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night_walker
Stranger
Registered: 09/08/20
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Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
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Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established
#26934478 - 09/14/20 03:35 AM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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Hello everyone,
So I have a question about getting a San Pedro cutting established. My friend got me some cuttings a few weeks ago and planted one in a pot for me so I could continue to grow it. Now, it seems that he watered it at the time he set it up in the pot shortly before handing it off to me, but I've since read that you shouldn't water the cutting when you plant it because the cactus can't actually take in water until it has roots and you want to keep the soil dry in the beginning in order to stress the cutting into seeking out water by growing roots.... Then it's established and you can give it water. I really don't blame my friend for watering it when he planted it; I'm sure I would have done the same thing. To my inexperienced mind, it seems instinctual to water something right after you plant it, but since this seems like it might have been the wrong approach to take in this case, I'm wondering what you guys think I should do to make sure this thing is on the right track. Basically, I just want to make sure that it roots properly, but also I'm hoping that rot doesn't become a problem considering that it's been sitting in damp soil for a while.... Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this.
Thanks!
~night_walker~
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The Thing
ТнغТнརиو


Registered: 03/01/18
Posts: 1,539
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: night_walker]
#26934533 - 09/14/20 04:52 AM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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If it were me, i would pull it out and have a look at it. It might pay to slice off the bottom again and start over. Let the surface calous for a week or two. Personally i would use 100% sand for this phase. Keep in shade and dont top water it, rather, put the pot on a plate and water the plate a tiny bit, you want the lower section of you sand to have moisture, and yet keep the top half of the sand in the pot dry, ( i think they can tell if there's moisture and go hunting for it) and then have a look for any new roots by gently pulling it out every few weeks or when you notice the ribs have shrunken. May take longer than you'd think..
Also if you can keep any rain off it also during this time.
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El Torcho
Time for tea?


Registered: 04/16/15
Posts: 1,365
Loc: Lone Pine Hill
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: The Thing]
#26934906 - 09/14/20 10:15 AM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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I would pull it out and check to make sure it's not squishy on the callous. If it isn't, stick it back in the hole, repack soil around it, and wait until it roots.
I water my cuts as soon as I pot them. It's more of noob advice to not water them. Along the lines of "too much water causes cracking" kind of parroted nonsense.
Granted, I don't soak the soil, but none the less.
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"Well it sounds trivial, but the key insight is . . . . . you don't know shit" ~Dennis McKenna "There is more to human existence and to reality itself than science can ever give us access to." ~His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama
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DancingWolf
FluffButt


Registered: 08/31/19
Posts: 797
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: El Torcho]
#26934946 - 09/14/20 10:36 AM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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Some water with the notion that the water will help stimulate root growth but I can neither confirm, nor deny that this works. I use my regular potting mix to root with, but it's usually bone dry, or lightly damp and the cutting is loaded up in sulfur. The plant is put in a dry place with partial sun so it can finish drying out while rooting and usually roots form in a few weeks if it's growing season.
Main roots seem to seek deeper in dry soil but ultimately it doesn't matter much. I wouldn't pull the cutting right out of the pot if it has been rooting for a while, without first tugging on it to see if it has any roots. If it doesn't want to slide out easily then it may have some young roots that may break off from pulling it out which will result in an infection risk.
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Grey Fox

Registered: 01/22/15
Posts: 2,652
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: DancingWolf]
#26935242 - 09/14/20 01:41 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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I recently had 2 cuttings get attacked by rot below the soil after being planted. They both had good calluses. Its rare for this to happen for me, but on occasion it does.
I waited a few weeks after planting to start watering them lightly. Wish I had waited a few more. They just werent ready for the moisture yet. Sometimes you can get away with watering them early to encourage rooting. But sometimes it ends up as rot. Better to be safe than sorry and be conservative about when to start watering IMO.
For what its worth, the spot where those cuttings were planted has some clay in the soil, and that may have been part of the problem.
-------------------- IT WAS ALL A DREAM
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Zifozonke
Stranger


Registered: 03/24/19
Posts: 1,258
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: Grey Fox]
#26935267 - 09/14/20 01:59 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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I like the way these plants divide into "cuttings" in nature Limb will grow tall Break off from weight//wind Lie on ground and slowly develop roots along points that are in contact with soil Once new roots are formed new pups/shoots will be pushed out and growth will be strong Easy peasy no??
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El Torcho
Time for tea?


Registered: 04/16/15
Posts: 1,365
Loc: Lone Pine Hill
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: Zifozonke]
#26935750 - 09/14/20 06:48 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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I've never lost a cutting yet. I have, at last count, 35+ cultivars.
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"Well it sounds trivial, but the key insight is . . . . . you don't know shit" ~Dennis McKenna "There is more to human existence and to reality itself than science can ever give us access to." ~His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama
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lost87
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Registered: 05/12/15
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Last seen: 1 year, 5 months
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: El Torcho]
#26935846 - 09/14/20 08:01 PM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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It needs to be calloused when you stick it in the dirt. If not It could cause rot. Let it root in the shade,until it has a an established root system It won’t grow.
Edited by lost87 (09/14/20 08:02 PM)
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night_walker
Stranger
Registered: 09/08/20
Posts: 4
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
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Re: Questions about getting a San Pedro cutting established [Re: lost87]
#26936386 - 09/15/20 05:14 AM (3 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks everyone for your great insight and suggestions. I checked it out today and gave it some gentle tugs; it actually seems like it may have roots already.... It wasn't sliding out and the ground around it moved a little with each tug. So maybe I have nothin' to worry about? The soil seems pretty dry at this point. I guess I'll just leave it in there and let it do it's thing. I was just concerned because I've never done this before and was hoping we didn't screw it up, haha. But it sounds like there is more than one way to do this and some water at the time of planting isn't a death sentence.
So with my main questions pretty much answered, there's another relatively minor thing I'm curious about. On the top, there is a discoloration I noticed: darker green, sort of more translucent looking. Is this just new growth?
It's really nice to have this community of people who are experienced with this stuff that I can bounce questions off of and receive this guidance. I appreciate it!
~night_walker~
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