Is it a good idea to cut these cacti?

Multiplying your cacti vegetatively.
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mmcavall
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Location: São Carlos - SP, Southeast Brazil, Cerrado Region

Is it a good idea to cut these cacti?

Post by mmcavall »

This was a succulent arrangement I made for my mother in law several years ago, but now she gave me it back, because it is ugly, and she asked for a new one (so I’ll prepare another with Haworthias and Gasterias to her, as I am a good son in law).

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Now these plants are mine again (unfortunately the big Gymno of the arrangement dyed a month ago). I’d like advices about what to do with the Mammillaria and the Myrtillocactus.

The Mammillaria grew too much, too elongated, and it is indeed ugly. There is a joke in the family, we call it Pedro, which is the name of my father in law. It’s an allusion to his... well…member, which don’t get up anymore… so I don’t wish to have this like that, I don’t like the image very much :lol:

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So what do you guys think I could do? Can I cut the very top of Pedro’s body and re-root it to start all over again? And what do I do with the rest of the body? Can I cut it in some more pieces and try to re-root so they will give me some buds? By the way, what is this species?

Now the Myrtillocactus (at least I think it is a M. geometrizans, but if anyone has another opinion please tell me). It is slowly getting like that, I think is corking…what can I do with this plant?

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Thanks for any advices, and sorry for any impolite joke :wink:
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greenknight
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Re: Is it a good idea to cut these cacti?

Post by greenknight »

I think Pedro is Mammillaria matudae. You could make several cuttings.

I would cut that Myrtillocactus at the joint, that's where it will form roots most easily. The stump might make new offsets after that which you could also propagate.
Spence :mrgreen:
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cactushobbyman
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Re: Is it a good idea to cut these cacti?

Post by cactushobbyman »

I have several Mammillaria matudae with that growth habit. True the tip shows the need of proper light and I would repot it separate and just let it grow. The end may change and even start to look better in time. Yes you can make cuttings but I would give it a chance to recover and the elongation and the cascading look is what I look for. I have seen older plants that are extremely long and I think you have a keeper with better growing conditions. :D
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mmcavall
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Location: São Carlos - SP, Southeast Brazil, Cerrado Region

Re: Is it a good idea to cut these cacti?

Post by mmcavall »

Thank you both for replying.
Good to know the ID, and that I can cut the Mammillaria and it will root and sprout.

Hobbyman: after reading that "elongation and the cascading look is what I look for" I searched for images in the internet and found interesting pictures (nevertheless none of the images shows the plant in it's natural habitat, which I would like to see). They look better (in my opinion) when multi-branched.

I did not decided what to do yet.

thank you
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greenknight
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Re: Is it a good idea to cut these cacti?

Post by greenknight »

That Mammillaria matudae may well produce offsets given better growing conditions. Now that the tip is no longer the top, growth my occur on parts if the stem that are above it.
Spence :mrgreen:
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mmcavall
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Location: São Carlos - SP, Southeast Brazil, Cerrado Region

Re: Is it a good idea to cut these cacti?

Post by mmcavall »

ok Spence, good tip, thank you!
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