Juul's Giant original cactus

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daveedcacti
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:12 pm
Location: Chico, CA

Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by daveedcacti »

Hi,

I received a cutting from Tom Juul's original cactus! I'm trying to propagate it but it seems to be a slow process. I'm starting from a middle section and my friend that started with tops and it seems to be doing significantly better. The cutting I received was from Tom Juul's grandson. So I believe it's the real deal! :D I'll post pictures when its starts to root. Fingers crossed.

My other friend took two 4 foot long sections of the Juul's Giant and set them on the ground for a month or 2. The ends are rotten but the middle is still green. He said I could have them. I was wondering if its too late to try to cut the two pieces into 4 pieces and try to propagate them. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. I'm new to propagating cacti, so any suggestions welcome. I've propagated other things ;D

Dave-
Saguaro123
Posts: 2974
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:17 am
Location: SF Bay Area (Zone 9b)

Re: Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by Saguaro123 »

Hi Dave, as long as you're able to remove the rotted ends and allow the healthy middle section to callous and heal, then splitting the cuttings into 4 pieces is doable. Make sure that there's no infected tissue left on the healthy middle portion and to sterilize the knife with alcohol after each cut.

I'd love to see a picture of it by the way! I didn't know that it was still possible to receive cuttings from the actual source.
daveedcacti
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:12 pm
Location: Chico, CA

Re: Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by daveedcacti »

@Saguaro123 Wow I could have chopped it into 4?! I should have. I believe I removed all necrotic tissue, hopefully. Here are some pictures from today. (6 Months later) Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner.

The single top Juul was the first one that I propagated and triple top Juul was the second one that I planted. I wonder why the second one has 3 tops. I planted less of the base of the second one into the ground and exposed more of the green old growth. I'm guessing that's why it shot 3 tops???

First one I took:
Giant Juul 2
Giant Juul 2
Cactus2.jpg (89.13 KiB) Viewed 1800 times
Second one I took:
Giant Juul 1
Giant Juul 1
Cactus1.jpg (91.27 KiB) Viewed 1800 times
My friend/the grandson of Thomas Juul has the original plant in his back yard. It was 10 feet tall but the top blew over, hence I got a cutting!

Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated, as I am new to the whole cactus craze.
Thanks for reading
Saguaro123
Posts: 2974
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:17 am
Location: SF Bay Area (Zone 9b)

Re: Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by Saguaro123 »

Hi @daveedcacti, no worries on the delay.

Your Juul's Giants look very healthy, and yes, that is the real thing. To answer your question on why one cutting grew three branches, I suspect it's because more of the cutting was above ground and exposed to sunlight, so it was able to obtain more nutrients. It's also visibly healthier than the other. However, take that with a grain of salt, as it's just speculation.

It looks like the soil it's in has a lot of organic matter. Juul's Giants (and other Trichocereus) are more tolerant to these soils, but other cacti require more inorganic ingredients in the mix. A general rule of thumb is to have 50/50 organic and inorganic materials, but adjust the ratio based on the need of certain cacti.
daveedcacti
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:12 pm
Location: Chico, CA

Re: Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by daveedcacti »

How long should I wait until I can take a cutting from these mother plants?
Saguaro123
Posts: 2974
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:17 am
Location: SF Bay Area (Zone 9b)

Re: Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by Saguaro123 »

The larger branches on the mother plants look ready, but I would wait a little longer for the two smaller branches to get larger on the second plant.
daveedcacti
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:12 pm
Location: Chico, CA

Re: Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by daveedcacti »

Should I transplant them into larger pots?
Winter is coming and it will get down to 28 degrees F in northern California. Do I need to bring them inside the house?
Will this cactus grow in Monterey, CA outside?
The soil I used was the generic Cactus soil from HomeDepot.
Saguaro123
Posts: 2974
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:17 am
Location: SF Bay Area (Zone 9b)

Re: Juul's Giant original cactus

Post by Saguaro123 »

I would wait until next spring to repot, as it's best not to disturb them when they go dormant for the winter. A general rule of thumb for a cactus mix is 50% inorganic material (lava rock, pumice, or whatever's available where you live) and 50% organic material. The bagged stuff from Home Depot needs more amending before it's usable for most cacti.

You may not need to bring it in, as it's quite hardy, but please do if you start seeing frost damage or rot.

It'll grow very well outdoors in Monterey, CA.
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