While sowing seeds requires a lot of patience, cuttings transform into magnificent cacti in no time. This guide explains step by step how to do it right. There are also practical tips on the suitable substrate and the best time.
How can I propagate cacti through cuttings?
To propagate cacti successfully, cut cuttings in April to July, let them dry for 1-3 weeks and place them in cactus soil and sand ormineral growing substrate. Water for the first time after 6-8 days and place in a partially shaded, warm location.
When is the best time for propagation?
Your cuttings will find ideal starting conditions if you choose a date between April and July for propagation. Until the winter vegetation period begins, your prickly dwarfs have enough time to form a stable root system.
Cutting cuttings – How to do it right
To cut leaf or head cuttings on small cactus species, a scalpel or small, sharp knife is suitable. You can cut through the strong epidermis of a majestic columnar cactus as smoothly as possible with a hand saw or fretsaw. Please disinfect the blades meticulously with spirit. With this cut you will get the perfect cuttings:
- Guide the cutting tool at a slight angle with a pulling, continuous motion
- Separate leaf cuttings and children in their original size from their mother plant
- Cut head cuttings 10 to 15 cm long
- Spherical cuttings are taller than they are wide
Cut a cutting into a conical shape at the base. This measure is important because the tough outer skin remains unchanged during the drying phase, whereas the soft, moist storage tissue retreats. The roots can later sprout unhindered from the cut cylinder. Please dust the cut on the mother plant with charcoal powder.
Planting and caring for cuttings – This is how it works
Depending on the size, the cuttings dry between 1 to 3 weeks before being planted. Ideally, you should put the cuttings in a pot with dry expanded clay, sand or crumpled newspaper during this time. As a signal of a successful course, the first root tips sprout from the soft tissue. How to proceed:
- Fill plastic or clay pots with a mix of cactus soil and sand up to 2 cm below the rim
- Alternatively, use a purely mineral growing substrate made from lava granules or pumice gravel
- Insert one cutting at a time to at least a third of its height
- Press the substrate, but do not moisten it
- After 6 to 8 days, water for the first time with soft water
Place the cultivation pots in a partially shaded, warm location. Between the end of May and the end of August, this place can also be outside in the garden or on the balcony. The water supply requires a bit of sensitivity during rooting. The substrate must neither dry out completely nor be permanently wet. Cuttings are only fertilized after a dry, cool winter period at the start of the new vegetation phase.
Tip
Cacti with flowers can only be propagated vegetatively with cuttings if you want the offspring to bloom just as beautifully. If you take seeds from the ripe fruits for generative sowing, even experts are unable to predict the exact result. Which attributes of the parent and grandparent plants prevail in a seedling is always a floral surprise package.
