into the seedling pot (be sure to disinfect the seedling pot).

Seed soaking to promote germination is mainly used for some seeds that are difficult to sprout, such as some seeds with too thick a seed coat. Succulents generally can just use direct pot sowing; for example, species such as Pereskia and Opuntia have very little chance of sprouting. The specific operation is to put the seeds in a shallower container, add a little water, as long as the seeds are not submerged. Then cover with glass and place in a dark place. After a few days, when you see the white cotyledons emerge, you can use small tweezers to transplant them into a (disinfected and sterilised) seedling pot and cover with glass.

Generally the pot used for sowing is best shallow and large; the material does not matter, but the rim of the pot must be flat. Only then can the glass cover it tightly. Seeds can be sown mixed together. As long as you insert a label and pay attention to the spacing, that is fine.

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