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Index : Landscape Plants
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- 5. Start New Cactus from Cuttings - Top
- Any cacti having pads, segments or branches can be easily be propagated from cuttings taken during the summer months. Included in this group are prickly pears, chollas, hedgehog and branching columnar cacti such as night blooming cereus.
Be sure to select healthy cacti to take your cuttings from. Most importantly, cacti chosen to propagate should not be stressed for moisture. Avoid taking cuttings from cactus pads or stems that are wrinkled, sunken or shriveled. If you must take your cuttings from moisture-stressed cacti, water them a few weeks prior to taking your cuttings to re-hydrate the plant tissue.
Individual pads, segments or branched columns can be removed from existing cacti without leaving the plant disfigured or otherwise damaged. The cactus segment should be cut off at its base with a clean sharp knife, hand pruners or long-handled loppers. Wear heavy leather gloves when taking cactus cuttings to avoid getting thorns in your hands. Tongs are also handy for handling thorny cacti cuttings.
After removing the cuttings, lay them to out in a shady spot for several days to allow the cut end to dry and callous over. This callousing will seal and protect the cut from fungal and bacterial organisms that could rot the cutting when placed in the soil.
You can plant your cuttings directly into the ground where you intend them to grow, or pot them up and allow roots to form for planting later. If you plant them directly into the ground, loosen the soil in you planting spots. Dig a hole in the loosened soil deep enough to place the bottom end of the cutting in the ground a few inches deep. It may be necessary to hold the cutting in place by mounding up rocks around it for support. This is especially true when rooting top-heavy stems taken from columnar cacti or large pads from cactus like Indian Fig Opuntia. When roots have formed and the cutting is securely anchored in the ground the rocks can then be removed.
At the time of planting, wet the soil thoroughly around the cutting. Then cover the ground around the cutting with a one-inch-thick layer of decomposed granite or crushed rock. Let Mother Nature provide additional water to the cutting(s) in the form of monsoon rains. Don’t worry if the ground dries between rains; cuttings will root in their own time. Do not try forcing faster rooting by applying additional water as the cuttings may rot.
If your rooting cactus cuttings in pots, be sure to use a well-drained potting soil. Pre-mixed cactus soils are available or you can mix your own using one part sand, one part fine chipped bark mulch and two parts perlite or pumice. Pots should be large enough to comfortably accommodate the cuttings size. A big cactus pad, like Indian Fig, requires a pot large enough to fit it into. Locate the pot in full sun. Water and then let the soil dry out before watering again.
It isn’t necessary to apply a rooting hormone to cuttings to encourage rooting in cacti. Just stick the cuttings in the ground or in pots and wait. In time, usually in a month or so roots will form and the cactus is ready to grow on its own. No fertilizer should be applied during the rooting process. Wait till the next growing season to fertilize using a mild solution of water-soluble plant food.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161.
- Updated: June 24, 2007
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