Which stock to choose?

[lockheed]

I would like to do some grafting (first time). I have some red and yellow Gymnocalycium mihanovichii (both no more than 1cm in diameter) that are already disconnected from the main plant.

I plan to do either normal grafting (on top) or from the areolas (so that all Gymno can go on the same stock - but I don't know if this method is harder/better).

Here is what I can chose from (feel free to correct the names if they're wrong):


Stenocereus thurberi, Pachycereus azureus



Stenocereus thurberi



Cleistocactus strausii



Some kind of Echinocereus ??



Echinopsis?



And that one - I have no idea what is it.


They are all between 6 and 12cm tall, so quite young.

[CactusFanDan]

None of them are really conventional stock plants, but I suppose any of the columnar species will do. I'd avoid using those last ones, though, since they look like Saguaros which grow fairly slowly.

[tudedude]

The first two. I've grafted onto pachycereus before. It helps to trim down the spines beforehand.

[lockheed]

Thanks.

How about Opuntia Robusta? I read a lot of good things about O. Compressa, but I only have access to Robusta and Engelmannii.

[kam]

Would love to read an answer about Opantia. I also have quite a few, can they be good rootstock material?

[Onzuka]

I've been messing around with grafting on Opuntia a bit this year. So far, I have only managed to get two to "take" I don't know why this should be, I don't have any problems when using Pereskiopsis. Steve

[Kada]

they will all work, but i would go for the stenocereus if thats all you have. Finding Trichocereus, Myrtillocactus or hylocereus would be nice, but myrtle/hylo cant do cold well. fat stenocereus hold some very large scions.