Guidance
GUIDANCE
At Cactus DNA we are happy to offer you high quality and purity seed and plants of unique and rare cacti and succulents, including a large number of taxa and cultivars not available elsewhere.
SEED
All the seed we offer is produced by us, here in Greece, through careful pollination techniques, ensuring genetic purity and quality. Furthermore, seeds are randomly sampled and tested for germination. Please be aware that not all seeds germinate under the same conditions. Knowing the climate of their natural habitat and their annual growth cycle is instrumental in determining the sowing season and environment you must provide. Many rare taxa originating from specialized habitats, have special requirements and some, like Ariocarpus, are programmed not to germinate altogether in the same year. So, plan to leave them undisturbed in the same pot for 2-3 years post-germination. This is especially important since much of the seed we offer is only one generation “away” from habitat and therefore, there has been no cultural selection for rapidly germinating genotypes. They still follow the ancestral instructions for habitat survival, that is “don’t play all your cards at once”.
Having said this, if you do not have much experience in sowing you can start by having a look at these two articles, Laras, A. 1999. Growing Ariocarpus From Seed. Cact. Succ. J. (U S )Vol. 71 No .4, p210-215 and Quail, D. 2002 Slow Growing Cacti From Seed, Some Further Observations. B.C.S.S. Journal Vol 20 (2) 69-75 and many more available in the literature. If you have a tried and tested method, stick with it, although there is always room for improvement via experimentation. Either way, we strongly encourage you to surface sterilize the seed using either hydrogen peroxide or chlorine, at the correct concentration and treatment time. Sterilization of substrate, pots, water, etc is also helpful, as is the inclusion of antimicrobial chemicals.
PLANTS
We will offer plants occasionally, including select specimens and show quality plants, usually from May until October. Plants are shipped only to EU countries.
ORDERING
Cactus DNA offers a large variety of select, rare, high purity seed from naturally occurring taxa and ecotypes, as well as human selected variants and cultivars. Given rarity and our dedication to genetic purity, much of the seed we offer is produced on a small number of parent plants and is thus very limited.
Despite this, with few exceptions, we offer at least 20 or 25 seeds per packet. The indicated seed quantity is the minimum amount of seed that you will receive, in most cases we include a fair number of extra seeds, so that you can have a good number of seedlings to raise and enjoy. A few items are limited to 1 pkt per order, so that many collectors may have the chance to grow these rarities.
We try to provide the correct nomenclature, accurate data and additional information in the description, however if you have further questions, we will be happy to talk to you.
DELIVERY, POSTAGE & PACKING
Orders will be processed and posted at the latest within two weeks after receiving payment, usually within ten days. A single low postage & packing fee is charged for International Tracked Registered mail, regardless of seed items ordered. Plant packing & delivery cost (only EU) varies and is calculated depending on their net weight.
CUSTOMS
Please be aware of the customs regulations and restrictions of your country. We do not have this information for all countries. We are not responsible and cannot reimburse orders that will be confiscated at customs. However, if seed orders are returned to us promptly and in good condition we will send you a refund (80% of seed cost, minus money transfer fees).
If you have special requests for the method and manner of delivery please contact us before placing your order.