What now?

All about grafting. How-to information, progress reports, show of your results.
Post Reply
User avatar
Shane
Posts: 1075
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

What now?

Post by Shane »

I bought a small grafted Schlumbergera opuntioides online about a year and a half ago. It was just a small piece grafted on Echinopsis for propagation. It was starting to grow but then it developed rot at the graft. I saved a piece by grafting it to Pereskiopsis
20210515_124033_copy_538x540.jpg
20210515_124033_copy_538x540.jpg (64.14 KiB) Viewed 3786 times
It's done quite well on the Pereskiopsis. I want to have an own roots plant though. The problem is it's just branching a lot and the cladodes are staying pretty small. I'm not sure any part of the plant would make a viable cutting. I'm also not sure that it's going to get any better

I had a few ideas of what I could do. Graft a piece to a different stock. Graft a cladode to Pereskiopsis and trim the offsets. Use a longer Pereskiopsis stock (this reduces offsetting?). Try rooting another cutting. Just let it go and maybe the bottom ones fatten up
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
User avatar
Carbo
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:22 pm
Location: Serbia, Belgrade

Re: What now?

Post by Carbo »

What's that pot size? You might be surprised at the results if you transplant it in a bigger one. I've recently discovered that pot size plays a major role in how much your scion is going to grow when grafted on stocks with aggressive roots such as pereskiopsis.
User avatar
anttisepp
Posts: 1348
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 12:00 pm
Location: Suomi - Finland

Re: What now?

Post by anttisepp »

Agreed, first transplant, second try other stocks. When it will grow bigger, you'll have enough material to root. This species used to grow long time as a juvenile form, only when it large enough it will sprout strong normal growth as many epiphytic cacti. IMHO
User avatar
Shane
Posts: 1075
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Re: What now?

Post by Shane »

Thanks anttisepp and Carbo!

It's in a 3.5"/9 cm pot. That's interesting about pot size. I'd never thought about that before. Have you found the size of the root system affects the character of the scion (especially in terms of amount of offsetting) or just the speed of growth?
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
User avatar
Carbo
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:22 pm
Location: Serbia, Belgrade

Re: What now?

Post by Carbo »

Shane wrote: Sat May 29, 2021 1:18 am Thanks anttisepp and Carbo!

It's in a 3.5"/9 cm pot. That's interesting about pot size. I'd never thought about that before. Have you found the size of the root system affects the character of the scion (especially in terms of amount of offsetting) or just the speed of growth?
It's a huge effect. Especially long term. The trick is finding out what is the optimal size beyond which you'll have no additional growth, otherwise you're just wasting space and substrate. Offsetting when grafted on peres. is increased in general, even with species which normally do not branch, but that's just because peres. provides so much nutrients. The effect of pot size is there and it's big. I am 100% sure of that but to quantify everything and tell you in pure numbers I'll have to run some experiments, which I am going to do and will post my results in grafting section. I encourage you and everyone to do the same and of course, share your results :)
User avatar
Shane
Posts: 1075
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Re: What now?

Post by Shane »

I repotted it in a pot almost twice the volume of the one it was in. We'll see how it does
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
DaveW
Posts: 7373
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: What now?

Post by DaveW »

Apart from temperature, meaning cold may either kill a tender scion or in some cases a tender but fast growing stock in winter, you generally cultivate grafts to suit optimum growing conditions for the stock. There used to be a joke the Dutch cactophiles only have to learn how to grow one cactus, Harrisia jusberti since everything else they grow is grafted on it! :lol: They will assure us that is not true.
User avatar
Shane
Posts: 1075
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Re: What now?

Post by Shane »

Update:
I degrafted the opuntioides today. I brushed against it and the whole thing fell off. I am currently rooting it

I don't have pictures right now due to technical issues. It did grow quite a bit bigger, but the original problem of small cladodes/too much branching never went away. I think it was a fundamental issue with the stock and there wasn't really a way to fix it. So note to anyone reading, don't graft S. opuntioides to Pereskiopsis if you want a nice plant (if you want a lot of small cladodes for something though, it's a great choice)

I am worried about the excessive branching causing slow growth. A 3" plant trying to grow 30-40 cladodes simultaneously doesn't seem like a recipe for good growth. From what I see on the internet, the plant's usual habit is to grow large cladodes with minimal branching until it's larger. I may try to remove and root some of the branches individually, and probably pinch off some of the branching too
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
User avatar
Shane
Posts: 1075
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:55 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA (zone 10b)

Re: What now?

Post by Shane »

Here's another update:
I'm still trying to root the Schlumbergera cuttings. They are very difficult to root. I've tried rooting them in a baggie and in damp soil and neither has worked. I tried water next and it looks like possibly there's a root popping out of one of the cuttings
Los Angeles, California (USA)
Zone 10b (yearly minimum temperature 1-5° C)

Fishhook cacti are like cats, they only like to be petted in one direction
Post Reply