Christina welcome to the funhouse :)

1- for growing from seed I try to do a mostly inorganic mix - propagation pumice, horticultural charcoal and some akadama or coir. If you're going with a soil of a high organic content and you're not 100% on it's origins microwave it to be safe.

Ive seen lots of different mediums used.

2- I've seen some expert growers keep their seeds sealed for 3-4 months but they've often sterilized their soil and applied a fungicide so it can go on that long without problems. Otherwise I say at most 3-4 weeks sealed off or when germination rates are good.

3- Ideal time to sow is when you can get a nice temperature difference and cool nights (your 50f is perfect) ! Haworthia seeds do not have a very long shelf life, if you want store them for a short while a dark, dry, cool environment is best IMO.

4- Days ranging from 60-80f is fine so long as they're able to drop temp wise at night and keep them out of direct sun or they'll roast in that container.

5- fungicides, that depends. If you plan on keep them sealed for several months then yes, otherwise no. Certain fungicides are germination inhibitors as well, but more importantly for your safety take all the precautions while using them.

6-box method might work great if you're road tripping !

http://haworthia-gasteria.blogspot.com/2008/01/propagation.html?m=1

Thanks minty! What kinds of haw seedd have you sown? Haha, funhouse indeed... I'm pretty excited.

That blog is where I read about using just perlite... Seems so weird to me lol! I'd panic about the perlite flying away or disturbing the seedlings. But you're right, seems like there is a wide range of useable mediums

I'm no expert, but here's my method. =)

1. Sifted perlite with sand on top. It re-wets very easily and seems to hold just enough water. All sand be too dense for good root growth but it allows for more moisture to be held at the surface and the seeds don't fall through. Perlite is cheap and I don't mind mixing it with sand.

2. I keep covered until the seeds germinate. If I fully seal, I find that fungus can grow and will kill everything in my conditions.

3. What I've heard is fresher is better with Haworthia.

4. The loft grow area is quite warm during the day, so the addition of a heat mat does not seem beneficial or applicable in my case.

5. My strategy is to have airflow around the pots, good light, and not totally sealed. This is less hospitable to fungus so I don't have to use fungicide. The only fungicide I own is garden sulphur, which I rarely use.

6. I leave my seedlings to gardening-enthusiast coworkers, where the office has enough light for them to survive okay. Family doesn't seem to take very good care of them and I found it hard to tell them where enough light will be.

Road trip I think has a high risk of toppling and losing them, unless you have a RV or van? Sounds like an adventure!

Kevin, so lucky to have enthusiastic coworkers! There is a shortage of plant-loving people around me.
When using perlite, doesn't it move around easily? And what do you put your seedlings in/cover them with?

and no, no RV or van ):

Right now I just have three small pots going. The right is Avonia and two left are Haworthia. They are covered with open Ziploc bags.