Most cactus seeds germinate very easily and quickly, within two weeks. The Opuntioids and seeds in the Pediocactus/Sclerocactus group are more tricky. For growing on, the only "difficulty" is that the seedlings like humidity, plenty of water, and bright shade rather than full sun. I germinate inside plastic bags and keep the seedlings there until they are a good size, anything from a few weeks to many months. I microwave the wet soil before sowing to eliminate fungi and algae.

Get some small pots set up, or a tray for all of the seeds, and fill with a cactus soil. If I were to do it now, I'd go with turface. Moisten the mix good, and set the seeds on top. You must place them in direct sun, or under growing lights, as they require it for germination. Also keep them warm, above 70 for sure. Once you get seedlings, mist them with a sprayer to keep them from drying out, and make sure to also moisten up the growing mix as needed. Although they are cacti, they can't dry out. Make sure not to overwater them either though. Damping off can be an issue, but growing in turface should help a lot. Once they seem to be getting established, you can treat them as any cactus, with cautious watering and lots of light. Once you get this far, sit down with your financial advisor and make sure you're set for retirement, because that's about when you can expect to have any kind of decent sized cactus. Joe

What are they in and where's the container located? If there's no organic matter, then they'll need some food. A few drops per plant should be enough to get them to respond, though you might need a magnifying glass to see the results. Some photos of what you've got already would be helpful. Astrophytum, iirc, come up and start looking like adults quite quickly and then may slow down (to put down their taproot, perhaps). A reddish colour signifies strong light. A pinkish tinge is fine, but a deep red is not so good unless it's on the older / initial growth unprotected by spines. I've started a few seeds in an enclosed environment and in a purely inorganic mix with a weak dose of fertiliser. The plants are now about a year old now and smaller than they 'should' be, but they have the right shape for their age.

I used to follow the standard one-fits-all instructions when germinating cacti from seeds. Back then, I was unaware of the difficulties involved with peat-based soil, and later find it hard to follow-up on climate control while at work. The "Chain of events" had too many "weak links", such as forgetting to ventilate the seed tray, or forgetting to cover it afterwards, how fast should I reduce humidity, cats digging in the trays, and any other thing you guess is possible. As I re-potted cacti, I have found many small cacti just beneath the gravel mulch, and being amazed how easy and effortless that was, this has made me research on the subject. The cacti originate from seeds which fell-off from the mother plant and were left to grow on their own. This year is the first year I have re-potted a large number of cacti which I grew from seed using this technique. Next spring, I'm intending to try it on seeds which I've ordered, consisting of cacti for the time being. A small description of my climate: I live in a Mediterranean country, close to the sea, so temperatures are relatively stable: Winter temperatures have not gone below 37F (3C) as far as I remember, but hail happens. It is not a concern if you use the gravel mulch for the seedlings. Summer temperatures rarely surpass the 104F (40C), and mostly around 33F (91.4C). Rain falls in the winter, between end of September and early June. Cacti growers sow the seeds around May. About the technique: I find a 1:1 or 1:2 peat-to-sand as a good mix, and I include high-grade peat, just in case. I lay the seeds on the mix, then put the fine gravel on. The gravel is good for several reasons: Prevents the peat and sand mix from separating while irrigating, holds the seeds in place, protects seeds from birds, preserves moisture, prevents soil overheating and if you chose the right gravel, it may let in some light without full exposure. My gravel looks very much like alabaster, so it is translucent, but not completely transparent. From experience, seeds which fell-off to the ground in the summer have survived the rains in winter. This is fine as long as the seedlings do not germinate before frost begins in your area. In the summer, an occasional watering is just fine.The soil did dry-out between watering but they managed to grow. They grew even faster when I transplanted them, keeping the gravel mulch almost to the top. So the big question: Before I order more seeds, have you tried something like that on other succulents, like Euphorbias, Pachipodiums, Adeniums, crassulas and all other succulents? Did it work?