Best method for Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii pups

Multiplying your cacti vegetatively.
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PedalWench
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Best method for Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii pups

Post by PedalWench »

I have some Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii pups that have been sitting on pumice/perlite mix for months with no sign of growth or roots, but also no sign of rot. :) What can I do to encourage them to root? They're indoors on a eastern windowsill, house is kept around 77-degrees. I mist them occasionally, but without roots, I don't want them to rot.

I've seen mention of partially burying them. Is that a recommended technique? I have about 8 of them, so I'm willing to experiment, but would love them all to succeed.
While we're here... I also have a big one that I de-grafted from a moon cactus. It had a large, single root that stayed with the stock when I seperated it. Like the pups, nothing going on with the roots. It's completely calloused from the degrafting, but no growth at all.
esp_imaging
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Re: Best method for Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii pups

Post by esp_imaging »

Bottom heat often helps, as does the arrival of spring - the house may be 77 degrees, but I'd guess the windowsill is rather cooler?
Even in my propagator, growth speeds up in spring.
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7george
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Re: Best method for Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii pups

Post by 7george »

Best methods should be searched for before detaching some offsets. :D

"Moon cactus"? Do your offsets have green colour (pigment)? If those are just yellow or red rooting is pointless.

At a normal plant I would wait until pups are large enough, develop roots and detach by themselves.

If you are in urgent need of new plants the best way is to graft those onto appropriate stock like Hylocereus.

My favorite method of rooting offsets is cutting them at fall, setting on zeolite, perlite, other porous media, etc. with occasional spraying for whole winter. Checking next spring, wait more time if needed. One more thing: apply some rooting powder (like Stim-Root) at fresh cuts of the offsets.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
°C = (°F - 32)/1.8
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