Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool → Using one hand to steady the top of the columnar cactus, make a clean cut with sharp clean knife. Let it dry.
Water the soil when it is almost completely dry, keeping it barely moistened. Let the end of the cactus dry out naturally until the cut callouses over and appears hard and whitish in appearance. Water the soil just enough so it's barely moist. Removing the cutting and transplanting it properly prevents damage to the original plant and helps ensure the new cactus grows well.Cut a segment from the cactus with a clean knife, selecting the segment from new growth and making the cut through the segment joint. Handle the cactus piece with care so it does not stab your fingers. Use inorganic rooting medium such as pea gravel, coarse sand or … Let the cutting dry for a few days to allow for the wound to dry and callous over. Repot your cactus during the dry season, usually in … This is the most important reason for deciding to prune. Despite their spiny, forbidding appearance, cactuses charm many gardeners with their innate resilience and striking appearance. Avoid touching the piece … Set segment and barrel cuttings so the cut side is exposed to the air and not resting on the towel. Use a pruning saw for larger cactuses.Sanitize the utility knife or pruning saw with a 10 percent bleach solution before using it on the cactus.
Remove limbs at the branch point but be careful not to cut into the main stem. Set the cactus piece aside allowing the cut end to callous over. Her published articles have appeared in various print and online publications. Most cactuses do not need rooting hormone, but it may speed up the process.Wear gloves when working with cactuses to avoid injury to your hands. Push barrel cuttings into the soil so the bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the cut end is buried in the soil. Wider columnar cacti are harder to root. Pads or leaves may just snap off or you can use pruners to remove them. For most cacti species, you will need to repot the plant once its roots begin to show through the drainage holes of your pot or once the crown of the cactus reaches the edge of the pot.
Allow the cut to heal overnight, which minimizes disease problems as the cutting roots.Fill a 4- to 6-inch-diameter pot with a potting soil formulated for cactus plants. The length of time it takes for the end to be calloused over varies. Previously, she owned her own business, selling handmade items online, wholesale and at crafts fairs. Some cactus plants, like barrel types, produce smaller new plants around the base of the main plant. Make a clean cut. Step 5.
If transplanting outdoors, select a sandy, well-drained area and plant the cutting at the same depth it was growing at in the pot.Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since 2006.
Cactus plants can grow new plants from pieces cut from the main cacti. Shake off the old soil and plant the cactus at the same depth it was growing in the old soil. Let the end of the cactus dry out naturally until the cut callouses over and appears hard and whitish in appearance.Pot the cactus cutting to half its depth in a suitably sized container with excellent drainage. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Cut a segment from the cactus with a clean knife, selecting the segment from new growth and making the cut through the segment joint. The method of cutting depends on the form of the cactus.
Fungi and bacteria are the most common type of disease the cacti face. Select pots with bottom drainage holes so the soil doesn't retain too much moisture.Insert the cut end of the cactus segment piece into the soil just enough so the piece stands upright on its own. Remove small plants from the base of a cactus by cutting through the new plant's base just beneath the soil surface.Lay the cactus cutting on a paper towel in dry location away from direct sunlight.
Check for diseased portions of your cactus.
Cactus cuttings usually root within three weeks, which is indicated by new growth on the cutting.Wrap a cutting in newspaper before removing it to protect your hands from pricks.You can transplant rooted cuttings to the garden or allow them to grow on in the pot. Step 4. Fill in around the roots with your medium and place it in a sunny southeast or east window. However, if you follow a few simple rules, your chances of successfully cutting and transplanting a cactus are greatly increased.Harvest cactus cuttings for propagation in late spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing. All Rights Reserved. Depending on the size of the … The end must be dry and sealed over.
Pot the cactus cutting to half its depth in a suitably sized container with excellent drainage. Avoid making an angled cut since that exposes too much of the soft inner flesh and opens up the cactus to infection.Place the cactus cutting in an out-of-the-way spot with dry, moderately bright conditions and excellent air circulation. A good size is at least about four inches long and no more than four inches in diameter. Dip the blade into a mix of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water for 60 to 90 seconds.
All species of true cactus propagate reliably from vegetative cuttings, but success depends on using the correct technique before transplanting the cutting into a rooting pot. For a big job like cutting back a columnar specimen, use a saw and remove the main trunk at the point at which you would like to see branching or at the height you require the plant. Cuttings can be taken as late as August when working with indoor potted cactuses or in warm climates corresponding to U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 9 and above.Use a utility knife or pruning saw for taking cactus cuttings, depending on the size of the cactus. Harrington's specialties include small business information, crafting, decorating and gardening.
The time of year, tools used and treatment of the cutting before transplanting all play a role in whether the cactus cutting roots or rots once potted. If you catch a diseased portion before it spreads throughout the whole plant, you can save a cactus from being completely destroyed.