Advice on large Eileen cutting?

[AndyAmine.]

I recently received this Eileen cutting !85cm/11cm! and was hoping I could get some 2nd opinions on what sized cuts I should make it into.,

Also, it is quite thick, so I know that if I make it into a few mid cuts they will take much longer than if I just rooted the whole thing tip included..

Shuld I even cut it at all, perhaphs the best option would be to root it as it, then once rooted cut it and start again repeating that a few times?

Edited March 8, 2006 by AndyAmine.

[Dodie]

If that were my beauty id probably cut 5 X 12-14cm cuts and leave the tip around 2-3 times the size of the mid section cuts..

Are you planting to mass propagate? or as an ornamental?

Also i wouldnt root it then cut then repeat, the tip might get extra elongated, and it would take far longer to root all of the pieces...if you have 4,5,6 or whatever pieces just plant them all out together, Im very happy with how long it took my eileen to root and throw off pups from mid section cuts

Edited March 8, 2006 by dodie303

[apothecary]

Root the whole thing! Once it has roots it'll pup quickly from the base I think, and then at the start of spring you can prune those pups and it'll pup like crazy. I think Ed posted photos of pruned Eileen pups.

[Conan Troutman]

Cut into 3or4 sections..

I had a similiar sized 'eileen' cut which on advice acquired from the forums was chopped

into about 25-30cm pieces.

The theory is the more plants you can get out of the cut the less chance of loosing one to rot or something similiar and more growth can be achieved.

After healing midsection logs will pup very well and quickly, while mytip cut is yet to show signs of pupping.

[M S Smith]

I've cut 16 cm length sections of 10 cm diameter cacti into successful propagation plants. Here is the monstrose "short spined T. peruvianus." I stuck three in a large pot.

~Michael~

[AndyAmine.]

I took your advice and cut it into 3 30cm sections. Im letting them callous now and will put them up into CSS in a couple of weeks.

I hope they are good mother plants, I want to share her around as much as I can.

[planthelper]

when cutting those sections, it's maybe a good idea to do as followes.

the cut which will go into the ground is done with a right angle (horizontal, once planted out upright).

the one which will be the top is done with an slant (looking a bit like a roof once planted upright).

like this you know what is the top and aswell it avoids rots because the water does drain off faster.

[M S Smith]

Auxins which control apical dominance can be tricked into producing multiple limbs. Usually a plant will set a limb from the upper most areole, which will usually occur if you do an angle cut, but if you have a number of areoles equidistant from the cut you can get a plant like the one below. I have never had a case of rot due to water sitting in a depression, and this even with rain occuring almost constantly for a week and the calloused cut never drying up.

~Michael~

[mescalito]

Yeah you mentioned this once before Mike and I've noted the same thing and you said to cut just above the nearest areoles making sure not to damage any.