Schlumbergera opuntioides

[Awdre]

My one year old graft that's a bit entangled in the Pereskiopsis. My plans was to continue grafting some pads but it didn't happen this season. I have plenty of grafting stock so I have no good excuse really.

[paulzie32]

I'm guess there was supposed to be an image?
thats a plant I've always had issues with. I've even tried grafting it a couple times with poor results. Hoping to try again soon.

[Awdre]

Paulize, what was the issue when you had this plant?

heres the pics. had problems to upload the images because they were to big.

[Awdre]

different light

[paulzie32]

Well, to start, I tried grafting horizontally. I cut the end of the S. opuntiodes on a bias. I think the toughest part was getting it to stay in place. I had done it with S. buckleyi but I think the S. opuntiodes was just too heavy. I might have also kept it covered (in humidity) a bit too long and a couple rotted. The others just didn't connect. I was only sent a few segments and tried grafting all.
My first plant I bought on eBay with someone else and got half of it. Unfortunately, it was killed by a bad infestation of spidermites.

That looks Great! Hope I get one to look as good... eventually. Nice job

[Awdre]

I've noticed that its a sensitive plant. I got 2 pads of opuntioides, some hatiora rosea and an another "rare" one and put them all in the same pot for rooting. But i took one opuntioides-pad and grafted it. After some months i did see that all the 3 species in the pot had got fungus. So had to throw them all away. So this graft is all i got left. And this graft was infected by spidermites in the first months but i was lucky to get them away with bugspray early so not much damage on the plant.

Thanks

[DaveW]

Not so far had any problems growing S. opuntioides on it's own roots, my plant often goes dry though so no need to keep it overly damp or warm. The old method for grafting these Christmas Cacti type cladodes was cleft grafting where the base of the joint is cut into a wedge shape exposing the vascular bundles then a vertical slit made in the stock (after removing the stocks growing point, or it may continue growing at the side of the graft!) and the "wedge" forced into it. The graft is then usually tied, or some used to stick a cactus spine through like a pin to secure it so pressure did not force it out until it had taken, as described in this link:-

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=31131" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If your side grafting on Pereskiopsis like that you could try an alligator spring type clothes peg/pin to hold the graft until it takes?