41 replies to this topic

[scott_1971_h]

The Flower Arrangements, and a bud fell off. So I attached it somewhere else. (What's with the spots? Fungi? Not enuf sun?)

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[scott_1971_h]

(BTW the plastic drink thingies have an inch hole bord in the bottom, they are to keep earwigs, millipedes and snails off until the plants get over transplant shock and are at least an inch high. I havent lost any this year... yet)

[scott_1971_h]

Has anyone noticed, or does anyone know if the size of the stock makes much of a difference to how quickly the scion grows? I'm guessing that a larger stock would produce more photosynthate, but it would also use more just in its own metabolism.

Photo is an experiment.

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[Skywatcher]

In my experience, it does not seem to matter much with pereskiopsis. I consider them a temporary stage anyway to get some rapid volume growth.

With trich's, I don't see much effort and fuel needed for girth, so once the cactus is topped, pretty much all the energy goes to the grafted scion.

I personally don't like to use a tricho much shorter than 8" tall and 2" wide, as anytime I have grafted to a cutting with less than 4"-5" or too narrow, the graft has eventually failed or not shown any growth.

Boebs seem's to have some great grafting success with opuntia, using multiple aereoles as attachment points

Edited by Skywatcher, 20 August 2022 - 09:41 AM.

[scott_1971_h]

Has anyone tried grafting lops onto increasingly larger stock, then (after several years) tried to get the lops to grow their own roots? (instead of growing then for a few centuries on their own roots from day 1)?

[Skywatcher]

I have de-grafted about 4 lophs and successfully gotten them to root and continue growing. 3 of them were removed from pereskiopsis, and rooted quickly with little stress. The one I removed from a San Pedro had been on it for 2 years, and I was not happy with the growth (or lack of) so I removed it with a clean straight cut. The larger amount of cut surface seemed to take longer to re-root itself. I do use a powder rooting hormone on the cut which seems to usually speed up root production and inhibit any tendency to rot.

I believe the amount of time the loph spends on the graft stock can be a factor in this. I attempted to degraft and root a loph that had been on a San Pedro for 7 years. It was too slow to produce roots and unfortunately lost too much store of water and fuel without producing root, so I probably should have just left it on the graft stock. One of many things learned the hard way..........

 

Most of my lophs were hard grown from seed. They average around 2" - 2 1/2" diameter at 10 years, with the exception of Caspitosa, which grow so many side pups, the overall volume is about 3x that.

[scott_1971_h]

Boobs seem's to have some great grafting success with opuntia, using multiple aereoles as attachment points

Who's Boobs? I have some pads on the way...

[Skywatcher]

Sorry, misspelled...........

https://mycotopia.ne...r/156106-boebs/

He does fantastic grafting successfully. Check out some of his posts and threads. Lots of photo documentation.

Edited by Skywatcher, 20 August 2022 - 09:43 AM.

[scott_1971_h]

When (and how) do you know the graft has 'taken'?

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[scott_1971_h]

I have de-grafted about 4 lophs and successfully gotten them to root and continue growing. 3 of them were removed from pereskiopsis, and rooted quickly with little stress. The one I removed from a San Pedro had been on it for 2 years, and I was not happy with the growth (or lack of) so I removed it with a clean straight cut. The larger amount of cut surface seemed to take longer to re-root itself. I do use a powder rooting hormone on the cut which seems to usually speed up root production and inhibit any tendency to rot.

I believe the amount of time the loph spends on the graft stock can be a factor in this. I attempted to degraft and root a loph that had been on a San Pedro for 7 years. It was too slow to produce roots and unfortunately lost too much store of water and fuel without producing root, so I probably should have just left it on the graft stock. One of many things learned the hard way..........

 

Most of my lophs were hard grown from seed. They average around 2" - 2 1/2" diameter at 10 years, with the exception of Caspitosa, which grow so many side pups, the overall volume is about 3x that.

Did you use a rooter hormone on the lops? I know I'm getting ahead of myself but still...

Also do you use it on your SP or do you let it callous and then pot straight up?

[Skywatcher]

Did you use a rooter hormone on the lops? I know I'm getting ahead of myself but still...

 

Also do you use it on your SP or do you let it callous and then pot straight up?

