A tip on growing cuttings

Hey all I have a tip worth sharing about growing cacti cuttings.

I fill the bottom 50-60% of the container with straight, very coarse, broken terracotta and the top half with any good cacti mix. The result of this is extensive and rampant root formation. It seems that the roots love all the free space and quickly fill it. You'd probably think it would be a bit too dry for them, but once you see the way the cacti roots go bezerk down there you'll be hooked! So far I've applied this to Trichos, Hylos, Epiphyllums and Cereus etc, all with fantastic results. Also I usually just place the cutting on top of the mix and top dress with some gravel to hold it upright.

Nice tip. I'll have to give it a go. I find that heat is often the deciding factor - this is often an issue when striking cutting down here in the (relatively chilly) south. Good, free-draining mix plus an external heat source (such as a heat mat) seems to aid in root formation for me. I can't get anything to root in winter otherwise...

Terracotta 'crocks' just seem to have a magic property. I think it's a combination of the moisture holding properties of the teracotta and the flattened shape of the pieces. Give it a go and see for yourself.

(Also the excellent drainage of course)

Hey CaciHunter,

like your view about the terracotta pieces. What's your view about the pot to get them going in? Terracotta too, or use a plastic one?

My plastic ones hold the water better, but that's not a good thing at times.

cheers,
Calycium

I pretty much always use terracotta pots as I hate the look of plastic. The roots seem to like it and they are not that expensive.

Here is a quote I like and agree with from the ARIOCARPUS LIVING ROCKS OF MEXICO website:

http://www.living-rocks.com/adult.htm

Quote :

Apart from their lower cost and weight, plastic pots are preferred to clay because hair roots do not stick to the sides and the pots expand to some degree to accommodate a developing root structure and are 'warmer' If the plant is healthy and there are no signs of pests or disease, 'potting on' with as little disturbance of the soil ball - boot structure as possible, is much preferred to removal of all the soil. Simply remove the plant from the old pot - this may entail cutting the pot off carefully for the above root size reason something you can't do with a clay pot without smashing it!,

This obviously refers to Ariocarpus sp., there are some good points raised though. In the end I think it comes down to a matter of preference from grower to grower.

Yeah probably not much in it. I find the terracotta pots easy to dislodge a cacti from because the walls of the pot are not as vertical as a plastic pot. Sometimes just needs a good screwdriver down the central drainage hole and it'll virtually jump out of the pot lol.