Jump to content
The Corroboree
Sign in to follow this  
Change

Grafting Astrophytum to Pereskiopsis

Recommended Posts

Hey everyone

Ive been wondering if any members have success grafting Astrophytum seedlings to Pereskiopsis ?

I dont seem to have many issues grafting Tricho seedlings to Pereskiopsis, but when im grafting Astrophytum they look like they have taken a week after surgery then in the second week they shrivel up and die, which is quite heartbreaking to say the least.

Im starting to think pereskiopsis isn't the best grafting stock for Astrophytum, but maybe its just my technique.... im not sure

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i just try yesterday, only 1 seeds germinate (bad source of seeds :/) i just parctice my grafting skills and try it on pereskiopsis, i will let you know in few days if it attachment.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I grafted a few to immature selenicereus. I used the same method I use with pereskiopsis and they took.

How long do you leave them in high humidity?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

astrophytum can be grafted to pereskiopsis, but i think selenicereus is a better stock for astros, or i've had better luck with it anyway..astros seem to stall for me on pereksiopsis alot

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

7 days high humidity, then back into the conditions they were growing in.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I left them for 4 days. Obviously Myelo has more experience.

astrophytum can be grafted to pereskiopsis, but i think selenicereus is a better stock for astros, or i've had better luck with it anyway..astros seem to stall for me on pereksiopsis alot

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have had astrophytum grafted onto pereskiopsis but i find they take at a much lower rate than lophs. The scion needs to be a bit bigger than your standard loph seedl8ng too. And a bit of downward pressure can help. My pick for astros would be hylocereus or harrisia.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

glad to hear its not just me thats getting some pretty shitty success rates with astro's and peres

I've done plenty of them plenty of them have taken no problems some have stalled others have immediately shown growth

but as for rate of them taking its definitely noticeably lower than other cacti

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Why would anyone WANT to graft a fast growing genus like Astrophytum anyway??

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If Astrophytum is fast growing, and Lophophora is fast growing, what would you consider a slow growing genus?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Aztekium, Ariocarpus, Encephalocarpus, Pelecyphora, Geohintonia, Obregonia, Epithelantha, Ortegocactus, Toumeya - all of which I have in my collection, and all of which I find to be very much slower growing than Astrophytum.

Astrophytum are renowned as a genus that germinates very quickly, and grows to maturity rapidly on their own roots. Many species can go on to reach very large sizes.

No grafted plant will ever attain anything like the size of my prize winning Astrophytum myriostigma. (And that pic is a year old)

post-15731-0-74167200-1444247105_thumb.j

post-15731-0-74167200-1444247105_thumb.jpg

post-15731-0-74167200-1444247105_thumb.jpg

Edited by Spanishfly

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

^^wow that thing looks crazy cool, how old is it ?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Whatever floats your boat. I personally don't care about prizes and competitions, and I'd much rather have a mature looking plant within a year, than wait five years for it to show it's mature characteristics. It's very easy to degraft and root a plant after that.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

^^ whats your preferred grafting stock Berergar?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Selenicereus for young seedlings (1 weeks to 3 months old), Harrisia and Trichocereus as a permanent rootstock (for Ariocarpus and Turbinicarpus for example). Pereskioskiopsis for fast growing columnar species.

Astrophytum does wonderfully on 5 cms of Selenicereus for at least 3 years.

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Change - I reckon it´s about 15.

And of course to many serious growers, having plants true to type is very important - which doesn´t happen with grafted plants, particularly for genuses where having a large taproot is an integral part of the plant´s characteristics. I generally do grow most species (but not all) on their own roots, and I grow them hard, on the gritty type of soil that they enjoy in habitat. I could make them grow faster (and more atypically) using a softer compost, with lots of high nitrogen fert, but what´s the rush?? Why would I want to?

And is big and plump always healthy and desirable? - think obese people!

However I do agree that grafted plants do have a place in a serious collection in some circumstances (i) some cacti are just so slow growing that it is the only way to make progress with them at all, which is why I have a grafted Aztekium ritteri. (ii) some cacti are virtually impossible to cultivate outside their habitat on their own roots, which is why I have a grafted Toumeya papyracantha (iii) the growth mode of some plants can easily bring them in contact with the growing medium, thus inducing rot, which is why cristate plants are often grafted, and I have a few of them. However I do not see the point in automatically grafting every plant that you grow - develop your horticultural skills instead.

Edited by Spanishfly

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

.

Edited by Berengar

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

However I do not see the point in automatically grafting every plant that you grow - develop your horticultural skills instead.

Come on man......this is like saying you grow your cacti on their own roots cuz you didn't develop your grafting skills :s, which I believe isn't the case.

Personally I enjoy grafting....hell I even graft mature trichocereus tips. It's like skipping seasons of "boring" growth so to speak ;)

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

After so many failures ive finally got one to take, strangely out of all my attempts i had the lowest hopes for this one, Only the tiniest piece of vascular tissue is connected, but its been 3 weeks since surgery so im confident ive finally got one to take. :lol:

after loosing so many astro seedlings, ive decided to change my grafting stock before trying again,

i cant handle the emotional pain of killing more of my babies trying to get them to take on peres

astro%20graft.png

  • Like 4

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What are you changing your grafting stock too? I'm sowing out what should be some freaky astro next week

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Selenicereus for young seedlings (1 weeks to 3 months old), Harrisia and Trichocereus as a permanent rootstock (for Ariocarpus and Turbinicarpus for example). Pereskioskiopsis for fast growing columnar species.

Astrophytum does wonderfully on 5 cms of Selenicereus for at least 3 years.

is there a certain species of selenicereus that works best??

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Anything thick enough to support a scion should work OK, grandiflorus, pteranthus, macdonaldiae etc., or one of the many hybrids. But like in Trichocereus, certain clones behave differently, so it's good to find one that is well suited for your climate, that is the main difference in Selenicereus, most grow very quickly and accept scions readily.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Im going to trying some 3 inch Trichocereus babies as the next stock, while i propagate out some Selenicereus

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Never used it as a grafting stock, but Selenicereus is certainly a fast-growing climber. I have some S. grandiflorus growing up my garden wall. The flowers are certainly magnificent, I believe the biggest in the family Cactaceae. They are night-flowering and last just one night, dying back at sunrise.

post-15731-0-88184800-1444522598_thumb.j

post-15731-0-88184800-1444522598_thumb.jpg

post-15731-0-88184800-1444522598_thumb.jpg

Edited by Spanishfly
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×