I have a rather elementary question about grafting that I can't seem to find the answer to online, so maybe someone here can enlighten me.
My confusion is what constitutes the vascular ring of a Lophophora Williamsii. If you look at the attached photos, you can see on the cross section of the peyote a white ring that is about the size of a penny near the edge of the button, and in the center, there is another, much smaller ring about the size of the tip of a pencil eraser. Which one is it? Which ring do I need to ensure intersects with the vascular ring of the rooting stock cactus that I am grafting it to? The smaller circle on the button is so tiny that I have to put the graft very far off center in order to intersect properly with the rootstock, as you can see in the photo. If I knew it was the bigger of the two visible rings, it would be much easier to align. I'm sure this is pretty basic stuff, but then so is my grafting experience at this point.
Hard to say for certain from the picture, but I think you are on the right track. In other words, the inside smaller circle is the vascular ring on that one. The small size is probably why Pereskiopsis is so popular for grafting these offsets.
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daiv wrote:Hard to say for certain from the picture, but I think you are on the right track. In other words, the inside smaller circle is the vascular ring on that one. The small size is probably why Pereskiopsis is so popular for grafting these offsets.
Okay..thanks guys. Here is a closer pic if it helps. WHat I find confusing is that I see pics of lots of successful grafts of a small peyote button to a larger rootstock with the peyote scion placed dead center. This would theoretically put the peyote's vascular ring totally inside the rootstock's vascular ring. From what I understand, this "little circle inside a big circle" alignment is a no - no if the edges of the vascular rings don't touch at any point. So why do these grafts thrive? Still a bit confused.
But that ring is not the only tissue. the xylem/phloem is in many more places. one obvious place is connecting that inner ring to every areole. areoles are generally where they offset from, so there needs to be some tissue connecting them to the the main transport system.
to be 100% honest i find it incredibly difficult to mess up the connection as there is generally at least some connection somewhere.
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But that ring is not the only tissue. the xylem/phloem is in many more places. one obvious place is connecting that inner ring to every areole. areoles are generally where they offset from, so there needs to be some tissue connecting them to the the main transport system.
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Thanks - that helps. I didn't know there was that type of tissue connecting the areole. That does make it a little easier to connect I imagine.
