CactiGuide.com

Hello,

Do you know how difficult is separate offsets from an adult Aztekium Ritteri?

Does it need cut with a blade or only twist the offset?

I think the offsets are usually fairly well attached, remaining small and unfortunately being flattened so not of a shape that provides a convenient neck to cut at. I was thinking of doing one myself in the growing season but think I will need to use a pointed scalpel to detach an offset. Also you need a reasonable sized offset if you are not going to graft it otherwise it is likely to dry up before rooting.

The only real reason for removing their offsets is for propagation, or to root an offset off a grafted plant. Otherwise being slow growing a clump on it's own roots is far more prized than a plant denuded of offsets. Most of the large clumps you see with reasonable sized offsets that are more easy to detach are usually grafted, but even then they are slow growing and take quite a time to produce a reasonable sized offset.

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... um_ritteri

They generally tend to remain small and mainly single headed in habitat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_voav4dEWg

DaveW wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:28 pm The only real reason for removing their offsets is for propagation, or to root an offset off a grafted plant. Otherwise being slow growing a clump on it's own roots is far more prized than a plant denuded of offsets. Most of the large clumps you see with reasonable sized offsets that are more easy to detach are usually grafted, but even then they are slow growing and take quite a time to produce a reasonable sized offset.

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... um_ritteri

They generally tend to remain small and mainly single headed in habitat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_voav4dEWg

Ohh, well, I have many seedlings of Riterri (sowed from seeds).

So, in culture and non grafted an A. Riterri produces many, few or none offsets? (or produces sthem slowly?)

Your doing well then Yonnoy if you have many A. ritteri from seed since it is accepted to be the slowest growing cactus from seed if left on it's own roots. Presumably they produce offsets slower on their own roots because they grow slower than if grafted with a robust rooted stock beneath them. Many other types of grafted cacti tend to produce offsets quicker and more numerous than if they are on their own roots and produce far larger clumps than you would ever find in habitat, particularly those you see in shows. A. ritteri is really a miniature cactus in habitat, as shown in the previous link.

Why do you want to remove an offset then, are your seedlings still very small and you want a larger rooted plant?

DaveW wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:28 pm I was thinking of doing one myself in the growing season but think I will need to use a pointed scalpel to detach an offset. Also you need a reasonable sized offset if you are not going to graft it otherwise it is likely to dry up before rooting.

You can re-root A. ritteri?

That's the point Edwin, most of ours come grafted along with Mammillaria luethyi and so far my attempts to root offsets from these grafted plants usually dry up before rooting. Perhaps the offsets are not large enough, but these are even small slow growing plants on grafts so you have to wait quite a time to get a large offset.

De-grafting the mother plant also does not seem to work for me with those two species. Anybody have any ideas? A ritteri does grow OK on it's own roots from seed if slowly, but the idea is to get it to a reasonable on a graft and root it down as you can with many other grafted species.

Sounds like patience goes a long way

Aztekium ritteri: I tried rooting many times but I have never gotten any successful result yet. I think it is possible but I need more study.

Aztekium hintonii: The success rate of rooting is low but I have experienced successful results twice.

Mammillaria luethyi: I could do easily rooting of off-sets. Off-set should be more than 3cm in diameter.
The photo is rooted off-sets in 5cm square tubes.

https://cactiguide.com/forum/download/f ... w&id=73548

DaveW wrote: ↑Sat Feb 01, 2020 2:42 pm That's the point Edwin, most of ours come grafted along with Mammillaria luethyi and so far my attempts to root offsets from these grafted plants usually dry up before rooting. Perhaps the offsets are not large enough, but these are even small slow growing plants on grafts so you have to wait quite a time to get a large offset.

De-grafting the mother plant also does not seem to work for me with those two species. Anybody have any ideas? A ritteri does grow OK on it's own roots from seed if slowly, but the idea is to get it to a reasonable on a graft and root it down as you can with many other grafted species.

Yes Dave
But what I meant was...is it possible to re-root A. ritteri?

Hanazono wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 5:34 am Aztekium ritteri: I tried rooting many times but I have never gotten any successful result yet. I think it is possible but I need more study.

Aztekium hintonii: The success rate of rooting is low but I have experienced successful results twice.

Thanks Frank
And i already read about re-rooting G. mexicana in your post here

SUPER

I think Hanazono has confirmed my suspicion that the offsets need to be on the larger size to root so they do not shrivel up before rooting? Obviously it would take a long time to get an Aztekium ritteri offset that size. However I have not had any luck de-grafting a plant of either A. ritteri or M. leuthyi and trying to root that down, have you Hanazono?

Do you have any trouble with M. leuthyi drying up on grafts over winter Hanazono?

G'morning Dave,

I have not had any luck de-grafting a plant of either A. ritteri or M. leuthyi and trying to root that down, have you Hanazono?

Degrafted A. ritteri: I also have never gotten any successful rooting result yet.
Degrafted M. luethyi: As shown on the attached photo, degrafted scions were rooted without any issues.

Do you have any trouble with M. leuthyi drying up on grafts over winter Hanazono?

Many grafted M. luethyi were dried up from bottom and died eventually.
I thought they were just short life because of grafted.

Frank
https://cactiguide.com/forum/download/f ... w&id=73552

Hanazono wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 11:02 pm I thought they were just short life because of grafted.

Hello Frank

What do you mean?
That cacti could die sooner because they reach old age faster due to being grafted?

Hanazono wrote: ↑Sun Feb 02, 2020 11:02 pm

G'day Edwin,

What do you mean?
That cacti could die sooner because they reach old age faster due to being grafted?

Yes it is.
As you know when the period from child to adult is short, overall life becomes short for any species.
The grafting makes the period shorter.
The disadvantage of grafted cactus is a shorter overall life than that of own-rootd cactus.

Frank

Hanazono wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2020 4:02 am G'day Edwin,

Yes it is.
As you know when the period from child to adult is short, overall life becomes short for any species.
The grafting makes the period shorter.
The disadvantage of grafted cactus is a shorter overall life than that of own-rootd cactus.

Frank

Wow...thanks a lot Frank

Aztekium ritteri I'm tiring to root one now that had a piece of graft in it which I removed leaving a hole at the base their is a picture of it around here somewhere. I can't tell if it rooted yet but hasn't dried up so I have hope. M. lutheyii I can't get to root from the grafted ones I buy. they are too weak and usually die but I have one rooted cutting that is way smaller than hanzono's cuttings.

I'm rooting a few cactus just today a M dehertina and a Epithelantha both plants grew too tall so I cut the tops off and root them. Usually pretty easy just takes time.