Sowing Seeds from Rare Plants, Plant World Seeds, and Silverhill

A few days ago I got some more seeds in the mail. Since I got such a huge variety of seeds (~20 different types), I decided to go back to using the Zip-Lock bag method, since it takes up less space.

7 types of seeds ready for germination

The 7 types are:

• Echium decaisnei
• Echium onosmifolium
• Euphorbia tuckeyana
• Leucospermum sp.
• Sonchus acaulis
• Sonchus congestus

I got a bunch of different Sonchus and a few of the same species from different collection locations. I am obsessed with Sonchus and Echium right now!

Starting off some fern spores

So my first try at attempting to grow fern spores, with Cyathea lepifera, turned out to be a no go. After only a couple weeks, gray-blue patches of mold can be seen on the surface of the peat. A few days ago I got spores for Blechnum tabulare, Cyathea medullaris, Cyathea dregei, and Dicksonia fibrosa. I scoured the recycling bin and came across a bunch of containers which looked like good germination chambers.

First I started boiling some water and rinsed out the containers with soap. I filled each container with about an inch of perlite then poured boiling water over it. I then layered some peat moss on the top and wet it with the boiling water. I then stuck the container into the microwave and microwaved for 10 minutes. One of the lids of the plastic containers melted and could no longer fit over the container, so I used plastic wrap to cover it. They were all stuck in the freezer for about an hour then the spores were layered on the surface. They are in a sunny spot on a table in my growing room. No mold, please!

Spores from B and T ready to germinate!

Blechnum tabulare spores ready to go

Cacti seedlings, Cyathea dealbata, and more seedlings

More Eulychnia breviflora seedlings have emerged. And now I have one more tiny Epithelantha bokei sprout.

Eulychnia on bottom right, Epithelantha just above it.

I got a new type of tree fern, Cyathea dealbata. Ordered it off of eBay from the Fern Factory in Fullerton. When mature, the fronds have a fantastic white underside. Really excited for it to get big and lush!

Cyathea dealbata on my windowsill

The Aloe helenae have really started springing up now! I have over 20 little seedlings starting to grow!

Aloe helenae seedlings

The Yucca thompsoniana have also started to look like grass. I would be thrilled if they maintained their growth rate as they got larger. Unfortunately, yucca are notoriously slow growing.

Yucca thompsoniana seedlings peaking out of their container

Dividing Agave, Aloe helenae update, Cyathea spores, and a Platycerium

A lot has happened in my collection the past few days. I got some seedling trays so that I could divide the Agave seedlings. Got some Cyathea lepifera spores to try my hand at fern germination. A bunch of Aloe helenae seedlings have popped up. And I got a new fern: Platycerium ridleyi.

Divided out the individual Agave victoriae-reginae seedlings (25 total). That should be a 100% germination rate!

The spores look like dust.

I ordered some Cyathea lepifera, a type of tree fern, from eBay. The seller was in southern California, so hopefully they were freshly harvested from one of his plants, as was indicated on the eBay listing. Using the YouTube video released by the Fern Factory, I sterilized a plastic container using 70% strength isopropal alcohol. Perlite was sterilized in a microwave for 7 minutes then layered around 2 inches thick in the bottom of the plastic container. Some peat moss was wet then sterilized in the microwave for 7 minutes. I layered the peat on top of the perlite, and poured boiled water over the peat and perlite. After the whole thing cooled down, I sprinkled the spores on the top of the peat. The container was closed and is currently sitting in my room. Hopefully in a few months I will see prothalli.

Look at all those little Aloe helenae seedlings!

It looks like the Aloe helenae seedlings are making some good progress. Although, the supplier said there were 100 seeds, so it wouldn't be a very good germination rate if this is all I get. I am happy with as many as I got but would be happier with more.

Platycerium ridleyi looking good

I love the staghorn ferns (Platycerium) and see them all around the place here in Los Angeles. Though I have had a hard time finding any other than the common Platycerium bifurcatum. I decided to order this guy off of eBay and am pretty happy with what I got. It looks really healthy and haven't show any signs of stress so far (I got it a few days ago). I have sprayed it here and there, but read that it should be kept on the drier side. It is located in front of a window which I keep open all the time, so gets any sort of cross breeze coming through my space.