If you like cacti and you have several, Surely you have wondered more than once how to reproduce a cactus. Maybe you even did it unknowingly and it worked for you. But, what if we help you know this information to make the most of it?
Below we give you the keys you need to know about how a cactus propagates, starting from the ways you should do it, how to deepen each of them. Go for it?
Ways to breed a cactus
The first thing to know about reproducing a cactus is that there is not just one way to do it. In fact, there are several. Also, you should keep in mind that you won’t always have all the shapes available in all types of cacti. Some will only allow you one method, and others several.
In general, these are the ones that exist:
- Seeds: This is the most common way to reproduce cacti. Seeds can be purchased at specialty stores or you can collect them from a mature cactus. To sow the seeds, you must first prepare a well-drained potting soil and plant the seeds in a shallow pot. After planting, be sure to keep the soil moist and place the pot in a spot with good indirect sunlight.
- Cuttings: These are pieces of cactus that are cut from the parent plant and left to dry for a few days to cure. Once the cuttings are ready, they can be planted in well-drained potting soil and watered sparingly for the first few weeks. Over time, the cuttings will form roots and begin to grow until they have a plant similar to the parent plant from which they came.
- Young: The suckers are small plants that grow around the base of the mother cactus. To reproduce a cactus by suckers, simply carefully separate them from the parent plant and plant them in their own pot with well-drained soil. Of course it is recommended that when you do this they are mature enough for this because sometimes if you do this too early the only thing you will get is that they don’t outlive you.
- Registry: This is an advanced cactus propagation technique in which a piece of a desired cactus is taken and attached to the top of another cactus. This method is often used to produce hybrid varieties of cacti.
How to reproduce a cactus by seeds
Afterwards We will delve a little deeper into each of the modes of reproduction of a cactus. And the first one we have is through seeds.
As we told you before, seeds can be obtained from cacti that you have that have bloomed for you, since the seeds will be there. But if you don’t have one, you can always buy it in specialized stores.
Now you will need a pot and well-drained soil to sow the seeds. A good mix can include coarse sand, perlite and cactus soil in equal parts.. Fill a shallow pot with the potting soil, leaving a few inches at the top so you can water without spilling.
Then sprinkle the seeds over the surface of the soil, being careful not to pack them too close together. Keep in mind that if you sprout a lot, you may have to sacrifice some seedlings or transplant them (and so young they may not survive). SO, cover them lightly with a thin layer of sand or soil.
Water the seeds thoroughly. It is better to spray the water because this way the earth will not move but will remain moist. This is just the point you want to have in the soil for them to start sprouting.
Finally, place the pot in a place with good indirect sunlight and a constant temperature. Most cactus seeds germinate best at temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.
After a few weeks or even months, depending on the cactus species, seedlings will begin to appear. Once they are large enough, you can transplant them into individual pots with the same potting soil and care for them as you would any other young cactus.
Of course, cacti tend to grow slowly, which means getting it from seed is quite slow. You will have to arm yourself with patience to see the results. But it is also true that these specimens are very fond of the fact that you have seen them grow since they were no more than a seed.
How to reproduce a cactus by cuttings
Propagating a cactus by cuttings is an effective way to create a new plant from one section of another. But to do this, you need to follow a series of steps that will help you succeed. These are:
- Choose a healthy section of cactus to cut. The most mature and resistant sections tend to be the best options. Of course, make sure it has at least a few knots, which are the round bumps that indicate where the roots will grow.
- Use a sharp, sterilized knife to cut. The cut should be clean and straight, leaving no frayed or torn pieces. Leave the cutting outside for a few days so that a hard, dry layer forms on the surface. This way you will prevent it from rotting or not moving forward.
- Eventually you just have to plant it and wait for it to show signs of growth. At first the cut will be limited to creating roots and only when it is well established will you see any “movement” in the body of the cactus.
Reproduction by suckers
In case you want to propagate the cactus by shoots, the first thing you need is for your cactus to generate them. It is a natural procedure and only if you provide proper care will you get this going forward.
By the time you see little plants sprouting from the base of the cactus, you already have pups. We recommend that you let them grow until they are of a suitable size to separate them with a knife and plant them in a pot with well-drained soil (coarse sand, perlite and cactus soil).
If all goes well, after a few weeks or months, new leaves and roots will begin to grow on the pup. And you will have a plant like where you got it from.
Cactus grafts: a method of cactus propagation
Propagating a cactus by grafting is an advanced technique that can be a little more difficult than other forms of propagation, but can be very effective. It is not recommended for beginners or beginners. Nor to those with average knowledge, because it is a system that, if not done well, will not succeed.
Even so, if you want to try the steps are as follows:
- Choose a cactus of a different type than the one you want to graft. This is called the “pattern” or “rootstock” and will be the base of your grafted plant.
- Now you will need to choose a section of the plant that you want to graft. This section is called “the variety” or “the graft”. If possible, try to give them the same diameter (or a similar diameter).
- With a sharp knife, you need to cut both cacti, then join the graft to the pattern section. Use plant tape to secure them so they don’t move.
- Then leave the plant in a warm, dry place for a few weeks until the scion and rootstock have fused together. During this time, the plant should be in a place where it does not receive direct sunlight and you should not water it. After a few weeks, remove the tape and make sure that the graft and the design have fused well. If all went well, the grafted plant will start to grow and you can transplant it into a larger pot with the right mix of cactus soil.
Do you now dare to multiply a cactus?