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Hi, I am interested in grafting. I was wondering how people source their grafting stock?

I was thinking of using Dragon Fruit because this is readily available in my location but wanted to explore different spp. for grafting. I see some people using Trichocereus spp. for grafting and was interested in how they get so much stock for it.

BIG QUESTION: What are the factors one must consider in choosing the stock? Does it matter what spp. is being grafted as well?

I have some mammillaria seedlings that I wanted to experiment with (good choice?)

For small seedlings Pereskiopsis is hard to beat. It will be hard to find, but if you get in touch with a local cactus and succulent club, they'l supply you with more than you'll ever need. For larger cacti I would use either Harrisia or Myrtillocactus

I haven't done much grafting but there are some considerations:

How 'natural' do you want the scion (top part of the graft) to look?

• 'faster' stock such as Pereskiopsis or Hylocereus lead to some plants looking a little unnatural (such as columnar for a globular, splitting, or multiple heads)

• 'slower' stock such as Opuntia and Harrisia tend to keep plants looking more 'natural' (as if they were never grafted)

How big is your scion physically?

• a big mismatch in sizing might lead to some failed grafts, it's partly why Pereskiopsis are great for seedlings and such

Do you want the graft to be long term or do you mind re-rooting/grafting it down the road?

• some stock are 'temporary' and will die off or end up not helping as the plant grows older. Hylocereus is decently well known for this as those 'lollipops' (Gymnocalycium grafted on Hylocereus) will have the scion or stock die within a year or two

• some stock is more 'permanent' and plants can live years to lifetimes grafted on them, these tend to be the 'slower' stock like Harrisia or Stenocactus

Out of these, I'd say Pereskiopsis and Opuntia (I have piles of O. compressa) are the easiest in my climate and size considerations but you have drastically different conditions.
I'd expect there to be some production of dragon fruit (Hylocereus, or, if the yellow type, Selenicereus) in Hawaii, so if you get in touch with a farmer they can probably supply you with more trimmings than you'll ever use.

As far as I can tell, almost any cactus can be grafted to another cactus.