Going To Seed

The seedpods on this pair of Mammillaria sp. (probably matudae) have been slowing ripening for the past month, and I've already collected many dried seedpods for possible future propagation.

I say possible because I've never been big on seed propagation. It takes several years of work and care for seedlings to grow to the point of flowering, and I've never had the patience for it, but after my recent success with Coral Aloe seed propagation, I may try my hand with some of the cactus seed I've collected this year.

The initial problem with sowing seed is separating the tiny seeds (each about the size of a grain of sea salt) from the pulp found inside the pods to prevent rot. The seedpods I've collected from these Mammillaria really aren't that difficult because the pods dry and then it's just a matter of splitting the pod and spilling out the seeds into a container. With other genera, the seedpods, or fruits, are sometimes a lot larger and filled with mucilaginous pulp. Trying to separate the seeds from pulp in those larger pods is impossible for me to do. I'm just too impatient.

An M. matudae specimen in a four-inch pot is available in any local nursery for about $1.99. When I think about that, I really wonder if it is worth my time and effort to sow seed. Perhaps not.

Seed Success

As I was cleaning up some of the dried seed heads and other debris around my garden last month, on a whim I collected the seeds from my Coral Aloe (Aloe striata) and placed them in a plastic pot that held a sand, gravel and cactus soil mixture left over from a recently purchased and transplanted succulent.

I've never been much interested in seed propagation of cacti and succulents, so this was my first attempt and I really didn't expect much. To my surprise, in just a few days, eight tiny blades appeared in the soil mix--just the number of seeds I had planted. I was amazed at how easily they germinated--I actually felt like a kindergartener growing her first bean sprout!

I've since learned that Coral Aloe is one of the easiest succulents to propagate by seed, so it was a good choice--even if it was by chance that I chose those seeds. Aloe striata seedlings grow fast and should reach flowering size in three to four years. Although that's quick in the cacti and succulent world, it is not quick enough for me to consider becoming a seed propagation aficionado, but I think I'm going to have fun watching the progress of these eight baby Aloes.

This first success piqued my curiosity enough to check out information on seed propagation, and I've discovered a plant propagation database that has extensive information on just about any plant. I've perused this site for days now, and have learned quite a bit on the various methods of propagation. Who knows—at this rate, I may become a propagation aficionado after all.