Do you want some of your favorite cacti to reproduce for more? So, you will be interested to know that there is more than one way and that they are easy to do yourself at home. Thus, there are different methods to reproduce cacti and other succulent plants. These methods are seeds, cuttings, suckers, plant division and grafting. However, some cacti cannot reproduce by seeds because they do not have flowers or because they are sterile and some of the other methods must be applied. In this article we will talk about how to reproduce cacti by cuttings and suckers , you will see that it is very simple.
How to reproduce cactus by cuttings the easy way
The reproduction of cacti by cuttings is a form of asexual reproduction (without the need for fertilization) of the plant. In this type of reproduction, a part of the plant, in this case the cutting, is detached either by the conditions or by the action of an animal (also the human being), it begins to generate roots and develop into a plant.
It is a much simpler and shorter reproduction than that made by seeds and consists of removing one of the arms or parts of the mother plant. This process must be carried out with some care so as not to damage the cuttings or the original plant. Once the cutting is extracted, the following steps are followed to reproduce cacti by cuttings :
- The first thing once the cutting is separated is to dry the cut. This is done by sprinkling ash on the wound or on a flat sheet containing sand. In addition, it should be placed in a place with low humidity and not exposed to sunlight. This process has a minimum duration of 5 days.
- When the wound is healed, the cutting can be placed on a moist substrate and with the scar down, thus promoting root growth. This growth process can be accelerated by the application of hormones, although it is not essential.
- Once the roots are formed, they can be planted in the pot by opening a hole 3 centimeters deep. The pot is prepared in the same way as if we were to sow seeds. The stem should be buried a bit, to help support the new cactus. You do not have to press the substrate, it is better to leave it loose so that the cactus develops well.
- Try to keep the substrate moist by using a fogger.
- Finally, it should be watered as if it were a normal cactus.
An alternative is to plant the cactus cuttings without the appearance of roots . In this case, it must be done with great care not to have the substrate too compact or waterlogged to prevent the development of fungi. It is advisable to add coal ash and crushed eggshells to the substrate, as it helps to provide nutrients and give health to our cacti.
There are leaf cuttings and stem cuttings . When it comes to making all kinds of cuttings, the best time is from spring to early summer . This is because at this time the plant regains its vitality and roots more easily. On the other hand, the mother cactus generates new shoots and continues to develop.
How to reproduce cactus by suckers
The suckers are small plants that are born from the base of the stem or on the sides of the mother plant. Like cuttings, reproducing a cactus by suckers is an asexual reproduction method.
An effective method of generating suckers in a plant is to try to tilt them almost horizontally. Many succulent plants produce very long stems when in a fully upright position and do not produce daughter plants. In this case, the horizontal arrangement of the plant favors the formation of suckers where previously there were leaves or long parts.
To extract the suckers of the cactus we will use sharp and disinfected instruments. The quality of the cut made is very important so that there is no damage to the tissues or future suckers. Once extracted, the suckers must be kept protected from water, pests and other factors for one or two weeks, to ensure that the wound area dries and heals properly. Once this is done, they can be planted in sandy and well-drained substrates.
During the first month, the irrigation will be more abundant, decreasing towards the adult stage. After a month the first roots should have developed. The best time to plant them is in spring and early summer , as this is when the new cactus is most likely to grip well.
Basic care for cactus cuttings and suckers
In addition to being able to reproduce the cacti in these two ways, now you have to learn how to take care of the new cacti. To do this, in Green Ecology we have prepared various articles on cacti and in this case we recommend these on basic cacti care , which are useful in general but especially when they are suckers or have come from cuttings.
