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bob5

Registered: 03/01/09
Posts: 1,391
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How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting?
#27132399 - 01/07/21 08:23 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Hi,
Straight columnar cuts are simple. place the callous on top of the soil and use gravel or elastic to keep it in contact with the soil so that it roots. But what do you do when you have an L shaped cut? such as these:

I'm assuming you don't plant them at an angle like this :

Problem is the cut won't be horizontal to the ground... so I'm considering re-cutting it higher up to get a horizontal cut. Bad idea/?

So my proposed cut will be like this yellow line:

What do you reckon? I'm not sure what the best idea is here. I feel I could make a better cut. These cuts don't leave much room for roots is one concern as well as being wonky - not allowing for the callous to be in contact with the soil without having to burrow the cacti green skin into the earth (which I've been advised is a bad idea as it will lead to rot when wet)
Thanks for any tips.
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Primal Matter
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Registered: 10/27/19
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: bob5]
#27132454 - 01/07/21 08:53 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Personally, I would cut it in half vertically and once callused plant it as two logs to grow pups. Might not be something you want though.
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bob5

Registered: 03/01/09
Posts: 1,391
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: Primal Matter]
#27132482 - 01/07/21 09:14 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Never thought of doing that actually. Interesting idea. So I could attach 10+ seedlings to it's aeroles?
Only thing is I'm not sure how fast a grower that large cutting is. I bought it. So I'm not sure if it'd make good rootstock.
So there's no problem with re-cutting a cutting?
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DancingWolf
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Registered: 08/31/19
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: bob5] 1
#27132485 - 01/07/21 09:17 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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I didn't know there were special ways of planting slightly bent cuttings; only extreme bends or etiolated tips, which would be trimmed. The most oddball cuttings I have planted in the past were some lopsided Myrtillo cuttings and I just stacked some fire wood against the base; although that plant is much more tolerant to abuse than most other cactus. The plants will eventually fan out like a tree and balance themselves.
I would plant them as regular tip cuttings, stake them upright until they can stand on their own. They should develop root systems and grow to keep their gravity centered. There shouldn't be any rotting if the dirt is bone dry and you give it plenty of time to develop it's roots. Maybe this is the incorrect, or less standard way, but I haven't noticed any detriment.
You can always cut the bent portion off the bottom and use it as propagation log; just leave as much as you can on the main tip cutting if you go this route. Don't try to make two even cuttings, going under 8" on a tip cutting slows down it's growth and development too much on tips. Logs are a different matter since you are setting the plant up to grow a new tip that is relative to the resources the log has.
Make sure the cuttings are well calloused, dried, and in very dry dirt before planting if you cut them.
There is no wrong way to go about it, just don't rush.
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bob5

Registered: 03/01/09
Posts: 1,391
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: DancingWolf]
#27132507 - 01/07/21 09:33 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Thanks, great advise. I think I will chop the bent bit off as you suggest for root stock / log. I would prefer not to have them precariously balanced (I have a small 2 bed flat and am pretty clumsy) How big would you leave a log, so that it has enough resources to grow a decent sized tip?
I planted my current 2x bridgedsii cuttings last spring - but I watered the soil/gravel quite a bit before planting the cuttings, they did fine. I thought this was what I was supposed to do as; the cuttings needed water in the soil before it started sending out roots?
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DancingWolf
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: bob5]
#27132517 - 01/07/21 09:38 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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I can't say. I haven't tried logs under 10".
I have seen some members use logs of 4-6" when it is a thick plant and they typically do fine.
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bob5

Registered: 03/01/09
Posts: 1,391
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: DancingWolf]
#27132571 - 01/07/21 10:06 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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I think I'll go with a log and a tip for each L shaped cutting. I've never created a cutting nor grafted so I think I should try and keep it as simple as possible this time round. In future I really want to look into grafting.
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Primal Matter
Student of Institutions



Registered: 10/27/19
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Loc: Brisbane
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: bob5]
#27134607 - 01/08/21 07:10 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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For example
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Grey Fox

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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: Primal Matter] 1
#27137032 - 01/09/21 08:18 AM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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You could do it a few different ways. I would plant them at this soil level. And just make sure the part above the soil line is straight up and down and vertical.
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El Torcho
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Registered: 04/16/15
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Re: How to plant an 'L shaped' cutting? [Re: Grey Fox]
#27138041 - 01/09/21 04:39 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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I would either plant them a bit under the soil, not as much as you have marked, or cut in half and have two of each cutting. One could be planted straight and the lower halves made to be pup mother's. I would trim the tip if you keep them whole, to encourage basal pups. The hormones responsible for pupping will collect and should give you a basal pup or two soon. This also prevents etoliation as the roots form. Pups will form soon after rooting begins at the tip.

I've also found that pup bases root faster than cut tips.
Edited by El Torcho (01/09/21 04:55 PM)
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