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mcgrath111

Melb winter rot for grafted lophophora

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Hi all,

 

I have a fair few grafted lophs, and room in the greenhouse is tight. Last summer I had a big lw graft rot (orange rot I believe). Would this due to constant rain / cold temps or more likely a fungus has spread into the loph? (The stock was fine)

Any people in Melbourne (or cool areas with high rainfall? that keep grafted lophs out in the elements? 

 

 Cheers,

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The orange slime is the one I've encountered most frequently around Melbourne, anywhere a San Pedro has been cut and then left to fend off more than a day or two of heavy rain. In larger specimens it doesn't seem to pose much of a threat, but in smaller cut sections (e.g. root stock) it has a tendency to dominate.

Overcrowding in the greenhouse will promote plant pathogens. Sun and wind dry out exposed surfaces, helping the plant's natural immunity. But the graft needs high humidity those first few days. After 2 or 3 days under cling film I expose the graft to plenty of (indirect) UV light and ventilation, I don't keep them in a greenhouse. I don't usually apply fungicides to my grafts, though I dare say it wouldn't hurt. 

 

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On 19/02/2022 at 8:17 AM, fyzygy said:

The orange slime is the one I've encountered most frequently around Melbourne, anywhere a San Pedro has been cut and then left to fend off more than a day or two of heavy rain. In larger specimens it doesn't seem to pose much of a threat, but in smaller cut sections (e.g. root stock) it has a tendency to dominate.

Overcrowding in the greenhouse will promote plant pathogens. Sun and wind dry out exposed surfaces, helping the plant's natural immunity. But the graft needs high humidity those first few days. After 2 or 3 days under cling film I expose the graft to plenty of (indirect) UV light and ventilation, I don't keep them in a greenhouse. I don't usually apply fungicides to my grafts, though I dare say it wouldn't hurt. 

 

Hey fyzygy,

Thank you for your response, I realise looking at old posts I never responded.

Are you saying you keep your grafts outside during winter (not indoors?)...how so pere grafts take that?

Cheers,

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I don't have much experience with pere. I've kept all of my grafts outdoors during winters in suburban Melbourne (mostly grafted to trichocereus and occasionally opuntia spp.) without issues. Grafting itself is probably best done towards the end of the growing season; warm temperatures seem to accelerate plant growth. Indoors could work just as well, though in a greenhouse I would be wary of too much humidity. Cling wrap method that seems to work best for me, means that the new graft is well humidified locally for the first few days while the bond forms. After that it seems tough as any other cactus in my garden. I don't leave my newly cling-wrapped grafts in a dark place, but somewhere they will be exposed to bright, indirect light. I will try some pere grafts next, and let you know how that goes...

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I keep mine indoors and out of the direct light for at least few months.  It seems to be a while, well after union is achieved that a robust resistance to sun, ect is achieved.  Perhaps the initial union is followed by the creation of more complex, substantial vasculation over a period of time.  For me this seems the case on both peres and tricho stock.  Not having alot of sun protection, my loph grafts get soft if i leave them in the greenhouse over summer.  That arvo sun can spank em.

I prefer to graft at the start of the growing season, i think things happen quicker and my offcuts heal and root faster too.

Rot can seem to also happen as the peres deprives the loph scion of goodies in favour of its own new growth.  It can be annoying trying to terminate growth on peres stock.  I muse that this is moreso the case with slow growing grafts like Lw,.  Throw in a little too much sun as well and you can reach that tipping point into rot pretty quick.

Edited by Humboldt

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Thanks Fyzygy and Humboldt for your insights. 

I didn't realise the impact sun would have on the graft, I figured more the merrier.

I've put a paste / coat of copper oxychloride on the lw grafts, hopefully that keeps rot at bay.

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