After you have decided that you want to start some succulents from seed, the next step is, of course, to get some seed. Seeds of a great number of succulents are generally not hard to obtain and there are many sources. These include buying seeds from a supplier, begging from your fellow club members, and collecting them right off the plant.

If you choose to collect the seeds from the plants there are a few things to consider. You will want to be sure that the seed is mature and will germinate once you plant it. If you are not collecting from your own plants, getting permission before you do would be a good idea. If you are collecting from the wild it might be prudent to know wether it is even legal to do so. I plan on writing more about this in the future.

Another good source of seed is your fellow hobbyists. Many who have large collections often get fruits on their plants, many times without any help. People who grow plants from seed may have extra. Ask around and you’ll probably wind up with some.

Now that you’re getting some seed, you need to plant it. Before you plant it, let’s talk about what the seed needs to germinate. Basically, seeds need moisture, warmth, and air to germinate. For many succulents there is another requirement, light. Most Cacti and Mesembs require that the seed be in the light in order to have good germination while some others, like Aloe, Agave, and Pachypodium do not. Another factor you need to consider in planting your seed is disease. There are a number of diseases (usually fungal) that can attack your seed and seedlings. Cleanliness usually does the trick though there are pesticides that will help as well.

Now a word or two about soil. There are as many soil recipes as there are growers so I’m not going to get too involved here. The important part about your potting soil id that it drains well. This usually means the addition of perlite, coarse sand, or pumice to your mix. Your mix can either be organic (peat moss, coir, leaf mold, etc) or mineral (garden loam, sand). Personally, I have had my best results using a strictly mineral soil, adding no organic components. An important part here is that your soil be sterile. Store bought mixes as well as perlite tend to be sterile right out of the bag. Other ingredients will need to be sterilized. To do this, place your wet mix in an oven roasting bag, seal it, and cook it in a low oven (160-200F) until the inside temperature is to about 180F. I have also had good results by placing a clear plastic bag of wet soil in the hot sun and turning it everyday for about four days.

Now you’re almost ready to start planting your seeds. First, let’s clean the pots. Any pot will do as long as it is clean. By clean I mean that it has been washed out to remove any clinging matter and then sprayed with a 10% bleach solution. The pots then should be put in a plastic bag, sealed, and let sit overnight. Cleaning your pots and soil means you probabl;y won’t need any other disease controls.

Okay, let’s plant. Take a pot, fill it with moistened soil, then settle the soil by gently picking the pot up about an inch and letting it fall back down. If your planting a species that does not require light, then leave enough room so that you can cover the seed with about one quarter inch of soil. Now, sprinkle your seed on the soil, covering it if necessary (Many growers will now also sprinkle the light requiring species with a very small amount of sand – I wait until after germination). Remember, almost all Cacti and Mesembs require light to germinate. Now, water the seeds by placing the pot in a tray of water. I also tend to spray water on the surface seeds just to make sure they’re in contact with the soil. When the soil is wet, remove the pot from the tray and allow it to drain a bit. At this point, the pot needs to be covered to insure that the moisture is retained. This is easily done by placing the pot in a zip-top clear plastic bag. Any other way of covering the top of the pot should work as long as the light can get through. Place the covered pot in a warm bright area, not in full sun. This could be a window sill or fluorescent lights (which I use and they work very well). For most species, a temperature of 75F is good. Some like it hotter and many of the Mesembs like it cooler, but household temperatures are usually okay. Your new babies should arrive in about 7 days (or as little as 1 day or as much as 1 year, depending on the species and freshness of the seed).

Next Month: Part Three: It’s Alive!