And now we wait....

Today, I sowed my seeds because weather conditions are right, the daytime temperatures are between 15C and 25C and nights are still cold, which is a requirement for germination.

I used a 1:1:1:1 mixture of perlite, vermiculite, washed silica sand and sifted succulent potting mix. the potting mix is sifted to make sure that the particles are small. This mixture ensures a very fast draining mix, which should help prevent rot.

Yesterday, I bought little 5cm pots because I want to keep my seeds separate and labelled, so that I know what is what. Haworthia seeds don't develop much of a root system in the beginning so the pots don't need to be deep and apparently they germinate better if they are sown densely. I sprinkled 12-15 seeds in top of the growing mix in each pot and then I used a spray bottle with rainwater to wet the seeds. You have to keep spraying until water runs out of the pot on the first occasion. Most Important: Label the pots!

The pots now have to be kept sealed while the seeds are germinating, to prevent them from drying out. I bought hamburger takeaway containers when I got the pots so I can put the pots in there instead of building a box.

The Hoodia don't like seeds to be touching so I sowed them spread out in these seedling trays that I will cover with a pane of glass. I was going to sow some cactus seeds as well but now I can't find the packet so that will have to happen another day. Those seeds are very old so it is unlikely that they will germinate but we can only try.

These will go outside but I will put them under a tree to ensure that the sun doesn't fry the seedlings. The Haworthia seedlings should germinate within a week and then I will leave them uncovered, to prevent fungus and they will need to be misted twice daily to prevent them from drying out. Hoodia should be watered less frequently.

I really hope that this works!