How to Propagate a Cactus? A Detailed Guide to Sowing Methods

Cacti (ball cacti) like sunlight and tolerate drought, making them very easy to grow. For gardening beginners, planting a pot of cactus is the first choice. Many people do not know how it reproduces. So what propagation methods do cacti have? How do you sow cactus seeds correctly? Next, the editor will explain them one by one for everyone.

Cactus Propagation Methods

1. Sowing

Golden barrels (Echinocactus grusonii), Ferocactus, Notocactus, and Astrophytum myriostigma, among others, rarely produce offsets even after growing for many years for division propagation, so they can only be sown. Sow in June. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water for 3 days, then sow them into very finely crushed brick pieces; the sowing depth should be such that the seeds are not visible, and keep a seed spacing of 2 cm. After sowing, water by the bottom-soaking method, cover the top with white paper and glass, maintain a room temperature of about 25°C, and seedlings can emerge gradually after 30 days.

2. Grafting

When grafting, first cut the top of the rootstock flat, then cut a portion of the flesh and skin around the three-ribbed sword cactus or grass ball downward at a 30-degree angle. The purpose of doing this is that after grafting, the fleshy, sappy stem flesh on the cut top surface of the rootstock will shrink downward due to water evaporation, but the leathery outer skin around it will not shrink. When the scion sinks down as the rootstock stem flesh shrinks, the hard skin around the rootstock will push the scion off and cause it to die.

How to Sow Cacti

1. Sowing Time

The sowing time for cacti is best chosen in May-June or September-October, and the room temperature is best kept at 20-30°C.

2. Sowing Temperature

After winter arrives, the room temperature for cacti must not be lower than 15°C, otherwise the young balls will become frostbitten and gradually rot.

3. Sowing Method

Step 1: Prepare the soil. It can be perlite, vermiculite, fine soil, rice husk charcoal, or akadama soil. (All are the smallest-sized soil particles, but it is best that no powder is present.) The pot must be new, and so must the soil. This is because old pots and soil more or less contain bacteria and such.

Step 2: Pour the mixed soil into a small black square pot, filling it up to the pot's limit line, because there will still be a top-dressing layer afterward.

Step 3: Sterilize the soil. This is also a crucial step. If this step is not done well, the germination rate will be terrible.

Step 4: Write a label. This way, you can remember when you sowed and what you sowed.

Step 5: When is the soil considered sterilized? When you see the surface soil begin to become moist, you can place the seeds (when sowing cacti, there is no need to cover with soil).

Step 6: Seal them in a ziplock bag. Wait for germination. Normally, cactus seedlings can be seen emerging in 3-4 days.

Methods to Encourage Cacti to Bloom

1. Light and Temperature: Cacti require ample sunlight. If a cactus is often kept indoors for a long time and lacks sunlight, it will not bloom. Cacti need to live in relatively warm environmental conditions; if the ambient temperature cannot reach above 20°C, they will not bloom.

2. Watering: Cacti like a dry living environment, so never water too much, and do not let the potting soil become too wet; rather, it should be better dry than wet. Especially during the dormant periods in winter and summer, watering should be even more restrained.

3. Fertilizing: Although cacti tolerate poor soil and drought, they are not easy to bloom under conditions of both drought and lack of fertilizer. Therefore, during cultivation, appropriate water and fertilizer should be given. During the growing season, apply a dilute, fully decomposed cake fertilizer once every 10 days to half a month. Fertilizing should also not be excessive, as excess will also lead to failure to bloom.

4. Microenvironment: Pay attention to creating a local environment with suitable temperature and high humidity for the cactus, such as making a closed shelter with plastic film on a windowsill and placing the cactus inside for care. This not only makes it grow faster, but also gives it brighter colors and makes it easier to bloom.

How to Handle Cactus Offsets

1. Removing the offsets. When the offsets have grown large enough, you can take them off. You can directly twist them off by hand or use a tool to remove them. It would be too much of a pity to just throw away the removed offsets; you can put them in a cool, ventilated place to dry, and after drying they can be used for propagation. This is offset cutting propagation of cacti.

2. Cutting. When cutting the offsets, you need to choose suitable soil so they can root well. For the growing pot, you can choose a small flowerpot with a diameter of 4——5 cm; it does not need to be too deep, a shallow pot is fine. Place the prepared soil in the flowerpot, spray the soil with water to moisten it, and then neatly place the removed and dried offsets on the surface of the soil.

3. Rooting. During the period when the offsets are rooting, do a good job of daily management. When the potting soil is dry, you need to water, but do not water too much, because the flowerpot is too shallow, so it is best not to let water accumulate. Generally, the offsets will root after about half a month of cultivation, and the roots will be relatively strong.

The above is a general introduction to cactus propagation methods, hoping to help friends in need. Cactus propagation is mostly carried out by sowing and cutting, and the care process is also very easy. Flower lovers who like them should hurry up and grow them!