How to Take a Cutting from a Cactus
Cacti are part of the succulent classification of plants and come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Although many people grow cacti from seeds or buy them as small plants, they can be propagated from cuttings. The process is similar to taking cuttings from other type of plants; however, the cutting must cure prior to planting. Cactus cuttings take root much quicker and with less effort than other plants. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Put on work gloves that are thick enough to protect your hands from the cactus needles, but flexible enough to allow you to easily grasp the stems of the plant.
-
2
Look for a small horizontal offshoot growing from the main vertical trunk of the cactus. The shoot may be perfectly horizontal, or it may emerge from the soil near the base of the cactus. For plants that grow in "pads," select a single pad that can be removed without hurting the appearance of the cactus.
-
-
3
Grasp the shoot with one gloved hand and, using a sharp, clean knife, cut it off as close to the soil or the main trunk as possible. Cut pads at the joint.
-
4
Lay the cutting on a piece of newspaper and set it in a warm, dry location for two weeks to allow the cut end to dry and form a callus. If you do not allow the cutting to dry, it will rot and die after planting.
-
5
Fill a plant pot three-quarters of the way to the top with a cactus potting mix and dig a hole that is 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep.
-
6
Dip the end of the cactus cutting into garden sulfur powder and then insert the cut end into the hole in the soil. Push the cactus potting mix up around the base of the cutting just far enough to hold it upright.
-
7
Wait one week before watering the pot, and then add only enough water to moisten the top of the soil.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
