CACTIBOTANY AND CULTIVATION
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Cacti / Cultivation procedures

Cultivation procedures

Opuntias as rootstocks and cuttings

Opuntia humifusa in the sense used by earlier authors, O. camanchica and O. fragilis.

Cactus and succulent atlasIndex of former namesTables and diagramsCultivation proceduresRootstocks
GRAFTING ON A FLATTENED STEM SEGMENT

Rootstock cross-section

An elongated arrangement of bundles in a flat stem segment cross-sectionBundles in cross-section

The diagram of a globular stem does not describe every segment. Assess the actual outline and position of the vascular bundles after cutting. [Fleischer and Schütz 1978]

Offsetting a small scion

The small scion ring intersects the rootstock's elongated arrangementPartial contact between the arrangements

In this model, offsetting creates sites of potential union. Aligning the stem edges alone does not prove proper contact. [Fleischer and Schütz 1978]

A top view without a scale. The outlines simplify the spatial network of vascular tissues. [Fleischer and Schütz 1978]

A new treatment of the principle shown in rozmnazanie11 and explained in the archival text on grafting onto an opuntia. The anatomical basis follows Mauseth 2006. [Fleischer and Schütz 1978]

Sequence and conditions

  1. Choose healthy, hydrated segments for cuttings during active growth. The accounts prefer segments from the previous year without developing buds. [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 55, 56] [Modrakowski 2005, file p. 44, 45, 46, 47]
  2. After cutting, allow the wound to heal in a well-ventilated place. Then place shallowly in a free-draining substrate. Cuttings can be stabilized at an angle, but 45° is not a biological requirement for every rooting event. [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 55, 56] [Modrakowski 2005, file p. 44, 45, 46, 47]
  3. When grafting onto flat segments, ensure contact between the vascular bundles and a stable union. Modrakowski describes a stepped method with crossed elastic bands, warmth above 23°C and shade after the operation. [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 55, 56] [Modrakowski 2005, file p. 44, 45, 46, 47]
  4. The account also describes grafting onto unrooted segments. This combines grafting and rooting risks. Monitor the two processes separately. [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 55, 56] [Modrakowski 2005, file p. 44, 45, 46, 47]
  5. Small seedlings can be grafted onto younger segments. Concealing a shortened rootstock does not make a plant own-root. [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 55, 56] [Modrakowski 2005, file p. 44, 45, 46, 47]
  6. Propagation from the areole-bearing portion remaining after flowering was described as an experiment. Do not confuse it with rooting arbitrary flower petals. [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 55, 56] [Modrakowski 2005, file p. 44, 45, 46, 47]

Scope of the method

The longevity of a graft depends on the partners' compatibility, health and growing conditions. Describing a rootstock as everlasting in an earlier account is the author's assessment.

Sources for the description

[Kaktusy i Inne 2005a, file p. 55, 56] [Modrakowski 2005, file p. 44, 45, 46, 47]

Comparison of rootstocks and names used in the literature ↗

Plants described in these materials

Pediocactus knowltoniiPediocactus peeblesianusPediocactus sileriSclerocactus papyracanthusSclerocactus glaucusSclerocactus mesae-verdaeSclerocactus polyancistrusSclerocactus pubispinusSclerocactus johnsoniiSclerocactus intertextusOpuntia humifusaOpuntia fragilisOpuntia camanchica