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Cacti propagation etc : LONG!!

Greetings from Sweden!

I'm Ingrid and I'd like to respond to James' question about Lophphora seeds.

First of all, from your e-mail address I can tell you live in the US, and
you are perhaps aware that possession of this plant is illegal? Unless you
are a member of the Native American Church of course! You could go to
prison for it!

I think you did recieve a similar answer to your posting on the other
newsgroup I subscribe to; cacti_etc....

Secondly I'd like to point out that Lophophora isn't illegal to possess in
Europe...

However, there are many collectors that do have one,( even in the US! ), if
you are interested in purchasing seed, your best bet in my humble opinion
is to cast your eyes across the Atlantic...to the European ones. Now
purchasing a plant mailorder will cost you an arm and a leg in
phytosanitary certificates, even if you did manage to import it which I
strongly doubt, therefore your best bet is from seed!!!
L. williamsi is very easy from seed, and the best company in my opinion for
that is my old favorite Doug & Vivi Rowland...they don't have e-mail, but
the address is found on the cactus & succulent plantmall, and their
catalogue is free. They answer questions and are very helpful...with
instructions for seedpropagation as well! They have a very useful little
pamphlet packed full with good information.

Purchasing "other" kinds of cacti seed, in the US, your best bet is Mesa
Garden, they have an online catalogue on the same cactus & succulent plant
mall. Also e-mail.

Or join a local cactus club and beg for offsets...

As to grafting cacti.....that is a whole big subject of its own :-)

First of all, I'd like to point out that the grafted cacti one can buy are
all grown and grafted in Japan etc...and the serious collector in nine
cases out of ten prefers to avoid it....but there are some cases, for
instance if you live in a very humid climate, like Singapore, the best is
to graft to have any cacti at all, or if you have cacti that are difficult
to grow on its own roots, like the Uebelmannia pectinifera, in my little
collection that is the only grafted cactus I have....it is very prone to
rot...
The socalled "Red Cap", or "Strawberry cactus", "Banana cactus" are a
mutations without clorophyll, and cannot survive on its own roots, so it
has to be grafted to survive.

Sometimes small seedlings ( weeks to months old ) are grafted to speed up
the growing process, but this in turn destroys the natural shape of the
plant....this method is often used for cacti that grow very slowly, like
Ariocarpus, or Aztekium..., often the seedling is then cut off and left to
grow on in the more natural way. The stock can also be hidden with a layer
of grit, but one has to be careful in doing this, as the scion might set
roots, or the stock might rot, or other disasters.

There are some common choices for stock....like Trichocereus pachanoi....
nearly all Cereus, Selenicereus....the latter is for grafting
seedlings....common rule is a stronggrowing columnar cactus that does not
offset.....offsets should be removed if they occur. The stock the Japanese
use is a Hylocereus, and it dies at temperatures below 12C, in other words
very tender! The others I mentioned will take temps much lower than that!
One can also choose globular cacti for grafting like Echinopsis, and
Opuntias are very good too...but the stock shouldn't be old as in woody!
Some choose Pereskia or Mytrillocactus geometrizans...but they are tender...

And how?? Briefly......on a sunny warm day in late Spring/Summer, when the
stock is growing, one cuts off the top of the stock with a sharp clean
knife ( important!!) ....cuts off a bit at the ribs otherwise it might be
tempted to offset from the areoles ( where the spines grow ) and
immediately remove the top of the cacti you want to graft...a clean
straight cut, and a good bit, immediately press stock and scion together,
the round ring that you will observe should fit or at least overlap in some
instances( this is where the joining will occur)......secure with elastic
or weights......to keep the scion in place...put in shade with a plastic
bag and keep warm....important is that the stock is a strong grower, and
that it is in strong growth at the moment, and that the surfaces won't be
allowed to dry.
The tecniques vary...but this is the basics. If cleverly done, the
"beheaded" cactus might offset....and the top that was cut off from the
stock can set roots and so on...

James, if you weren't scared off by all this, I'd like to say; Welcome to a
fascinating hobby!
Now I would find a local branch of the CSSA, the American Cactus and
Succulent Society, link on the cacti & succulent plant mall, and
join....they can help you out, and secondly, buy some books! There are
heaps of good ones, also written with the beginner in mind, but I can
recommend a few; Preston-Mafham's the Illustrated Dictionary is a must!
There is also Sajeva's Succulents' Dictionary.....and Brian Lamb is a very
good author....tell you what, take a peek in Amazon.com books on the 'mall,
type in cacti and then you can see what's available....

Ah, yes....Lophophora can sometimes be seen grafted, but as long as one
keeps in mind that it has a long taproot, it is very easy, actually it is
the easiest of the Lophophoras to grow...and mine flowers at least twice a
year, with a pale pink flower...in a deep pot!

Bye from Sweden where it is foggy and 0C and the cacti and succulents are
sleeping their beauty sleep! And the newly sown Euphorbia obesa have
germinated!!

Ingrid
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