First steps into the land of Trich.

[monnsta]

Howdy,

So, I've been lucky enough to source two loverly Trich logs (images below). Since I haven't ever grown a cactus before, I thought I'd drop down a couple of points / ask some questions before I unwittingly drive down a path stren with rot infested cacti (if y'all don't mind).

Anyhoo - question the first for me would be my confusion regarding needing to keep track of the top and bottom end of the cutting. Some of the resources I've read have made it pretty clear that you can only ever "plant" the bottom side. Other resources say that it doesn't matter. I've done the best to select what I think is the top (based on what appears to be a slightly thinner end of the log), and have cut that on an angle in case we get any rain etc. once it's planted, however I am now panicking! Is there any way to tell for sure which side is up, and does it really matter? Will I potentially grow a new airborne rooting cactus which will do it's best to dig to china as it grows??

Apart from that, once the cuts have suitably dried to a corky consistency, I'll be looking to plant these into pots. My reading has indicating that a soil which won't hang onto water would be the best to use. At this stage, I'm considering a 50 / 50 combination of seed raising mix and small stones - does this sound about right, or is there another mix I should be looking at?

Finally - I've read a number of different approaches to initial watering, from "Water once, then not until you see growth" to "Water weekly" right through to "Don't water until you see growth". At this stage, I'm tending to lean towards the latter - really only because that option was based upon an opinion that lack of water will cause root formation and initial growth but I'd really like to get some valued feedback from people who are actually used to growing that beautiful form of flora in this part of the world....

Cheers,

Monnsta

[Pacha]

Welcome to the world of cactus monnsta! ;)

It will be extremely hard to tell which side is which by plain looking at your pics, since there are no spines and and recognizable notches on the areoles that show the way down.

You can have a look at the woody vascular ring in the center of the cutting and compare it to the other one, the fresher and thinner ring is most likely the one closer to the tip growth which marks the way up.

If you are still not sure than just plant those cuttings sideways!

In my experience with cacti there is no specific mix that works best, each grower has his own approach of growing his plants and not any cactus sp. like the same mix, naturally they grow at different climates with different altitudes - it is important to know your plants, watch them day by day and learn how they react and acclimate to changes. Most important thing to care for a good cactus mix is drainage, for trichos I use a lot of small lava rocks or perlite(40-50%), 30% grit or sharp sand, rest is fresh worm castings for nutrition, but not too much.

About your last question, you made it right! Cacti don't need water to root and too much water is #1 cacti killer. Cacti root out without being watered or planted, they root best in a shady dry place looking for moisture, they can also grow in the shade but this will cause them to grow thin(etiolated) and sick, yet some cuttings(trichos) can survive like this for years. Start to water after the cutting had been sitting in the soil for a week or two, watering schedule depending on your climate and growth season, I water usually every 2 weeks, in the harshest summer months I water every week sometimes 2 times a week, the soil should be let to dry between watering.

Edited February 6, 2011 by Pacha

[CβL]

I believe the top cutting, has it's top end facing to the right. The reason I say this is because of the direction of the glacous wax (blue stuff). On a correctly-oriented cactus, the glaucous wax will be oriented up and out from the centre-line of a rib join. Using this same logic, you can find the top of the bottom cactus too. It does REALLY matter, as the xylem apparently is one-way (or one way preferential), and if the cactus is planted upside down, if it can re-grow (which I think might be possible), it will not be able to use any of the existing xylem (if I am wrong, please correct me).

In my limited experience, Trichocerei are not as fussy as other cacti when it comes to soil. In fact you'll find many large specimens growing directly into garden soil. I use a mix of around 60% good quality potting mix (Dalton's or something - this will have some fertilizer and fungicide in it already hopefully), and pumice (3-5mm or 5-7mm diameter stuff) for the rest. The reason I don't recommend using rocks, is that they're heavy, and your soil will be much more compacted as a result. This will slow down root growth a bit. However, you generally can't go wrong with pre-mixed cactus mix. It's generally a bit barky though - if you can find one that isn't, you might be onto a winner. Try and find a nice healthy soil that smells humus-y. You want to provide a good micro-organism habitat. I've found this is the main thing to be overlooked that can increase your plants vitality.

