How to Grow Cactus Starting From Seeds

Purchase a packet of cactus plant seeds. You can find the seeds at some garden centers and from online stores. Most packs will contain 20 seeds, of which you can expect approximately 75 percent to germinate. Plan to grow the seeds during springtime. It helps to sow the seeds during their natural growing cycles.

Fill several small planters with soil. Leave about two inches of space between the soil and the top of the planter. You do not need any special kind of soil -- you can use the soil in your backyard if you wish. Cacti are extremely hardy and are used to living in poor soil conditions, so there is no need to buy special soil and fertilizers as with other types of plants.

Water the soil. Place a seed on top of the soil in the center of each planter. Do not sow the seed down into the soil. Cacti seeds needs light to germinate and must remain exposed on the soil surface.

Place some plastic wrap over each of the planters. Wrap a rubber band around the top of the planter to hold the plastic wrap in place. Poke three or four holes in the plastic with a pen tip. You can also place each planter in a zippered plastic bag. If you use bags, close the bags until there is just a 1-inch opening to allow some air flow.

Put the planter in a window that receives eight to 10 hours of daily sunlight. The seeds need plenty of light to germinate. You can supplement the light by placing a fluorescent light over the planters as well.

Check the soil and keep it moist for the first two weeks. Even once the seeds germinate, the seedlings need very moist soil. The plastic wrap will help keep the soil from losing moisture as quickly and will also keep the air around the plants warm and humid.

Poke a few more holes in the plastic wrap after the seeds germinate. If you used bags, you can open the bag up another inch. The plants should remain covered for at least the first month. Some cactus growers like to keep the plants covered for an entire year before removing the plastic wrap or bag.

Place the cacti on a windowsill and keep them there as long as you keep them inside. Wait at least two years if you intend to transplant them outside.