When I first started to collect cactus and began to understand a little about them, I found hybrids and mutants and grafted plants totally abhorrent. Probably many other enthusiasts of much longer standing have a greater intolerance.
However, a casual encounter with UV and IR imagery started me off on a journey of discovery. As I have recorded more plants and made revisits to some of my earlier images, I've realised that our much loved plants hold many secrets about their lives. Recently I was making my final preparations for a talk to the branch a few weeks ago and then again at Q&A time other little points (pun intended) emerged.
These three plants were purchased providing an opportunity to investigate further the way in which our plants interact with light.
If the IR images don't amuse, I hope the visible light ones will entertain.
False IR composite image
Visible light image
False IR composite image
Visible light image
False IR composite image
Visible light image
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
I've had this one for a few years, it lives with other variegates though doesn't seem to grow much. It has gone through the last few winters at 3C which isn't too bad as the usual problem with these plants is that they were grown in much warmer places, many are grown in Brazil, and the Hylocereus stock just doesn't normally like our cold winters. Quite a few don't survive whilst the stock is being rooted in Holland.
I was advised to keep them warm and dry since I've lost mihanovichii in the GH before. I've used the conservatory by permission because that tends to stay above 5C ish.
That's an interesting rib coloration.
I have a few now ... with pups. I'm hoping to practice my grafting skills ... but it'll probably be Echinopsis stock since I have many of these and have had some success previously with other pups.
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
They'll graft quite easily and grow better on Echinopsis though it has a bad habit of producing too many offsets on the stock, each areole seems to be able to only grow one offset so there is in theory, an eventual end to brushing off offsets. For grafting I'd recommend the extending Stanley knife with long blades that are meant to be snapped off. Use the whole blade fully extended. Avoid cheap copies where the blades go blunt after a few grafts.
Thanks for the advice.
Yes I'd learned from experience about the offsets on Echinopsis stock.
I've been using disposable craft knives and discarding them (safely) once they become blunt but I'll try the knife you suggest.
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
Personally I understand the necessity with slow-growing plants, plants with no chlorophyll, or in an emergency to save a rotting cactus, but aesthetically I'm not a fan. I have buried the grafting stock on my grafted slow-growing plants.
Whilst we're on the subject, when considering substrate for your grafted plant, should you consider the needs of the grafting stock or the scion? Or does it not make a difference?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BCSS #54601 (LEEDS BRANCH) youtube.com/@greatnorthernexotic / instagram.com/greatnorthernexotic In the greenhouse: ariocarpus, astrophytum, aztekium, copiapoa, lophophora... In the outdoor arid bed: hardy agave, aloe, dasylirion, hesperaloe, opuntia, yucca...
greatnorthernexotic wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2024 2:00 pm
Personally I understand the necessity with slow-growing plants, plants with no chlorophyll, or in an emergency to save a rotting cactus, but aesthetically I'm not a fan. I have buried the grafting stock on my grafted slow-growing plants.
Whilst we're on the subject, when considering substrate for your grafted plant, should you consider the needs of the grafting stock or the scion? Or does it not make a difference?
When you read ALL of the literature .... you get flooded with conflicting information. Regardless .... the scion will take charge if it's a fast grower ... and the stock could be "exhausted."
Endeavouring to grow Aylostera, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Matucana, Rebutia, and Sulcorebutia. Fallen out of love with Lithops and aggravated by Aeoniums.
Currently being wooed by Haworthia, attempting hybridisation, and enticed by Mesembs.
There's conflicting information all over the place when it comes to growing cacti and succulents. I'd water a grafted plant based on the stock used though the scion doesn't want to be 'pumped up' and bloated. If the scion is a fast grower then it probably doesn't want grafting in the first place. Grafting a Blossfeldia makes sense, grafting a Sulco Rauschii doesn't even though I saw hundreds of them recently.
