
Overwatering Can Harm Your Plants
July 24, 2025
The Perfect August for Cactus Lovers: Care and Blooming Secrets
August 6, 2025Astrophytums are among the most popular and beautiful cacti worldwide. They are easily recognizable by their characteristic “star” shape (from Greek Astrophytum — “star plant”), white specks on the surface, and incredible flowers. Sowing these cacti is an art that requires attention, patience, and love.
✅ What You’ll Need:
Fresh Astrophytum seeds (we recommend Astrophytum asterias, myriostigma, capricorne, or hybrids)
Containers with drainage holes (pots or mini greenhouses)
Substrate: a mixture of 30% pumice, 40% coconut coir, 30% fine perlite (2 mm), and 10% seramis
Clear lids / plastic wrap / bags for creating a greenhouse effect
Sprayer with boiled water
Growth stimulant (any one that is easily available in agro-pharmacies)
Warm, bright place (temperature of +24…28°C)
🔬 Step 1: Preparing the Seeds
Fresh seeds have excellent germination, but it’s still a good idea to pre-treat them:
Soak them in warm water for 2–4 hours.
Optionally, treat with a weak fungicide solution (e.g., Previcur Energy, TMTD) or potassium permanganate.
Tip: You can place the seeds in a damp paper towel for 12 hours before sowing — this stimulates germination.
🌿 Step 2: Preparing the Substrate
The substrate should be light, breathable, and sterilized.
Before using, sterilize the mixture by heating it in the oven or steaming it to kill fungal spores and pest larvae.
Moisten the substrate with a sprayer using warm boiled water, but do not saturate it — it should be damp, not wet.
🌱 Step 3: Sowing the Seeds
Spread the seeds on the surface — do not bury them! Astrophytums need light to germinate.
Lightly press each seed with your finger or a spoon.
Cover the container with a clear lid, plastic wrap, or a bag — it’s essential to create a stable humid microclimate.
Place the container in a warm, bright location, but avoid direct sunlight (diffused light or artificial lighting is ideal).
💧 Step 4: Care in the First Weeks
The optimal temperature: +25–28°C during the day, no lower than +18°C at night.
Do not open the greenhouse for the first 7 days. Then, gradually start ventilating — first for 5–10 minutes a day, gradually increasing the time.
If mold appears, immediately treat with a fungicide and ventilate.
Germination usually begins on days 5–10, but some seeds may take up to 3 weeks.
🌞 Step 5: Transitioning to Adult Life
After 2–3 weeks of seedling emergence:
Begin acclimating them to lower humidity: remove the cover for an hour or two a day.
After a month, you can remove the cover completely and gradually transplant the seedlings into separate pots (3–5 cm in diameter), using a mineral soil mix.
🌵 Tips from Cactus Online
Do not overwater! This is the most common mistake of beginners.
If you want beautiful hybrids, sow seeds from your own collection through cross-pollination.
They respond well to background LED lighting for 12–14 hours.
Don’t rush to fertilize — in the first 2 months, the seedlings get enough nutrients from the substrate.
📦 Ready to Start?
We always have fresh Astrophytum seeds with proven germination and from selected parent plants available in our catalog. You can order >here<



