i have been collecting cacti for a year or so and i heard that when i have a cutting i should leave the piece to dry or something like that. is it true? and if so how long and is it nececery?
i understand that it takes some time for roots to take to the new surroundings, how can i prevent my "new born" not to rot and die?
thanks,
anoa0101
leaving cacti to dry
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templegatejohn
- Posts: 1198
- Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:57 pm
- Location: Leeds, England
Cacti cuttings
Hi,
Sorry to be the first one in again folks, but I try to give people an answer as soon as possible.
Yes it is true that when you take a cutting the cut part should be left in a warm (but not sunny spot) for the cut to heal. This could take anything from a week to several weeks depending on the area of the cut surface.
The reason for this is that if the cutting is put into the compost immediately it becomes susceptible to fungus spores that are usually present in the compost and this leads to the cutting rotting at the base.
Once the cutting has healed "scabbed over" it can be placed in dry sand or slightly moist compost. Check every week or so to see if roots have started to sprout from the base. When this happens begin to water, but not too much at first.
If the cutting is columnar rather than globular try to keep it upright while the cut is drying or it may end up looking like a banana or the cutting will start to root along its side from the areoles touching the sand or compost.
Cheers
John
Sorry to be the first one in again folks, but I try to give people an answer as soon as possible.
Yes it is true that when you take a cutting the cut part should be left in a warm (but not sunny spot) for the cut to heal. This could take anything from a week to several weeks depending on the area of the cut surface.
The reason for this is that if the cutting is put into the compost immediately it becomes susceptible to fungus spores that are usually present in the compost and this leads to the cutting rotting at the base.
Once the cutting has healed "scabbed over" it can be placed in dry sand or slightly moist compost. Check every week or so to see if roots have started to sprout from the base. When this happens begin to water, but not too much at first.
If the cutting is columnar rather than globular try to keep it upright while the cut is drying or it may end up looking like a banana or the cutting will start to root along its side from the areoles touching the sand or compost.
Cheers
John
Last edited by templegatejohn on Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.