how long till trich cuttings root? vert and horizontal

[SirLSD]

roughly how long will it take? they were left to callus for 3 weeks. 2 of wich they spent in the dark. also how deep should i have planted the horizontal ones? any experience here?

thanks

[Torsten]

Originally posted by SirLSD:

roughly how long will it take?

depends entirely on hos actively they were growing and how old the material is. 1 week to 1 year.

2 of wich they spent in the dark.

why?? you deprive them of growth and nutrients.

also how deep should i have planted the horizontal ones?

I just rest mine on the soil, with two ribs touching the soil. The whole point of siderooting is to avoid burying them (which can cause rotting).

[Guest Monkey Shines]

Originally posted by Torsten:

2 of wich they spent in the dark.

why?? you deprive them of growth and nutrients.

[/b]

It says here http://www.sphosting.com/cactus/propagatio...ds.html#section #11

"When rooting cuttings, make sure that it is kept in a dark area for the first 5 days. If the cutting gets light during the first 5 days after separation, it may take 1 to 2 weeks longer for roots to begin growing"

[Torsten]

this is a very detailed page, but with a huge wank factor. The whole healing procedure makes little sense, as drying in a humid environment can only cause problems (i know cos I live in the subtropics). Indirect sunlight (or even direct for a day or two) does wonders for sterilising the cut end and inducing healing. Some people even use sulphur dust to prevent fungus entering the cut end. But humidity is the last thign you would want there.

I get a lot fo cacti sent to me and they spend a week or so in the mail, where it is dark. These have no rooting advantage over cuttigns left in the light. I doubt strongly that darkness induces rooting in cacti. Humidity however does. We get a lot of cacti that grow roots on their shade side (all the way up the cactus), or on the side where they are facing to a nursery area with sprinklers. But cuttings buried accidentally under dry leaflitter or dark plastic etc do not root (unless there is high humidity).

I've done about 1000 columnar cuttings so far and have never observed any of the things mentioned on this page.

I have however had some stubborn columnar cacti (not trichocereus) and will try his recommendations on those.

[Auxin]

How can horizontal rooting possibly provide enough stability for columnar cacti? Are the roots really THAT strong, or do you burry it deeper once it gets growing?

[Torsten]

yep, the roots are strong enough. However, you can also bury it deeper at a later stage if you want.