Home	Strange Wonderful Things Rare and exotic plants & seeds

Puya raimondii

Getting started -- For soil, i recommend a mix of 1 part high-quality potting soil and 1 part perlite.  Most cactus soils should work.  Fill small containers with the soil, and water so it is uniformly moist, but not soggy. Place the seeds on top 1-2" apart, and sprinkle a very thin layer of vermiculite over them - just enough to cover the seeds, because the seeds need light to germinate. Water the vermiculite lightly.  Place the pots in a spot that's about 65-70 degrees, a few inches away from a fluorescent bulb, or in bright shade.  Ensure that the surface soil does not dry out. 

The seeds should begin sprouting after 5-6 weeks, although allow up to 3 months for any slow ones.  It's normal for a few seeds to be sterile and not sprout.  Water whenever the top half inch of soil feels dry, but avoid keeping the leaves wet for long periods of time.  A well-ventilated spot is best, to avoid damping-off rot.  Give your seedlings either filtered sun, or 2 hours of morning sun plus bright shade the rest of the day. Transition them to more sun very gradually. About every month, give them an hour more sun each day, until eventually they are in a half-day's sun, with some shade during the middle of the day.  After about a year, they should be able to tolerate full sun.

Long-term care:  Water the soil whenever it is about 2/3 dry down where the roots are.  I don't recommend letting the soil get bone dry like you might with cacti.  Puyas can tolerate moist soil as long as it's well-draining.  Feed once a month during periods of active growth, using an ordinary complete vegetable fertilizer at 1/3 the recommended dose.  Remember that young seedlings don't need much fertilizer.  Most potting soil contains some fertilizer, so your seedlings shouldn't need feeding for the first 2-3 weeks.

When your seedlings are 1-2" tall, gently dig them up and plant them in individual 4" pots, which should hold them the first year.  Shade the plants from sun the first month after transplanting.  Repot your plants to larger containers whenever the roots start circling around the bottom of the pot or poke out of the holes.  After a few years, move them to 3-5 gallon pots.  Use cactus soil when you repot, or the mix described above. 

I recommend protecting your plants from frost for at least the first winter or two.  Puyas generally flower soonest if protected from prolonged, hard frosts.  During the summer, it's best to give them some mid-day shade if temps get into the upper 90s or above.  The plant tolerates humidity well.

Jeff

Strange Wonderful Things

Home	Strange Wonderful Things Rare and exotic plants & seeds
Entire site Copyright 2004-2010 by Strange Wonderful Things, except as noted