New growth from an unrooted cutting

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ianstrutt
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New growth from an unrooted cutting

Post by ianstrutt »

Hi all, I’ve had this maihueniopsis cutting for the last year or more and it has stubbornly refused to root at all in that time. It had even been moved on to my lost causes/dead shelf. I had a quick look at it today and it’s producing new growth!

What’s my best bet here for producing a happier, rooted plant?
A0896830-72E8-4EB0-A565-FBCE94870C79.jpeg
Growing in Nottingham for the past 4 years and recently found my way to a Nottingham branch meeting. A few plants on a windowsill has very quickly turned into a greenhouse full!

Attempting to grow a range of caudiciforms, tylecodon, euphorbia, coryphantha and turbinicarpus along with anything else that takes my fancy. I avoided mesembs for a long time but conophytums have recently broken my resolve.
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RAYWOODBRIDGE
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Re: New growth from an unrooted cutting

Post by RAYWOODBRIDGE »

Always half bury a segment, the bottom areoles will send roots down and the top areoles will sprout out new segments.
Thats why it is always better with a 2 segment cutting, one roots down while the other takes care of the energy needs.
Just put the end opposite the shoot into the compost a little and it will be fine.
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ianstrutt
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Re: New growth from an unrooted cutting

Post by ianstrutt »

RAYWOODBRIDGE wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:36 pm Always half bury a segment, the bottom areoles will send roots down and the top areoles will sprout out new segments.
Thats why it is always better with a 2 segment cutting, one roots down while the other takes care of the energy needs.
Just put the end opposite the shoot into the compost a little and it will be fine.
This does make it look like I've just chucked it on top of some potting mix doesn't it? I promise it was half buried until very recently!

I'll repot it properly and forget about it until next year - who knows what will happen? :lol:
Growing in Nottingham for the past 4 years and recently found my way to a Nottingham branch meeting. A few plants on a windowsill has very quickly turned into a greenhouse full!

Attempting to grow a range of caudiciforms, tylecodon, euphorbia, coryphantha and turbinicarpus along with anything else that takes my fancy. I avoided mesembs for a long time but conophytums have recently broken my resolve.
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Tony R
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Re: New growth from an unrooted cutting

Post by Tony R »

Single segments are fine too in many cases - it just takes time. Often, all the energy goes into producing just one strong taproot, as Ray says, and then the following spring new growth erupts.

This started out as one tiny segment almost buried about 18 months ago:

Img_1922 crop.jpg
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Re: New growth from an unrooted cutting

Post by RAYWOODBRIDGE »

That bottom segment has turned into a tuber Tony. :wink:
I remember when I started taking cuttings being told always plant them deep, it will always need roots to survive.
Ray

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