Cute little guys!
Yet...it is not fair! You germinated at least some of the seeds I shared with you and I had no luck at all.

Jordi

johnnyd, how long do you normaly leave your seedlings in the bag.

That's sweet!

Alex

They need to go back in the bag at that size?

Hi,

I've read allready some things about the bag method
and I'm very interested.
Do you leave it totally closed?
Aren't there holes necessary for some oxigen?

Greetings,

Hans

James/Larry/Hans,

There is quite a bit written on the plastic bag method of seed propogation. Google cactus seed propogation and see what you come up with. The methods range from clinical to casual. I think I'm somewhere in between. Mesa Garden also has a short tutorial on propogation and all seeds have a code broken out with infomation on temperature and humidity neccessary for best results. Remember: the road to success is littered with the carcasses of dead succulents.

I leave most of my seedling in the bag for two to three months. Strombocactus and Geohintonii and some other miniatures can stay a year. No holes in the bag, but I open mine up for inspection and a breath of fresh air every other day. The most critical time is taking the seedlings out of the humid environment of the bag. I have lost more to drying out than anything else. I put them into plastic tubs covered with mesh to maintain some of the humidity and keep out those pesky fungus gnats. I take the mesh off after a week or so and add top dressing, but I keep them in the plastic tubs. I built a hotbox which helps maintain a better level of temperature and blocks the wind that can dry out a seedling in an instant. Growing from seed is a rewarding experience and one day you can utter those famous words, "Oh, but of course, I grew it from seed.."

Transition tubs:

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Johnny's hotbox.

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Here's how the professionals do it. With lots of seed. (C&J)

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Tephro update for Jordi:
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Saludos,
Johnny D

j.d. thanks for sharing