How to produce a cacti with a cutting.(mam. elonghata)

[Robinj]

My qeustion is, how can i produce a cactus with a cutting. I already tried it but failed miserably(to early). I hear and read several things. ! is, dry the cutting for a week til ten days, put it half it's length in the ground. And then it splits. Some water it and some don't. The second thing i hear is, smoke a cigar, mix it in potting soil(normall pottin soil!!), put the cutting in the ground and wait til it grows(that is all?!). SO i seek help from you because i am really confused.

[hoteidoc]

Robinj - In know this is confusing -- but here is how NOT to do it & still get away with it! I took 2 elongata cuttings from office of local auto repair shop 3 yrs ago. Let it dry a week, stuck it my "cactus" soil then (50/50 peat potting soil/sand & perlite). Kept in bright light, but not sun. H20'ed a week later. Now 3 years later, 1st flowers! According to "most" instructions -- soil too rich, H20'ed to soon & probably too often. What can I say...except the more "educated" we get, the more difficult we can make it . My earliest cacti - including elongata, Cleistocactus winterii, Echinopis oxygona hybrid -- I suspect "happended" to be some of the most "broad-minded" plants possible. My soil, cuttings protocol, transplanting...everything has changed. The most rot-sensitive plants I put in clay pots, & H20 far less. All you can do is read & experience...
Peter

[Robinj]

Thanks for your help.

[Peterthecactusguy]

that depends, I cheat and water my Opuntia cuttings the first day I put them in the ground (to compact the soil slightly, etc, and it has worked everytime, but twice.. and both of those failures were Cylindropuntia and both were woody stems which dont do as well for some reason.

As for most other cuttings I would leave them dry and make sure they are calloused over first before planting them in any soil. If you water, which I dont recommend DO not allow the soil to stay wet, that rots the flesh of the cactus if it has no roots.