Peyote seed is not too difficult to germinate. A good method for germinating cactus seeds (and Lophophora seeds) is described in the article Cacti from Seed. It is important to ventilate well two or three weeks after germination of the seed. The seedlings will need some shade. Too much light will induce the Peyote seedlings to turn red to brown. When the seedlings get a shortage of light they will turn bright green to yellow and will grow too tall (etiolation). Usualy Peyote seeds germinate within 14 days but it might take longer depending on the quality of the seeds. CactusPlaza sells Lophophora seeds (and all other seeds) which are harvested the same year or a year before selling. This guarantees good germination rates if you have all other seed germination factors like soil mix, light, humidity and temperature un order. it may take six to eight years for Lophophora species to reach a diameter of an adult cactus.

Soil Mix For Adult Lophophora Plants

I use the following soil mix with great success for all Lophophora species and varieties like Lophophora williamsii, Lophophora jourdaniana, Lophophora fricii, Lophophora diffusa and Lophophora williamsii v. caespitosa:

• One part clay
• One part regular potting soil (without peat)
• Four parts coarse sand
• Three parts fine grit (1-3 mm)
• A teaspoon of lime

Good luck with growing your own Lophophora plants. In the link below you find a wide range of Lophophora species and subspecies which are available in stock.

You can buy Peyote seeds at CactusPlaza. We also offer peyote grow kits to make it easy for you to grow your own nice and flat Peyote cactus plants.

Choose a plot where you can provide at least 70-80 percent shade. A forest would be best but a site where you can provide shade in other ways is also fine. You can plant Panax ginseng plants in containers or even better directly in the field.

Which soil to use

Use a soil type with good drainage properties. The ideal growing conditions for Ginseng seeds is the forest where the soil is full of decomposing leaves. If you live near a forest, you could take fallen leaves and use them as a top layer for your Ginseng propagation site or for the containers where you planted your Ginseng. Another method to simulate natural growing conditions is to add peat to your soil and mix it gently.

Planting and germinating Ginseng seeds

Plant the seeds 10 - 15 cm apart, in rows which lay 20 to 25 cm apart. Push them 1 cm into the soil. Apply a 2 cm top layer of humus or decomposing leaves.The key to germination of Ginseng seeds and many other seeds is a rather abrupt temperature change such as you would find in spring when the snow starts to melt and temperatures increase.

How to care for your Ginsing plants

As mentioned earlier, Ginseng likes shade. Sun in the morning is ok but around noon you need to provide shade and temperatures should be controlled. To enhance growth provide your Ginseng plants with potassium, for example in the form of bone meal, and supply plenty of nitrogen in the form of humus, decomposing leafs or a different source.

Seed Sowing Preparations

• Step 1: Filling the sowing containers with the soil
• Step 2: Sowing the seeds
• Step 3: Germination of the seeds
• Step 4: Transplanting the seedlings

Equipment:

• seeds
• Germinating soil mix (riversand / fine regular potting soil / 1-3 mm grit (1:1:1))
• 1-3 mm grit
• seed tray and transparent top (a plastic bag or lid)
• germination room or greenhouse with indirect bright light or artificial light where an approximate temperature of 25 °C can be maintained (20 °C at night)
• plastic plant containers with drainage holes
• small transparent plastic (sandwich) bags
• water sprayer
• watertight container
• watering can
• plant labels
• watertight marker

Seed Germination Preparations:

Prepare the germination soil mix by mixing riversand with regular potting soil and 1-3 mm grit (1:1:1). Make sure that your sowing medium is very loose and airy. I usually take a fist full of the mix I just made and make a fist with it. When you open your hand the mix must loosely fall apart. If it sticks together like a ball then the medium is to tight and you should add some grit to loosen it up.

If you want you can sterilize the sowing medium for 2 hours in a high pressure cooking pot or use a microwave and sterilize for 15 minutes at 180-200 °C. You also have to sterilize some 1-3 mm grit to put on top of the sowing medium. Grit can be sterilized in the same manner as the sowing medium or it can be boiled for 10-15 minutes in a cooking pot filled with water. After sterilization keep the cooking pots closed and let the medium and grit cool down overnight.

Clean the containers with hot water.

Step 1: Filling the containers with the germinating mix

Prepare and clean a table for the sowing and keep ready all the equipment you will be needing. Use 1 container per species of cactus. Fill the plastic containers for 50% with sowing medium and slightly press it down. Now fill the container with sowing medium up to approximately 1 cm under the edge of the container. Add 0,5 mm of (sterilized) grit on top of the sowing medium.

When all sowing containers are filled as described, put them in the watertight tray filled with water. Seal the tray in a plastic bag or with a large lid to prevent infected air coming in and let the containers soak up the water for about two hours. Take the containers out of the water and let the excess water drip out. Now fill the tops of the containers for approximately 0.5 cm with grit (1-3 mm).

