David, and others. I realize this is a bit off topic, but I want to share something I learned about cactus seed germination, by experiment. The smaller globular cacti, such as Mammillaria, Matucana, Lobivia, Trichocereus, etc. require LIGHT for germination. Therefore, covering the seed with "a thin layer of sand" will almost guarantee erratic germination. I tried the following experiment. I took equal numbers of seed (about 20) of several species. They were planted in two containers on the surface of the growing medium. One container was left uncovered (well...covered with clear plastic); the other was covered with aluminum foil. Both were placed about 4 inches (10 cm) under regular fluorescent tubes which were on for about 12 hours a day. Temperature was about 70 F (20 C). I had complete germination within 2-3 weeks for the uncovered containers and no germination in the covered containers (until I removed the aluminum foil and exposed them to light). I did not try this with a lot of species, but I am convinced of the light requirement. I also tried this with some opuntia relatives. They did not respond to light, but germinated erratically, and in low numbers. Give the Sandoval method a try, but without the covering of sand. You may be pleasantly surprised at how easily cactus seed germinates. Eugene Zielinski Prescott Valley, AZ USA > [Original Message] > From: David Ehrlich <idavide@sbcglobal.net> > To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> > Date: 6/11/2013 6:31:29 PM > Subject: [pbs] Sandoval at Fresno > > I attended Ernesto Sandovalâs lecture on South African bulbs Thursday evening at the Fresno Cactus and Succulent Society... He demonstrated a technique for seed germination which I really liked, and shall be trying out in the future. He plants the seeds in a well-drained mix (like vermiculite, perlite, pumice, etc.), covers them with a thin layer of sand, waters them and lets them drain thoroughly, then encloses the pots in a zip-lock baggie. When the seed germinate, he opens the zipper to allow air circulation. As they become sturdier, he removes them from the baggies; eventually he plants them out. His modus is to not stress the plants with too much change at a time. Sounds sensible to me. David Ehrlich