A freind of mine sent all her houseplants to me to repot. there are 2 blooming cacti (probably just christmas or thanksgiving) How do I take a cutting (you know as a "fee" LOL!) and get it to grow? I have gotten a couple in trades and some grow for me and some don't...they are all in the same conditions so it's very frustrating.
Also I don't plan on totally re-potting the cacti-- just replace the top layer of soil and scratch in some fert. This is right - right?
Heather
Cuttings, How to?
Heather, I've found (and quite frankly, "adopted") single leaves from various succulents, including holiday cactus. I just let them dry out for a week or two, dipped them in rooting hormone and stuck 'em in the dirt. Keep them misted but not wet and eventually they root and grow. This has only failed with 2 plants (both wild plants I found by the highway near the Dead sea....so obviously I'm not anywhere close to the right climate for those.
-Julie
I agree with Julie. As a matter of fact, with the different varieties of holiday cactus, I usually don't have the patience to wait more than a day or two for them to callous. They are really easy to root. A little rooting hormone powder or gel goes a long way toward hastening the process, I think. And the one I use contains a fungicide that probably doesn't hurt either.
All I do is stick (what's usually a broken off bit) a few pieces down into a pot. No rooting hormone, no callousing..........just pot. I water, I feed occasionally, and before long, my bits are about 2 " tall and blooming!
LOL!!! Cacti just grow better in TX! I will have to coax them along but I already took out a couple bits... I will wait until this evening to re-pot. It's too darn hot, just too darn hot....
here they are --- before sprucing up
Be sure to get 3 joints when cutting, if you can.
I got a couple really nice pieces and a couple with no joints or just one or two ( they fell off while re-potting) I had to completely re-pot and give new soil. She had some kind of fungus on the dirt, so new pots, new dirt and a shot of fungicide. I tooks whatever "fell" off LOL!!! I also took a couple baby parlor palms...
mystic...
Are you sure they "fell" off??? lol
I usually root my epi's by just sticking them in soil and leaving them alone. I was at a plant sale this spring and got a huge branch of a night blooming cereus. I took off cuttings and planted them but still had leaves left. I didn't have time to plant them so I stuck them in a bucket of water outside. Those leaves srouted roots in water. I couldn't believe it. After a couple of weeks, I ended up planting them and they are doing fine. I never expected those leaves to root in water!!. They even lived in a bucket of water. I wouldn't recommend doing this to any plants that you are trying to root, but it is interesting.
Karen
Ok, [red-faced] you've got a point. MAYBE the orchid cactus feels at prop'ing home around here..........lol! I have to admit, I dig how much abuse they'll tolerate! When I do pay attention to them, I'm always amazed to find withered blooms that I missed!!
NC - Some did!!!! LOL!!!