Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

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Shane
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Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

I just bought a variegated Christmas cactus (var Madame Butterfly) cutting on ebay. It's a very uncommon form of a very common cactus. At $21.50 it's the most expensive plant I've ever bought. The cutting is only two segments, and I'm looking forward to growing it into a large plant. Here's the listing for anyone who's curious

And here are a few pics taken by the seller (from the listing, posting here so there's still some pics after Ebay deletes the sale page)
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Pereskiopsisdotcom
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

Let me know how it goes. I've had no luck keep variegated Schlumbergera's alive. They're usually not shipped in the best of shape though so maybe I need to find a rooted example.
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Shane
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

Pereskiopsisdotcom wrote: Wed Nov 27, 2019 3:01 pm Let me know how it goes. I've had no luck keep variegated Schlumbergera's alive. They're usually not shipped in the best of shape though so maybe I need to find a rooted example.
The seller suggests putting it in water or a humid ziplock to revive it from its journey. Sounds kind of risky to me, but it is a jungle cactus and also the seller probably knows a thing or two about propagating these cacti

I'm curious if you've ever tried grafting it. I've seen pictures of christmas cacti grafted to Pereskiopsis before but I don't recall any of the details
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Edwindwianto
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Edwindwianto »

Shane wrote: Wed Nov 27, 2019 7:36 am I just bought a variegated Christmas cactus (var Madame Butterfly) cutting on ebay. It's a very uncommon form of a very common cactus. At $21.50 it's the most expensive plant I've ever bought. The cutting is only two segments, and I'm looking forward to growing it into a large plant. Here's the listing for anyone who's curious

And here are a few pics taken by the seller (from the listing, posting here so there's still some pics after Ebay deletes the sale page)
Once i bought this one too...maybe at 2012...a cutting w/o roots...
It died...

I planted it in the soil (normal cactus soil) and it turned weaker over time
I mean, it could stand erect at first then gradualy it started to wither away...it bent downward over time
The stem which was at first plump with juice, gradually became thinner and thinner...just like an old man...

Good luck man
I hope you the best
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Shane
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

A quick update:
I reached out to the seller for cultivation advice and they suggested I
root it in ziploc bag with moist paper towel rather than directly in soil
Which I guess makes sense for such a small cutting that's apparently pretty prone to drying out. I'm going to try doing it this way and hope I have better luck than Pereskiopsisdotcom and Edwindwianto did with theirs
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

Shane wrote: Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:31 am A quick update:
I reached out to the seller for cultivation advice and they suggested I
root it in ziploc bag with moist paper towel rather than directly in soil
Which I guess makes sense for such a small cutting that's apparently pretty prone to drying out. I'm going to try doing it this way and hope I have better luck than Pereskiopsisdotcom and Edwindwianto did with theirs
I've had luck rotting Schlumbergera for grafting stock in rockwool cubes. It is a slow process but it is bit more forgiving and you can control the moisture content a little bit better. I should have done that with my variegate but I wasn't that far along yet in my growing.
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Shane
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

I've had luck rotting Schlumbergera for grafting stock in rockwool cubes
I hope you mean rooting :D . I've had enough success rotting cacti I'm not looking for any new methods :lol:

I'm curious, what are you grafting to your Schlumbergera stock? What the advantages of Schlumbergera as a stock?
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Shane
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

I decided while I wait for my cutting to arrive, I'd try the seller's rooting method on a different cutting. I put a two segment cutting in a bag with a damp paper towel and hung it in my propogation area. I sterilized the cutting with alcohol first to be safe. We'll see how it goes
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Shane
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

The cutting came in the mail today. I wasn't expecting it so soon but I think they add in extra time to the shipping estimates in case of delays. Here's the actual cuttings I got:
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I thought I was getting one 2 segment cutting, but it looks like I got two 1 segment cuttings. Hopefully one segment cuttings aren't half as viable as two segment cuttings...

