I got this huge cutting of what i believe is an epiphytic cactus (feel free to suggest a species) from a neighbour and don't know where to cut to root it. The mother plant is around 6 feet and the cutting is around 18". How do i root it? All the leaves are emerging from a woody stem. I doubt the stem will root so maybe root the leaves? And if i were to root do i cut the leaf at the lowest thin part or at a higher and wider part?
Everything else is clear to me.
Thanks in advance
Epiphyllum (?) Cuttings
- ElieEstephane
- Posts: 2909
- Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:10 am
- Location: Lebanon (zone 11a)
Epiphyllum (?) Cuttings
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
Re: Epiphyllum (?) Cuttings
They are actually flattened two ribbed stems not leaves, therefore they will root from these OK. I have heard both opinions on rooting, some setting the narrow part and some advocating cutting at the broader part. In any case keep them out of the sun whilst they are rooting so the stems do not dehydrate too quickly.
http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Epiphyllum-Cactus
http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Epiphyllum-Cactus
- ElieEstephane
- Posts: 2909
- Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:10 am
- Location: Lebanon (zone 11a)
Re: Epiphyllum (?) Cuttings
Thanks dave! I wrote leaves by mistakeDaveW wrote:They are actually flattened two ribbed stems not leaves, therefore they will root from these OK. I have heard both opinions on rooting, some setting the narrow part and some advocating cutting at the broader part. In any case keep them out of the sun whilst they are rooting so the stems do not dehydrate too quickly.
http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Epiphyllum-Cactus
Since im in no hurry to have large plants im gonna divide all cuttings in half. I'll have narrow cuttings and wide cuttings and study which are better.
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
- greenknight
- Posts: 4819
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
- Location: SW Washington State zone 8b
Re: Epiphyllum (?) Cuttings
I think they root best at a joint. Anyway, you've got plenty to experiment with, so we'll see. They usually root easily, you'll probably end up with a bunch of them.
Spence
- ElieEstephane
- Posts: 2909
- Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:10 am
- Location: Lebanon (zone 11a)
Re: Epiphyllum (?) Cuttings
Update: from observations, the cuttings rooted at the narrow parts/stem base were the fastest to root, grow and produce many more offshoots. To demonstrate, here is a base stem i was gonna discard but produced the most growth and still keeps on giving. The circled area was what was rooted. The rest is all new growth and it currently has 3 new offshoots
Cuttings at the wide part of the stem produced little growth.There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a)