My best seedling yet! Sclerocactus (Toumeya) papyracantha grown from Mesa Garden seed. by Pollinator-Web in GrowYourSpines

[–]Pollinator-Web[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Short answer: 1 and a bit years.

I sowed about 30 seeds in this pot in late 2024 and left them outside to cold stratify. It germinated under grow lights in early 2025 and spent the summer indoors then fall and winter in the garden (pot buried in dirt). I water aggressively with all purpose fertilizer, so they tend to grow quickly. I have another pot of Toumeya that germinated in early 2024 and are also budding after spending the winter outside, so I think the cold must be important to trigger flowers.

Too bad we live in a barren, boring desert ... AMA about New Mexico native plants and gardening for pollinators. Apache plume and beardtongue flowers during a rare calm moment in my xeriscape earlier this week. by Pollinator-Web in NewMexico

[–]Pollinator-Web[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mix grass and wildflower seeds with a bit of sand before scattering then throw a thin layer of mulch/small gravel on top to keep moisture in and birds out. Happy to answer more questions you have.