I decided to use the ziplock method to root them. I swapped the cuttings with alcohol, then dusted the tips with rooting hormone. Then I placed them in a damp folded paper towel that I'd lightly dusted with sulfur and loosely secured it all together with folded twist ties. I misted the inside of the bag then placed the cuttings inside. It's now hanging from a light in my propogation area
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My other Schlumbergera cutting is back there too. I thought I'd have more than a day and a half to observe it before the new one got here. Wasn't a very useful test in the end...

I also want to note here, despite what I said, I realized that it isn't actually a christmas cactus. It's actually its close relative the Thanksgiving cactus
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Shane
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

The ziplock method worked. Both variegates and the test piece have grown roots
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I'm trying to figure out how much longer I should let the roots grow before planting them in soil. I'm thinking I'll let the roots grow to about 1 cm then plant
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by esp_imaging »

It will be interesting to see if the variegated bits revert to normal - the end of the long individual segment is all green, and the short variegated segment of the 2 part cutting has sprouted what looks like to be a normal, green, second segment.
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Shane
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

esp_imaging wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:06 pm It will be interesting to see if the variegated bits revert to normal - the end of the long individual segment is all green, and the short variegated segment of the 2 part cutting has sprouted what looks like to be a normal, green, second segment.
I've thought about that too. I really hope it stays variegated. But I'll see. That's the risk with small cuttings I guess. For the one with a green segment, I'm thinking if it grows only more green segments I'll try to get it to put out more growths from the bottom. I'd be happy to get one variegated and one normal one though

Based on pics on the internet, they're not entirely stable. But stable enough that there's a steady supply of cuttings for sale. Interestingly, it looks like they're more likely to end up albino than green. I think it's a chimera, and sometimes one set of cells will win out. Most variegated plants are chimeras, but whether this is the case for cacti is up for debate
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Shane »

I planted the cuttings yesterday, finally. They had good root growth, though were starting to get a bit dehydrated by the end. I don't think I'd leave them that long again. I planted them in a soil mix of 50% pumice, 50% potting soil (with maybe 20-30% coarse perlite and some chunky organic bits as well). We'll see how they do
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Last edited by Shane on Sat Jan 11, 2020 8:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by greenknight »

Schlumbergera and other epiphytes could use a more organic mix than that - in habitat they grow in almost straight leaf mold. In a pot the mix should be well-drained, but more moisture-retentive than for desert cacti - during the growing season they prefer to not get very dry. I'm sure that will work if you water often enough, though.

I used to grow them in a mix that contained quite bit of peat, and watered them when the surface got dry. Never had a problem with root rot. I did keep them tightly potted, though,they bloom best that way. I'd keep them in a 2.5 inch pot until they bloomed (usually 1 year), then move to a 3 inch pot for 2 or 3 years, then a 4 inch pot.
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Re: Just bought a variegated Schlumbergera

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

greenknight wrote: Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:09 am Schlumbergera and other epiphytes could use a more organic mix than that - in habitat they grow in almost straight leaf mold. In a pot the mix should be well-drained, but more moisture-retentive than for desert cacti - during the growing season they prefer to not get very dry. I'm sure that will work if you water often enough, though.

I used to grow them in a mix that contained quite bit of peat, and watered them when the surface got dry. Never had a problem with root rot. I did keep them tightly potted, though,they bloom best that way. I'd keep them in a 2.5 inch pot until they bloomed (usually 1 year), then move to a 3 inch pot for 2 or 3 years, then a 4 inch pot.
I've potted mine similar but am no expert with epiphytes. I've lost a few to rot unfortunately and try to air on the side of underwatering just in case. My potting mix is composed of coconut coir, pine bark, perlite, and a mix of live/dried sphagnum moss.

Perhaps my problem has to do with light. Since they're said to prefer filtered light I try not to put them to close to my grow lights, often on the periphery.
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