Strombocactus from seed

Another first for me: Strombocactus from seed. 60something dustlike seed of Strombocactus disciformis ssp. esperanzae (RS 547; Xichu, Guanajuato).

I decided to sow in the same growing medium I'm using for my mature (limestone-loving) plants, i.e. equal parts of:

• Coarse, loamy sand
  
• Limestone gravel
  
• Milled sphagnum moss peat
  

I'm usually not sterilizing my growing medium before sowing, but in this case (extremely small seed and slow growing seedlings) I filled a pot with the compost and let it soak for a couple of minutes, put the pot in a plastic bag (not closed tightly) and brought it to a controlled boil in the microwave.

When everything had cooled down I sowed the seed (using a moist toothpick). The seed were placed directly on the surface of the compost and not covered. The pot was then sprinkled slightly with water and placed in the plastic bag with a bit of water at the bottom. Finally the bag was sealed closely and placed in a heated windowsill.

Now I just have to wait...

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