Dip crab claw cactus cuttings in its sap for faster rooting and firm, green crab-claw leaves

Crab claw cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is a potted plant with thick fleshy leaves and bright flowers that blooms in autumn and winter. It is usually propagated mainly by cuttings, and autumn is exactly the right season for taking crab claw cactus cuttings. But what troubles many gardening enthusiasts is that crab claw cactus cuttings are hard to root and most prone to black rot. Today I am sharing a little trick that lets you easily root a pot of crab claw cactus cuttings.

So what exactly is the sap to use?

(1)

Soak in willow sap, and crab claw cactus cuttings will root as soon as they are planted

Why does soaking crab claw cactus leaves in water steeped from willow branches make them root faster?

I believe gardening enthusiasts all know that willow is a plant that is especially easy to keep alive; it roots and sprouts very readily, and you can just cut a branch at random and stick it in soil and it will live. Later, scientific research showed that this is mainly because willow sap contains a substance called salicylic acid, which can promote extremely fast rooting and sprouting in plants. Willow sap also contains a small amount of aspirin, which has a preservative effect. So after soaking in willow sap, crab claw cactus leaves are more likely to root after cuttings and will not develop black rot.

So how do you extract the sap from willow branches?

We only need to cut a few current-year willow branches, remove the leaves, crush the bark, and cut them into sections, then soak them in clean water. After 3-4 days, you can use the water to soak the crab claw cactus.

If you want to grow a pot of strong crab claw cactus that loves to bloom, we need to cut healthy crab claw cactus leaves from a well-growing crab claw cactus plant, then soak the leaves in the water steeped from willow branches. After soaking for 10 hours, plant them directly into the soil.

Keep the potting soil moist and place it in a cool, ventilated spot for care. It will root in about 10 days. After rooting, we should gradually let it see sunlight, and also spray and water it with the willow branch soaking water. It will soon grow new leaves, green and firm, just like a crab's "crab claws."

(2)

If you want crab claw cactus to grow fast, nutrition must keep up

After the crab claw cactus has rooted and grown new leaves, if you want it to grow fast, you have to give it plenty of nutrients. We can apply some nitrogen fertilizer, such as fermented rice-washing water or soybean water, and good results can be achieved. But if gardening enthusiasts find it troublesome and do not want to make their own flower fertilizer, then we can also buy special crab claw cactus nutrient solution from a flower shop. However, no matter what kind of fertilizer is used, it needs plenty of nutrients. This point is very important!

(3)

Grow crab claw cactus this way, and it will soon be covered in flowers

If you want crab claw cactus to grow fast, besides sufficient nutrients, we also need to give it plenty of light, no less than 8 hours of light a day. Except when shading is needed during high summer temperatures, at other times it should be placed in a sunny spot for care. When the flowering period arrives, it needs more phosphorus fertilizer, and it must not be overwatered; just keep the potting soil moist, and you can often spray water on the leaves.

If you want crab claw cactus to bloom early, while applying sufficient phosphorus fertilizer, we can give it only 8 hours of light a day and let it stay in a dark environment the rest of the time. With about 20 days of this care, you will see crab claw cactus covered in flower buds. After it blooms, keeping it in a slightly cooler place can extend its flowering period.