I'm thinking of grafting this cactus to itself

[Sir Jeans]

I saved this one from IKEA a couple of years ago. Its starting to look like a very nice specimen, except for the scarred and etiolated lower 1/4 or so. So I'm thinking of cutting this lower part out and grafting the top part (from where it starts to get thick the second time) to the bottom part, just where it starts to get thick the first time. I am thinking that using a wedge graft would result in a stronger bond capable of supporting future growth.

But its a hard choice to make, since the graft might not work well or at all. Also, I don't know for sure that such a low down graft will be strong enough. What will the plant look like in, say, 5 years time? Will the graft limit its growth in the long run? Another consideration is that I don't want the top parts of the plant to become etiolated due to it being severed from the root stock (whilst the graft is "taking").

Thoughts anyone?

[zelly]

I'm thinking the lower portions are too woody for a successful graft and you will end up being forced to re root that which you cut off.

Consider for a moment that all plants, all living organisms are sentient.

It's not your plants fault that you haven't learned how to communicate with it, and I seriously doubt the plant would be happy with your idea of whacking just it to make it more 'perfect' from your perspective.

I'm thinking you should make it a lifetime project of learning how to communicate with your plants and nurture them in ways that benefit them first and not you.

ok, I'm done thinking.

[CβL]

I would certainly not graft it - I think it's almost bound to fail. Maybe if you had some special device which clamped two branches together (I haven't invented it yet, so you probably don't. ). I would wait until the plant is much more unstable (at the point where it's threatening to snap with some strong wind) - and then give it the chop.

[Quill]

I'm thinking you should make it a lifetime project of learning how to communicate with your plants and nurture them in ways that benefit them first and not you

 

ouch

[ballzac]

The bottom part isn't that much thicker than the 'waist' anyway. If you wan't to achieve the result you want, then just chopping it where it's at decent thickness and planting that seems like a better idea.

[noshiewa]

i agree with ballzac if u really want it to look smooth from ground up just cut it and reroot :-) cut it just below were it gets thick and re plant. or could try a grapht first for fun :-)

[noshiewa]

the cactus looks pretty good though if left :-)

[Marcel]

IKEA sells cactus now?

[Sir Jeans]

Consider for a moment that all plants, all living organisms are sentient.

It's not your plants fault that you haven't learned how to communicate with it, and I seriously doubt the plant would be happy with your idea of whacking just it to make it more 'perfect' from your perspective.

I'm thinking you should make it a lifetime project of learning how to communicate with your plants and nurture them in ways that benefit them first and not you.

 

Zelly, I assure you that my intentions are 100% altruistic. You see, the other day I was having a chat about the weather, soil conditions etc with Wrigley (that's his name), when all of a sudden he started telling me how insecure he's been feeling now that he's surrounded by so many sweet-ass cacti on my balcony (as opposed to the stunted, sickly ones at IKEA). Of course, I told him that I think he's beautiful just the way he is, but he wouldn't listen - he wants cosmetic surgery. So thats why I created this thread - I want some expert opinions and to understand the risks before I let my little Wrigley go under the knife.

I'm thinking the lower portions are too woody for a successful graft

 

That is something I was concerned about.

I would wait until the plant is much more unstable (at the point where it's threatening to snap with some strong wind) - and then give it the chop.

 

This seems like a good idea. Perhaps I'll wait till mid summer, when it gets a little bigger, then try and do the graft. I kind of just want to do the graft for the sake of getting more experienced at grafting - I've never attempted a wedge shaped graft before. If it fails, I can then just root it like any other cutting. I've heard that M. geometrizans required hot conditions to form roots from cuttings.

[Foo]

IKEA sells cactus now?

 

Yeh, but there a bitch to assemble.

[Jonstn]

Yeh, but there a bitch to assemble.

 

LOL

[ErraneousHerbalist]

Yeh, but there a bitch to assemble.

 

A thousand upvotes to you good sir!

[zelly]

Sir Jeans- I'll try very hard not to waste any more of your time reading my responses to your threads.

[Sir Jeans]

Zelly I get the feeling that I may have offended you. I am genuinely sorry if I did, it was not my intention. I was only trying to be a bit cheeky and I do appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Reading what I wrote again, I can see that it could have easily been interpreted as rude. Again, I'm sorry if I offended you.

[Sir Jeans]

IKEA sells cactus now?

 

The one in my town does. Its a sad sight though - I don't think anyone there knows how to care for plants. The worst infestation of meally bug I've ever seen was at IKEA. You could hardly even see the cactus underneath all the insects! Quite a few were either dead or nearly dead from root rot too.

[CβL]

I remember when I was a young kid (probably 4-5), I asked my mother: "Mom, do snails live everywhere?"

