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Grafting on Opuntia compressa: Cultivation tips

CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.

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Some simple suggestions for grafting techniques.  

Detach the shoots [ click the single picture to enlarge ]

How to detach young Opuntia shoots

A young shoot detached form opuntia stock

 The Opuntia stock in the first year produces numerous shoots, they are very easy to detach when still  young: Simply push with your finger and they come off very easily. Don't leave the detached shoots in the cultivation box because they can take root. If the shoots  became too large  a sharp knife is needed to cut them off.  

Shorten the stock [ click the single picture to enlarge ]

 

Sulorebutia gerosenilis KK 2003 Murillo Bolivia

cut the stock three centimeters long

  1. If  the stock is too high it is possible - for aesthetic reasons – to shorten the Opuntia.  This is not necessary but if you don’t like to see the base of the graft this method can make it invisible.
  2. Make the stock shorter cutting it at 2,5 - 3 cm.
  3. Place the  plant for about a week in shaded place to let the cut heal over. This avoids any risk of the stock rotting after repotting.
  4. Re-pot the plants burying it in the potting mix for 1,5 -2 cm, but the upper part of the stock (about 1 cm) must be kept above the surface. (see the enlarged figure for more details).
  5. This keeps the graft union point  raised from soil and helps to prevent fungal infections and helps the Opuntia to grow  better.
  6. After one or two months  when a new root system has been developed one  can also put some gravel on the soil surface  to hide definitively the stock base. Now the plants looks very natural and can keep growing healthy for many years.
  7. A month later: a new root system has been produced, we can pick up the plant and the pot together!
place the plant for a week in a shaded place a pot in section  
  Sulcorebutia rauschi WR289 cv. violacidermis August 06 2003But is more simple to put some gravel or some small stones at the base of the plant to hide the stock and to sustain the graft. This photo (Sulcorebutia rauschii WR 289 cv. violacidermis) has been sent me by Paolo Conti
he used lava gravel. Thanks for the suggestion!
   
     
     


This page will be regularly updated with new information. Please check back at a later time. Thank you.

 

"English text kindly corrected by John Chippindale"

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