I finally scored some cuttings from one of my Aunt's big old Christmas Cactus. (Yes, Toni influenced me... again!) I mixed some Vermiculite and Perlite and got it moist. Then wet the ends of the cuttings, dipped them in powder root hormone. Poked a hole in the mix and inserted them. Is that the correct way to get these to take root? Christmas Cactus Cuttings ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )
As far as I know that should work. I was told years ago that all you had to do was break off a leaf and stick it in the ground. The older plants will start producing roots between the petals on their own. Good luck.
I root CC's and TC's in water. 1. So I can monitor the roots as they form. 2. To prevent hidden segment/root rot. 3. To assure that they receive an adequate amount of water. Epiphytes appreciate water. If the segments in your pot go limp then they are either not growing roots fast enough or the planted segments are failing. While photos can be deceiving your cuttings look pale, a sign that they have been on the dryer side of water intake in their prior environment and are perhaps weak. If you have several cuttings, you can split them between the two methods. You will probably benefit from the experiment. Jerry
Jerry... I was only going to take one cutting, but she insisted that I take four to make sure I get one of each color. So... I'll do as you say and put two in water. Going to do it right now.
Rooting them this way should be ok, just don't keep the soil wet. Rooting in water is another method which I have done a lot, (even though water roots are much more delicate) Another way is using Perlite in a small pot with just enough room for several cuttings to root comfortably. I like to let the medium, whatever it is to dry between watering, otherwise, jungle cactus cuttings that are "rootless" might rot. Good luck with your cuttings
Thanks Bluewing... I was just about to give a drink to the ones in the vermiculite/perlite a drink. I think I'll wait another day or so until it dries about a bit before adding more water. Edited on 2/10/12 to say that the one's put in water were not doing well at all. The tips were dropping off. So I put them in the vermiculite/perlite mix with the others... which are all doing fine now.
Yes Jerry... most of the cuttings took. But no blooms this past Christmas. Hoping they will be strong enough and healthy enough for blooms this year.
Hey this is a fun discussion, ones with visual aids are awesome. Being very new to these plants, my recent propagation attempts are my first. I think mine are Thanksgiving cactus, and I'm not sure how to tell them apart from CC's. When they started making aerial roots like crazy, the urge to provide them with some soil has been overwhelming. There's more sections doing it than I have places to stick them. You can just see how, in nature, it would creep along/up, rooting and shooting at each segment juncture. Aerial roots on Thanksgiving cactus ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden ) This section was shaped in a way that made me want to lay it across a small water glass. It's the only one this big. A couple of the other "cuttings" were 2 sections, but they were joined at the bottom, like a V, so still only 1 segment "tall." It's cool to see the pic above of much larger cuttings. Someday hopefully I'll have plants big enough to 'play' like that... if I can stop pinching off one aerial root piece at a time... Thanksgiving cactus cutting making a root in water ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden ) These I put at the surface of other plants look like they will take off. Still pretty firm, roots getting longer. Of course the ones I was able to twist loose without mangling the aerial root are the ones that look best. Thanksgiving cactus segments with aerial roots, placed on soil surface ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden ) What is it about a newly rooted tiny thing that's somehow more exciting than the big mama plant it came from? Do you check mature established plants several times per day or even daily? How can one new possible leaf atom on a new cutting get your attention over the flower on the mama? Why does anyone want more of a plant they already have? Probably just a mental condition some people can develop... Ha!
That sure is the truth chocolate. I want it, gotta have it. Once I have it I think where am I going to put one more plant. I'm addicted.
Here's mine... almost a year-to-the-day. Christmas Cactus - one year later ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )
That's awesome! It looks so glossy and pretty, so many cute new leaves. The cache pot is way cool too. A real antique or retro? ZZ looking good to the side too. What's the cute little blob in front? Hens & chicks?
Thanks Purple! I'm really happy that it's happy! The pot is old... not sure an antique or not. When Hubby found it, it looked like this.... copper pot before ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) That's an African Milk Tree off to the left... my pride and joy of over 25 years. And yes... that's Hens & Chicks in the front.
Is African Milk Tree the same as a ZZ or are you correcting my mistake? Thanks, if so! Not really familiar with either. African Milk Tree sounds really cool. If it's a Euphorbia (kind of looks like it, and would probably have MILKy sap if it was,) I avoid those though. My skin breaks out to almost any plant known to cause dermatitis. That pot rocks!