Step 2: Sowing the cactus or succulent seeds

Divide the seeds equally on the top layer of grit. Naturally, one species of seeds per container. Slightly press the seeds in the grit but also make sure to do this in a sterile way, for example by putting your hand in one of the clean sandwich bags. Put a plant marker in each container and write the name of the species and the date on it. Now put each container in one of the transparent sandwich bags. NB. with the opening of the bag facing upward. In this way water leaking out of the containers will stay in the bag and no insects can crawl in through the drainage holes. Now close the bags and place them at approximately 23°C under medium light conditions. Do not use to bright illumination and certainly do not use direct sunlight because this will burn the seedlings. You will know when your seedlings are burned when they start to turn reddish brown. When this happens immediately reduce the light intensity.

Step 3: Germination of the seed

Most seeds should germinate after about 14 days but this varies with the species of cactus or succulent. After germination carefully open the bags to check for possible infections and to see if most seeds have germinated. If all seeds (or most) are germinated you should make 2-4 small holes (for example with a big needle) to let the seedlings slowly adjust to dryer air.

It is very important now to check the containers at least once a week. Each week 2-4 new holes must be made into the bags and after approximately 2 months you can remove the bags completely. Keep checking the seedlings on a regular basis for infections with insects or fungi. When the bags are removed the soil will dry fast so make sure to let the containers absorb some warmish water. Do not let the containers dry but also do not keep them soaking wet after the seeds have germinated.

Step 4: Transplanting the seedlings

Transplanting seedlings into fresh soil is needed when (1) the soil is completely dried out or (2) the seedlings have no more room to grow because they are packed together to much or (3) when a major infection with fungus or algae has occurred. The seedlings do not have to be transplanted in sterilized soil. Just use the same soil mix I described earlier and they should be ok.

As the seedlings grow try to increase the light intensity but be careful for burning because young cacti and succulents are very sensitive.

In practice Agave seed is bought in winter and early spring are sown. The best period for germinating the seeds is June (in Europe). During this month Agave seed can be sown and germinated with the heat and light of the sun. Offcourse you could sow earlier in the year but you will need artificial light and heat. Seeds will lose their viability over time. For germinating Agave seeds I use the following mix with success: 50% regular potting soil, 25% coarse sand, 25% crushed lava rocks or clay granulate. Put this soil mix in a container or seedtray and make the surface of the soil smooth. Do not press the soil with your hand or anything else. You want to keep an open structure for proper water drainage and air circulation. Sow the seeds 0.5 -1 cm from each other and apply a top layer of 3-5 mm fine grit or coarse sand (particle diameter not larger than 4 mm). Keep moist but not soaking wet until the seeds germinate. The first seeds usually germinate approximately after a week. The other seeds will germinate in the following weeks. After germination increase ventilation. Provide good light but supply shading against intense sunlight when needed from may until august. A germination rate of 100% is seldom achieved. Germination rates vary between Agave species. Usually rates of 50% to 90% are reached. There is no need to use desinfectants during seed germination. Use a proper germination medium and pay good attention to the combination of temperature and watering regime. The first month after germination of the Agave plants the soil is kept rather moist. In the first three months night temperatures may not drop below 10 degrees Celsius while day temperatures (created by sunlight) may reach upto 35 degrees Celsius without problems. Approximately 5 weeks after germination water regime must be changed. Do not keep the seedlings continuously moist but let the soil dry during waterings. Water once a week. Do not water if the soil is still moist.

Multiply Agave by bulbils

A third method for propagating Agave plants is to use bulbils. These are small plants which often develop on the stems after flowering. This is a rather easy method. Bulbils are in fact complete Agave plants but without roots or very tiny roots. Be very careful, especially the first months, with watering after planting these bulbils. The bulbils must develop roots in their search for water and nutrients and are very sensitive to rot in this month.

Multiply Agave through underground shoots

A next and very interesting method of propagation is the following: Before reaching the surface shoots have travelled 5 to 40 cm underground. We could make 1-7 plants of these shoots! In march 2005 the author has experimented with a yellow form of Agave Americana ‘medio-picta’, a species much sought after. The result was stunningly well. The shoots were cut in several pieces. Each piece with a minimum of one sleeping eye. After potting the eye is forced to start growing. The developing plants reach a diameter of about 7 cm after approximately a year. And, the most important thing, they all keep the color combination of the mother plant.

Agave propagation by cloning

Another form of propagating Agave is by cloning. This technique is being used by professional growers of many different plant species. Also for Agave species, of which no seeds or cuttings are available, this is a very useful method.

Agave propagation by damaging

A final method of Agave propagation: Damage the mother plant! This can be done in several ways.

Use a razorsharp knive to make small cuts in the base of the root. In reaction some mother plants will form young plants from the cuts. In some older plants the point of growth can be cut out the core of the Agave. It can be done for most of the Agave varieties. In reaction the plant may form young plants from the leaf axil. In an experiment with Agave titanota this has resulted in 10 new plants. Some species have a tendency to develop an outgrowth of young plants from the downside of the mother plant. This can occur in young Agave plants where the growth tip is slightly cut. It works for example in Agave filifera. Unfortunately this species is offered in abundance so this method is not very attractive here. This method of propagation (it seems like cloning without a lab) could also succeed in more sought after Agave species.