Mother: "Yes, they live everywhere."

...

That's all it took for me to connect that snails must live in Antarctica, and therefore must like ice-skating (I liked ice-skating). So I made an ice rink (filled an ice-cream tub and froze it) for the snails... found 2 dozen, and let them go for a skate... A strange green bilious foam began to rapidly froth out from all of the snails shortly after they started skating. But it was all too late, they had all died before I realized that this display of foam was NOT a good thing.

I feel that plants are very forgiving, and would understand someone who does not hear what they are saying. I think all we can do is to say to listen to your plants, all of them ("weeds" are opportunistic immigrants... just like yourself), and then you will realize eventually how to respond appropriately. If I tell you to do something because I supposedly have first-hand source knowledge that you don't have - then I'm just a bishop.

[DarkSpark]

you could try a deeper pot and plant the cacti deeper ? this way it keeps its rootstock and has the added stability of being deeper in the ground. This combined with maybe a stake or two would mean that the plant could happily continue growing. I think it looks cool the way it is narrow at the base getting fatter at the top. A cool looking specimine, would suck to ruin it

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

I think it looks cool the way it is narrow at the base getting fatter at the top. A cool looking specimine, would suck to ruin it

 

I agree, he looks like a beaut mate, if nurture him into the stallion he is then those pesky perfect cactus wont bother him

D00d

[mutant]

not gonna work but you can try to amaze us

at first I thought your gonna graft on all tips, making a cactus graft tree, which would be awesome btw, and something I wanna do in the future/

the specimen is perfect as is - if I cut it I would make more plants, 3 to root and base replanted to pup. Or do what ballzac said, cut where fat, calous and plant that.

[Sir Jeans]

not gonna work but you can try to amaze us

 

Is that because you think it would be too woody for the graft to take?

[mutant]

yep, some of the guys above explained it.

In general we choose tender and active or recent growing parts to graft on to - this is very important! and by this rule, this graft you proposed is damned to fail.

in this example of yours, the base of the stem, where you might hoped to graft on, would be too woody to get a union, let alone stick that big chunk on it - moreover, this whole weight you planed to graft is pretty hard to prop. It's really easier to cut where you want and root again, columnar enthusiasts with little space do it all the time to keep a nice specimen: cut& reroot - and occasionally give away the extra plants.

in fact, if you tried it you would figure out it wont work. I am sure it will be pretty tough to cut the base with a knife. A saw would be more of the tool to do the job.

nice parts to graft are juicy. the ideal is that the scion is actively growing and juicy too. below a certain point, the vascular ring of the stock to graft on is completely woody. I dont know if its even possible to graft on that hard rings. maybe with impale style, and then.... Hmmmmm... yeah, maybe the impale, but still it's an impossible task.

pereskiopsis can have a percentage of success even with a bit harder rings, but nothing that low in the stem anyways...

if you do it you will become the graft god of 2011, at least you got my vote

I hope I helped!

PS[edit]

or even better

GRAFT ON THE TIPS

and make a perfect cactus tree!!

your specimen is ideal for this if you wanna experiment, and I think you will eventually get all three done, if you try

on the other hand I would be very hesitant to hack such a fine specimen

choices, choices mate

Edited November 8, 2011 by mutant

[kadakuda]

c utting plants where thick to get solid thick growth is often done, and necessary for columnar. Things like your myrt. geo. will bend over and break. you can either bury it deep in a pot or cut it and re root it. cutting it and re rooting is the best option in my opinion.

truthfully, you could graft it and it would work. it may be woody but it will still work, though slower growth. but even if growth is good (which it probabyl wont be) it iwll still eb weaker down there and in time will break. myrtillocactus geometrizans, when grown in sun, gets to be 10" thick sometimes, thats heavy adn when tall leans. they also haev many top side stems which make ti top heavy, so a thick strong base is essential if you plan ona large plant. that said they do go kind of bush style no matter what, they dont do the huge cool few stem stenocereus type thing.

[mutant]

upz man, it shows you know what you're talking bout. have your shared any pics of myrti mother plants?

I would like to make huge ones, but I hesitate after the disaster of last winter. maybe I should get another..

[Sir Jeans]

Thanks heaps for all the input guys. I don't have much grafting experience, but I do have a little (about 10 successes now, mostly lophs onto the tips of san pedro). I believe you guys when you say that the graft I'm considering has a high likelihood of not working well, or at all.

I'm tossing up between burying it up deeper, or attempting the graft with the expectation that I'll likely end up simply removing the scion and rooting it on its own. The probem wth burying it deeper is that I'd have to bury it a lot deeper, and in a new pot.

Choices, choices indeed!

I'll update this thread when i decide what to do...

[mutant]

you don't have to bury very deep, just prop it well