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Not to worry. Patience. You'll see a few areoles near the top showing growth on the mother plant. You'll see new growth starting at the apex of the cuttings way down deep in the spiral where the areoles emerge.

Right you are Jerry. The mother plant is now showing some new growth. Three areoles at the edge of the cut at the base of existing tubercles are showing small clumps of tiny spines. I assume these places are the same type of areoles where mammillaria flower buds appear.

Spence. It is now five weeks since the cutting took place and no roots are showing yet on the cutting. I am following your advice on indirect light and no water. Other advisors on the internet say to water cuttings. Thoughts? The cutting appears unchanged, not shriveled.

It will take more than 5 weeks to show new roots. I agree with the sugestion of indirec light. But I use to spray some water in the superior part of the plant. It may absorb something. I read that adding magnesium sulfate to the water would help the plant (I have tested it but its is hard to tell the difference). (A coffee spoom per liter)

I've left cuttings in a container propped up so they are still vertical until roots showed. No water, no media, just indirect light. Roots form. Spraying will make you feel better, that is for sure.

Sometimes I let the cuttings on pure sand in the vertical position and water the sand very scarcely when I know it will dry quickly. Perhaps it is useless.

It won't hurt to spray it a little, as long as you don't soak the media. Don't know if it helps... keeps it from gathering dust, at least.

4 weeks is about the minimum time you might see rooting, 5 weeks is still early. Sometimes it can take many months. Don't worry, cacti can live a long time without roots. The first cactus cuttings I ever grew were some extra pieces from a clump of M. elongata that my sister-in-law had broken up and propagated. These were just left on a windowsill, and after a few months they started growing roots out the bottom side. They did fine, I still have starts - I took cuttings again after my original clump developed root rot years later.

Thanks Spence, Jerry and mmcavall.

"Sometimes I let the cuttings on pure sand in the vertical position and water the sand very scarcely when I know it will dry quickly. Perhaps it is useless.'

That's what I do it usually works. And it can take a long time- months.

The Mammillaria microheliopsis from which I took the top cutting is showing four pups growing around the cut. See photo.
But I am concerned about some small spots of brown sticky goo that have appeared lower on the stem. See photo. Specifically in one of the old bud scars in an axil between tubercles, and also on the central spines of one tubercle. There are other brown spots on a couple of bud scars in axils lower down on the stem but not shown in the photo. Anyone think this is a concern? Any ideas what it might be?

Since no one has any advice on the brown goo spots, I guess I'll just toss the mother plant. Am still waiting for the cutting to sprout roots.

I wouldn't throw it out, just isolate and monitor it and to see if that spreads. If it has a slow-spreading infection you might still be able to get pups from it big enough to root before it dies.

I take cuttings when the main stem gets too tall or I want more plants . I root them on sand with normal soil under the sand and keep them in the shade out of direct sunlight . Works best in active growing season. White powder is rootone

My M. microheliopsis stem top cut has started to take root. Thanks for all your help.

Great news!

I just went back and read the whole thread to refresh my memory and see it has been about 9 weeks for you to see roots forming on your top cut. Put that in your memory bank. Good news for you!!

Also, another reason why Forums beat Facebook hands down. If you had posted on Facebook 9 weeks ago, it would be hard to find and the intervening posts would be all scattered and not in one place.