You might have asked yourself this question while reading the above. The answer is not so hard. It's fun! Offcourse there are important benefits (and some minor drawbacks) as well. In the lists below I have pointed out the most important pros and cons for growing plants indoors:

Benefits:

• Germinate seed and grow plants all year round
• Using space more efficiently
• Better control of light, water and temperature
• Reduce bug infestations

Drawbacks:

• Higher electricity bill
• Germinate seed and grow plants all year round

Because you are growing indoors under artificial light and with artificial heating you are not bound to the seasons and you can germinate seeds whenever you like. It is important to notice however that plants have some kind of biological clock. Especially older plants need a rest period. So, if you are only growing mature plants indoors make sure you tune down temperatures during winter and stop watering or water less. I only raise seed and grow 1-3 year old seedlings indoors so the resting period is less important in my opinion. During summer the warmth emitted by the fluorescent bulbs is enough to germinate seeds and grow seedlings. During winter you might want to use some heating pads to turn up the temperatures. Raising seeds indoors is beneficial even when you have a greenhouse. If you germinate your seed in december or januari you can give seedlings, especially seedlings of slower growing cacti and succulents, a headstart and place them in your greenhouse later when outside temperatures are higher. Growing older plants under artificial light can be very useful in forcing them into flowering (n.b. natural light conditions in countries like The Netherlands and England can be a real disappointment).

Using space more efficiently

In a greenhouse we are dependent on the light of the sun that comes in through the roof and the side. In order to achieve optimal growth plants benefit most from receiving light from above. We all noticed sometimes that when we place a cactus in the windowsil that it tends to grow towards the window, towards the light. This will misshape our precious cactus or succulent so again best is giving light from above. When you grow your plants indoors (in a spare room or corner of your hobby room) you can built a closet or rows of shelves attached to the wall. On each shelf (with fluorescent bulbs above it) you can place your germinating seeds, seedlings or older plants. By piling your plants on shelfs above eachother you are saving alot of space. I have 5 shelfs, each 40 cm wide and 120 cm long. A relatively small space because they are placed above eachother. I can place 25 germination trays in this installation!

Better control of light, water and temperature

Greenhouses are often open at the bottom and together with open windows humidity varies alot over the day and through the seasons. Temperatures and light vary in a greenhouse because they are (usually solely) dependent on sunlight. Together with the untidyness of most greenhouses growth conditions are hard to manage here. Indoors almost every condition is manageable. You can switch on light bulbs or switch them off using timers. You can more or less manage temperatures by switching on and of electric heating pads. I have everything on timers, also my ventilation fan. I create my day/night cycle by having my lights on timers (14 hours day, 10 hours night). When the fluorescents are switched off temperatures drop automatically from 22 degrees Celsius to 16 degrees Celsius. In this maner the natural temperature differences of night and day are created. My plants respond very well to it.

Building your indoor growth installation

Finishing this article I will describe which tools and materials I used to built my indoor growth installation. There are many ways offcourse. This one thats worked very good for me. Building an installation of 5 shelfs complete with lighting has cost me around 400 euro. All materials can be purchased at your local constuction market (Gamma, Praxis, Hornbach).

I prefer working with a so called "rail system" to attaches shelfs to the wall. I always use shelfs of 40 cm wide and 120 cm long. This is a standard size of shelf and exactly appropriate to place two regular nursery trays of 40 x 60 cm on. Place 3 rails (length depending on how many shelfs you want to place above eachother) vertically to the wall, seperated evenly from eachother. On these rails you can place anchors which will support the shelves. In this way each shelf will be supported by three anchors, seperated evenly along the length of the shelf. You can conveniently move the anchors up and down over the rails so you can adjust the space between the shelves. Very usefull for instance when you want a shelf with higher columnar cacti and the other shelfs with seedlings and smaller plants. At the bottom of each shelf (not the lower shelf offourse) small holes should be pre-drilled. In these holes screws will be attached to support the chains which will be attached to your fluorescent lighting systems. For each 40 x 120 cm shelf I use three 120 cm fluorescent bulbs, evenly divided over the width of the shelf. For bulbs I recommend using the standard 36 Watt Cool White types of 120 cm. They have the right spectrums and are cheap (n.b. it is wise to get new bulbs every year because the quality decreases over time). Using chains you can adjust the distance of the fluorescent bulbs to the plants you are growing. Very important for instance when you are growing Pereskiopsis or another plant that increases its height fast.

In the list below you find the materials I used to built my indoor growth installation:

• 15x 36 Watt fluorescents
• 6x wooden shelves (18 mm)
• 1x electicity cable (10 m)
• 16x connectors
• 15x anchor (shelf carrier)
• 3x rail (250 cm)
• 2x18 screw hooks
• 6x7 screw eyes
• 9x4 S-hooks
• 15x small metal chain (20-40 cm)

Good luck growing your own cacti & succulents indoors!