Recommended Soil Condition For A Cutting???

Multiplying your cacti vegetatively.
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WayneByerly
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Location: In the north end of the Sequachee Valley, 65 miles north of Chattanooga Tennessee USA. Zone 7a

Recommended Soil Condition For A Cutting???

Post by WayneByerly »

Two questions about attempting to root a cutting. In trying to root a cutting (obtained by slicing off the entire bottom of a cactus that had been in WET dirt for TOO long a period of time) after it has dried,

1) Is it best to place the cutting on DRY soil, DAMP soil or WET soil?

2) Is a rooting enzyme the best idea or should it just go on raw dirt?


I've read things that recommend DRY and DAMP (though not both in the same pieces of "helpful hints"). So I would appreciate the opinion of someone on THIS forum, whom I trust over the horticulturalists that I find at random on the Internet.
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
jfabiao
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Re: Recommended Soil Condition For A Cutting???

Post by jfabiao »

The usual procedure for cactus cuttings is to let them callous for some time and then planting them in dry medium. After some time (it varies with species and conditions), roots will form and water can be given in increasing amounts. I've never used rooting enzimes, but I believe some misting or very light watering encourage root formation.

As for most usual procedures there are countless variations and exceptions, but I think it's safe to say that if you cut a cactus and place it in wet or damp medium you will loose it to rot 95% if the time. It would really help to know where do you live and what species are we talking about here.
Z, in (mostly) sunny Lisbon.
http://jardineiroazelha.blogspot.pt/
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WayneByerly
Posts: 1240
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:35 pm
Location: In the north end of the Sequachee Valley, 65 miles north of Chattanooga Tennessee USA. Zone 7a

Re: Recommended Soil Condition For A Cutting???

Post by WayneByerly »

jfabiao wrote:The usual procedure for cactus cuttings is to let them callous for some time and then planting them in dry medium...
THAT pretty much answers my most pressing question ... planting it in a DRY medium

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jfabiao wrote:The usual procedure for cactus cuttings is to let them callous for some time ... but I believe some misting or very light watering encourage root formation.
Well, MAYBE it did ... :shock:

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jfabiao wrote: ... but I think it's safe to say that if you cut a cactus and place it in wet or damp medium you will loose it to rot 95% if the time.
Well, it answered 95% of my question ... :D

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jfabiao wrote:It would really help to know where do you live and what species are we talking about here.
I live in an area (about 65 miles north of Chattanooga TN) that is SO rural that I cannot see my nearest neighbors house. I have a small greenhouse, but anything that I do in the way of trying to root a cutting will be accomplished inside ... where I keep them temperature in the LOW 70's and rather low humidity. The humidity is SO low that the cuttings I have made dried completely to the touch in a single day. The cactus in question is a Mammillaria fraileana.

I have no thought that this WILL be useful, but in the off chance that it might be, I've included it. The largest fragment of these cuttings is the top of the main body of the cactus. The smaller fragments are "branches" that began low on the cactus, but not at ground level, and continues to mid-level. It was about 6 or 7 inches tall a the time that I noticed that I had (tentatively) killed it and cut it down in an attempt to save it.
#fraileana.jpg
#fraileana.jpg (57.8 KiB) Viewed 1829 times


It always just astounding to me to see people take time from their own trials and tribulations, to take time that they COULD be spending on their own concerns, to try to help someone else. It truly says a great deal of positive commentary about your character that you should try to be so helpful to someone else. Thank you ... as sincerely as I can say it ... thanks for your help and your willingness TO help.
Make the moral choice & always do what's right. Be a good example. Be part of the solution & make a contribution to society, or be part of the problem & end your life with nothing but regrets. Live a life you can be proud of! Zone 7a
jfabiao
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:45 am
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
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Re: Recommended Soil Condition For A Cutting???

Post by jfabiao »

It's just a matter of retribution: I've found help from "internet strangers" countless times before, I'm just paying it back. ;)

My recommendation is to set the plants on some dry grit or kitty litter and forget about them until spring (since they're inside in a dry environment, some misting may be called for). By then they will most likely have developed roots and can be planted separately.
Be aware that kept that warm the plants will try to grow. If that's the case you may need to repot sooner.
Z, in (mostly) sunny Lisbon.
http://jardineiroazelha.blogspot.pt/
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