Cactus Nursery

From Seed to Seedling to Sizeable Cactus

April 17, 2020 /
  • December sunset, Wooly Blue seedlings.
  • Native Fl. prickly apple seedlings.
  • Germinated cactus seeds, several days old.
  • Indian Comb, two months.
  • Indian Comb, six months, potting time.
  • Indian Comb, seven months.
  • Pachycereus Pecten-Aboriginum “Indian Comb” cactus at 20 months and eight inches tall.
  • Pachycerus Weberi “Giant Candelabro”, similar to Indian Comb but one of world’s largest.
  • Oops! Second chance damaged Weberi rescued and replanted for pups.
Growing cactus from seed is a rewarding and educational thrill. So much cool science, so many techniques, trade tricks, soil types, species-specific requirement and variety of visual beauty. It is magical to wake up one morning a week or so after planting and look into the germination baggie to see 1000 tiny green cacti poking up in the sunlight. Not so much fun is the meticulous tedium of teasing out seedlings one by one for the 98 cell nursery trays, but after a month and realizing they’re rooted and growing you know it was worth it. Keeping fungus gnats from chewing them up requires live bacteria added to watering drench trays as it kills destructive larvae. Much of what I grow are fast-growing Florida-able columnar cacti that can take a beating from rain and cold snaps as long as they are in a well-draining mixed substrate bed or pot. Even on the Pilosocereus I can get away with covering the growing tips with styrofoam cups when it’s 26dg overnight, and they’ve done alright.
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James V. Freeman is an established visual artist (oil painting) with a deep interest in natural history, plants and farming. He has had numerous solo shows, a solo museum show, an upcoming museum show and his work has been featured in many publications to date. He currently has a studio in Williston, Fl at the family farm and homestead, "Cactus Island", and as a farmer, specializes in growing columnar cacti of the Caribbean and Gulf countries as well as the aquatic Madegascar Lace Plant. James and his mom Sharon manage and develop the permaculture homestead.

Cactus Island Nursery