YOU MADE IT
Now you have a bunch of young sprouts - verdant and energetic, but also a little vulnerable. There are some things which need adjusting to improve their living conditions.
Removing the cover for the sprouts
During the germination process the seed container needs to be covered. Removing the cover transforms the environment from seed-preferred to sprout-preferred: lower air humidity, stronger ventilation, brighter light, etc. Therefore we recommend removing the cover once sprouted to prevent the excessive moisture from weakening them, and keep mosses and fungi from spreading.
However, once the cover is removed it is likely that your remaining seeds will stop germinating. Ensuring that you remove the cover at the right time is important, and we generally recommend customers to "remove the cover when a satisfactory number of seeds have germinated". It is a bit hard to define "satisfactory" and preferences differ between succulent growers.
As a rule of thumb we would consider a 90% germination rate satisfactory for easy seeds like Lithops. For rare or difficult seeds, this bar would be lowered accordingly to yield whatever sprouts successfully germinate.
Changing the watering schedule
Bottom watering for your succulent babies is highly recommended.
While succulent seeds require high soil moisture and air humidity, the sprouts' roots can be slowed down or rotted by excessive water in the soil. Your watering schedule may need to change to ensure your sprouts meet their new requirements. A good standard is that for the seeds, the soil surface should always look moist, while for sprouts watering should take place once the soil gets dry.
Note that due to the increased ventilation caused by removing the cover you may end up watering just as frequently as before, as the soil will dry out much quicker.
Re-potting
While the very young sprouts can theoretically be re-potted if handled very carefully, their roots are rudimentary and can be easily damaged. As they grow they will be much much safer and easier to re-pot.
We don't recommend our customers re-pot their succulent babies for at least 6 months from sprouting.
Anything else?
Green is a sign of active photosynthesis! Compared to the seeds which do not rely on the light too much, it is beneficial to give the sprouts more sunlight or access to grow-lights. Light can also inhibit the mosses or fungi and some kinds of pests. However, direct sunlight or any other light source that can significantly affect the temperature is not recommended while the sprouts are young.
Removing the cover also means more exposure to potential pests. Some precautions can be taken such as increasing ventilation, setting sticky traps, or separating the sprouts from suspicious pest sources (outdoor plants, old soil, etc.).
Older succulent plants prefer soil with better drainage/ventilation capacity. As they grow, remember to add more granular substrate to your soil mix! Also, the soil surface can be covered by granules now for a better look and a dry environment for leaves to grow.
TAKEAWAYS
- When satisfied with the germination rate, remove the cover.
- Do not over-water for the sprouts.
- Be very careful when re-potting the sprouts. Only re-pot the young ones when necessary.
- Give more light to the sprouts without heating them up.
- Watch for abnormalities like the appearance of pests.
Customer satisfaction is always our ultimate goal. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you have. Happy sowing!
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