large cactus cutting - Ask Extension
We have a very large cactus in our back yard that is breaking from weight and needs trimming. We will also be making our yard more water wise with a c...
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large cactus cutting #591672
Asked August 24, 2019, 10:33 AM EDT
We have a very large cactus in our back yard that is breaking from weight and needs trimming. We will also be making our yard more water wise with a complete landscape overhaul in a few months ( time is flexible). We would like to expand our cactus area with our new landscaping plan and thought a great way to do this is by rooting some cuttings from our very well established cactus then add some other compatible plants. We have read about doing this but would love your advice for our area. We already have some large ( 6-8 gallon) pots we can use.Should we wait until the early summer for a longer period of warmer night temperatures? How long should the piece air dry to form a callous before planting? What potting mixture do you suggest? Can we leave them outside in a protected area? Should we cover them in a plastic dome? Any trimming advice? Our cactus blooms purple blooms yearly for identification purposes. Please see photos. Thanks!! Gayle and Chris
Larimer County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello,
The pot size will be fine, but I think we're getting too late in the season to propagate now. It's best when it's very warm and nighttime temperatures are above 60 degrees (we're dipping into the 50s now). But it's a large cactus and has lots of potential propagation points, so you can try it. I just don't know if we'd have enough warm days to get it to root before frost.
The U of Arizona has a great publication on propagating cactus--you'll be doing it vegetatively: https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1483.pdf
But essentially, you'll break or cut off sections and let them air-dry for a couple days. Then push them into a 50-50 pumice-perlite mix. You'll want to "plant" them deep enough to prevent them from falling over. And the pots you have will work, but you don't need anything that deep.
Good luck! It's probably going to take some trial and error at first.
The pot size will be fine, but I think we're getting too late in the season to propagate now. It's best when it's very warm and nighttime temperatures are above 60 degrees (we're dipping into the 50s now). But it's a large cactus and has lots of potential propagation points, so you can try it. I just don't know if we'd have enough warm days to get it to root before frost.
The U of Arizona has a great publication on propagating cactus--you'll be doing it vegetatively: https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1483.pdf
But essentially, you'll break or cut off sections and let them air-dry for a couple days. Then push them into a 50-50 pumice-perlite mix. You'll want to "plant" them deep enough to prevent them from falling over. And the pots you have will work, but you don't need anything that deep.
Good luck! It's probably going to take some trial and error at first.
