How to Sow and Grow a Cactus from Seed

If you fancy growing something a bit different, cactus seeds are a great winter project, slow, satisfying, and surprisingly easy once you know how. These desert dwellers don’t rush for anyone, but the wait is worth it.

Prepping the Seeds

Cactus seeds like a little chill before they’ll wake up. Pop them in the fridge for a month to mimic a cool desert night. After that, soak them in warm water for 24 hours to soften their seed coats and get them ready to germinate.

Sowing

Mix peat-free compost with sand, moisten it, and surface sow your seeds. Add a light sprinkle of sand on top, just enough to hold them in place. Keep the pot somewhere warm and bright, but out of direct sunlight.Now the hard part: waiting. Germination can take five to six months, so keep the compost just moist and resist the urge to poke around.

Growing On

Once seedlings appear, move them into individual pots filled with sandy compost and shift them into a bright spot to grow on. As they mature, water sparingly, only when the soil has completely dried out. Cacti are much happier when a little thirsty than too wet.

Dealing with Spines

If your cactus grows pads or fruit with spines, you can remove them by rubbing with a sturdy cloth, then shake the cloth off outdoors and give it a wash.

Growing cactus from seed takes patience, but watching those tiny green bumps turn into real, living cacti is genuinely rewarding. A little warmth, a little time, and you’ll have your own mini desert garden, no passport required.