 

I always callous the cuts on any cactus. I like the powder called "Root tone", and apply it to the calloused surface right before potting in a dry cactus blend. It retards any rot, and seems to speed up the production of roots.

I have never tried to de-graft a Loph that was smaller than 1" or more diameter, and try to get a thicker top. The Lophs tend to produce one main root, positioned at a side and maybe a very few smaller ones. The main root eventually becomes a substantial feeder, more like a tap root.

 

I also keep the degrafted lophs in bright light but no direct sun, and sometimes place a clear plastic dome on them. They haven't got much fluid to spare, so trying to keep them from dehydrating too far before they can drink again with a root is my objective.

 

With any of the trichs, SP included, I usually do plant it upright. I have done log rooting, but mostly in a planter bed where I wanted it to just get several pups to anchor a new cluster. My first log style was done at our river house , and that colony is now 45 years old, and growing under a mulberry tree to give it some protection from the desert sun and heat.
 

[scott_1971_h]

What size pots do you use? I am generally pretty generous with mine, but I have recently seen people using tiny ones - maybe for a 3 inch diameter SP, a 4.5 inch pot. I cannot imagine it would not get rootbound, plus SP is rather fast growing so nute draw might be an issue. What do you think? 

[Skywatcher]

I tend to not be over generous, but I still want some room for roots to spread a little.

My trich's don't seem to mind being a little rootbound, but I will go up in size if the column is getting tall or is very "girthy". This is more about stability for me because I don't want anything to easily tip or become off balance. I live with very high winds in the fall and winter (50-70mph), and a large specimen falling over is damaging. That said, I have most of my columnar's in 8-12" pots. New cuttings I like to use a pot with about 2 inches of soil around the diameter of the cutting. I like terra cotta because it is heavy and can breathe, but I will use a plastic pot for the trich's that aren't too tall or are still growing rapidly.

 

I don't like re-potting heavy massive specimens, so like you, I also don't want something so tight it will be rootbound in a year or two.

 

Lophs, I care more about them being deep enough to not crowd the bottom of the main tap root, with a small amount of breathing room around them. I only use terra cotta for them so the pot can breathe.

[scott_1971_h]

Yeah I think my lops have faded away because they were in shallow pots. Mental note to self: Take a look and see just how deep that slug goes down...

 

ed: Has anyone used seaweed extract on cacti and is it helpful?

Edited by scott_1971_h, 25 August 2022 - 06:54 AM.

[scott_1971_h]

Has anyone tried multiple scions on a stem and have they run into problems? I have a seriously wide SP and was thinking of putting 2 scions, on each side of the bundles...

One problem could be they force each other off the junction as they grow but I'm not sure. I think they will just grow to the side.

One way to find out for sure I guess.....

 

Also, does there tend to be an upper ceiling for the size of SP-grafted lops, like there is for Pereskiopsis grafted lops? Do 'maximal' SP grafts just pup like it's going out of fashion like Pere/Lop grafts?

Edited by scott_1971_h, 27 August 2022 - 12:44 AM.

[scott_1971_h]

Came across this and thought people might be interested:

https://www.gardenin...oot-hormone.htm

(about using honey as a rooting hormone. Apparently works.)

Edited by scott_1971_h, 27 August 2022 - 07:18 AM.

[scott_1971_h]

Strelitzias...

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[scott_1971_h]

How long do you give cuttings to callous over? Im thinking a month for San Pedro. But Im open to suggestions...

[scott_1971_h]

Does anyone use dilute rooting hormone with their normal watering? Im thinking of using 5% of standard strength to encourage/accelerate root development. Or would that cause root overgrowth?

[Skywatcher]

How long do you give cuttings to callous over? Im thinking a month for San Pedro. But Im open to suggestions...

Temperature and humidity are variables. Using a fan will speed the process. I do it outdoors in the shade. My humidity runs low (usually below 30%). My cuttings are well caloused in a week to ten days. When it is hard to the touch and not cool its good. No harm is done by going a little longer if in doubt.

 

 

Does anyone use dilute rooting hormone with their normal watering? Im thinking of using 5% of standard strength to encourage/accelerate root development. Or would that cause root overgrowth?

I do not. When I am encouraging roots or reducing shock in plants not cactus, I use it once, and then in about ten days. (B12)

Cactus should not be watered with anything until there is a root formed to drink with.