Basically, again there are different opinions. And that means there is no correct answer. I was told to "bottom water once, and then water as the soil dries out, etc." I do that, and it's not let me down. In my experience as well, holding back water will not increase rooting - but increases new growth. Once your cactus has "sucked in" - then you know it needs a bit more water as the cactus is using all of it's stored water and nutrients. Maybe reduce sunlight as well if it has no roots. Some people also advocate removing the cactus from the soil to check for root-growth! I don't think that's very good, as if there was some thin fibrous root structure - you just broke it. I recommend pushing the cactus slightly to one side, and then based on it's harmonic bouncing movements, you can tell if it's firmly rooted - or just sitting in the dirt.

Good luck.

And lastly, don't leave those cactus out to get soaked (a bit of rain is fine), as rot will set in from the top.

[bℓσωηG]

a quick pic i did for u... if no V notches are present , you may still see slight depression or maybe aerole rises a bit at the top which is up ^

[MagikF]

Looking at the picture, I think both logs have the top pointing to the right.

[monnsta]

Wow... thanks so much for the responses folks, it's very much appreciated... Just to recap where I'm at:

 

1. I still plan to plant upright, as I don't have a big enough put to put a 35ish cm cut on its side (presuming I can ID the bottom successfully)
2. For my potting mix, I'll be looking to cover the bottom 10% - 20% of the pot with broken bricks etc. to ensure good draning, then fill with a 50% potting / 50% vermiculite mix
3. I'll look to keep the plants in the shade at the very least until I see some signs of new growth
4. Presuming that the "dry / hot" Perth days continue for a while yet I'll probably add a bit of water once per week (I figure this is safe since the whole pot would be dried out on a good day)

 

So... fingers crossed we'll see some growth before the end of the good weather here in Perth.....

a quick pic i did for u... if no V notches are present , you may still see slight depression or maybe aerole rises a bit at the top which is up ^

 

That's fantastic thanks blowng, I really appreciate the time you spent putting this together..... Just to confirm that I'm on the right track, I've taken a close up of one of the cactus - can you confirm that my assumption regarding the top is correct (please excuse the pirate writing, but I've always felt that everything is always better with a pirate feel )?

Thanks again everybody for all your help.

M

[bℓσωηG]

Aahaar that be looking correct matey! I see why you were having trouble by that pic, the more Trichs and aeroles you see the easier it becomes

[MagikF]

Do not use vermiculite for cactus as that retains moisture. You want to use perlite so it is fast draining.

Also, just seeing growth on the cactus doesn't mean it has rooted as cactus will put out growth without roots. You actually need to gently remove the cactus from the pot to see if there are actual roots. Do this about 2 weeks after the cactus has been potted. Do not do any watering before this as your potting mix should have enough moisture to cause the cactus to begin rooting. Only after you see roots do you begin a light watering schedule where you wait for the soil to dry out between waterings.

[Pacha]

By the close up photo you made it all comes clear man - you made it right thanks to blwong artistic talent!

For good drainage perlite is better than vermiculite, it is much lighter and absorb less water, lava rocks do the job great but are very heavy.

Edited February 7, 2011 by Pacha

[monnsta]

Do not use vermiculite for cactus as that retains moisture. You want to use perlite so it is fast draining.

 

For good drainage perlite is better than vermiculite, it is much lighter and absorb less water, lava rocks do the job great but are very heavy.

 

Hello Room Service? Send up a bigger room!

 

Well, I stand well corrected - thanks very much for the prompt response, perlite it is!

[mutant]

Welcome to the sport!

excellent advice everyone, cool drawing blowng ;)

[incognito]

id cut em in 5 cm sections, callous well, then plant half deep on their sides in individual pots with well drained mix. make 20 cacti out of the 2 logs