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About nine months ago I bought a very nice Copiapoa krainziana at a cactus show sale. Upon getting it home I set to repotting it only to discover that it had been grafted to what appeared to be a Stenocereus of some sort. I went ahead and potted it just as it had been with the grafting stock submerged in pot completely covered. I have to say I have never encountered this before where the grafting stock was completely submerged in a pot. I keep forgetting to ask someone about this. Is this bad? I would have to think not. This plant came from the nursery of a well respected grower. The plant seems to be doing fine. It's growing a new head now and although it hasn't flowered yet appears healthy. Does any one know if I should leave things as they are? Is there anything bad about this scenario? Please advise.

Hi,

I had the same doubt the first time I purchased one, but checked with the nurseryman who assured me that it was OK. Although I believe that if you do this sort of thing yourself it is best to bury the stock a little at a time.

The only thing that I would say is keep the scion (the grafted plant) above soil level. If you bury the stock in the soil but leave about one quarter to half an inch above soil level. Then put a collar of fairly fine gravel on top of the soil and up to the bottom of the graft, this then keeps the bottom of the plant free of moisture and in all probability it may well throw its own roots down through the gravel (chicken grit) into the compost.

I have several plants like this and they have given me no problems at all.

Hope this helps!

Cheers
John

Thanks for the reassurance. I have it planted just as you described with a good layer of gravel at the top to lessen moisture at the bottom of the plant. This is a practice that I've taken to with most all of my cacti after having lots of problems with rotting around the bases. If I have an abundance of gravel in the pot It lessens my worry when it comes to watering too much.

Thanks

Ondy,
I haven't any personal experience growing a graft like that, but I would agree with what you and John have concluded. The stock shouldn't need to be exposed to the light unless the scion doesn't have chlorophyll. Otherwise the roots are what is doing all the work in a grafting.

Daiv

Point well made Daiv and something I should have said in the original post.

DO NOT attempt to bury the stock on any of the red, orange or any other colour Gymnocalycium that are on sale mainly from the Japanese growers, or the scion will die.

John

Thanks for the advice. Here is an update though. I was taking a look through my plants today and something told me I should check on my Copiapoa krainziana. I poured some of the top dressing out and got a look at the grafting stock. I found it withered down and almost completely brown. I also found to my disgust a bit of a mealy but infestation. I hate those suckers! I cleaned off what is left of the stock plant and sprayed some insecticide/fungicide around the bottom of the plant then repotted. The Copiapoa seemed to be not too bad off from the mealy bugs, I've seen a lot worse. The roots seemed fine. I'm I correct in assuming that the root stock would wither in time because of the lack of sunlight form being burried? When I repotted it the first time the root stock was in pretty good shape. I suspect that it had been burried in the pot fairly recently. I sure hope that this plant can recover from this. Any thoughts or ideas.

Andy

Hi Andy,

The only thing I can tell you is what the nurseryman told me. He said that when the rootstock is buried eventually it will just end up as a mass of roots.

If the mealy bugs have been there for some time, they may well have had an effect on the rootstock. I suggest that you keep an eye on the Copiapoa and if it remains healthy you can assume that everything is OK beneath it.

Sorry I can't give you more information.

john

I was taking a look through my pants today and something told me I should check on my Copiapoa krainziana.

Uhhh Andy, you might oughta profread your post

Hope your plant ends up ok.

Bill

Oops that's funny.......

Andy