Cacti grower n00b question

[Mitakuye Oyasin]

I have several SP cuttings that I have been trying to root for several months. The bottoms were all scabbed over. The soil they are in seems fine, its a nice mix for cactus with good drainage. I set them into dry soil in a shaded area where it is warm day and night, but not too hot and not direct sun. When they did not start forming roots when placed on top of the soil I tried burying them a bit in the soil, about a half an inch. Checked every few weeks and still no roots forming. Any advice? Should I try wetting the soil a bit and putting them back in it? Is has been about 2 months since I put them into soil and I'm getting concerned that as the temps drop they may no be encouraged to root as much as they would during warn weather.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[PrimalWisdom]

Hey there. You are going to need to buy some rooting powder/hormone. It't the easiest way to get them to root. Just dip the bottom in some water then dust with some of the rooting powder, and blow off any excess. Then plant the cacti in your pots about 2-3 inches in the soil. Give them water up to twice a week, just make sure it drains well but they need water to root well from my experience. This method has never failed me.
Good luck!

 

[Mitakuye Oyasin]

Thank you. Is there any difference between plant rooting powder/hormone and cactus rooting powder/hormone or are they one in the same? I'll give it a try.

 

[PrimalWisdom]

No worries dude.
Theres no real difference that I know of, the one I buy has 3 different types though – Hardwood, soft wood, and semi-hard wood. I just bought the semi-hard wood type as I was unsure and it works like a charm.

All you need to check for is Gibberellic acid as the active ingredient. - Gibberellic acid - Wikipedia
I know there are other types out there, but the stuff with gibberellic acid has never let me down.
Also it doesn’t hurt to ask someone at the nursery/plant store they are usually pretty keen to give advice.

 

[damon]

Hormones won't hurt I guess, but I've never needed them. To grow roots, it needs warmth and moisture, just not too much moisture. It sounds like they aren't getting enough sun. If it is dropping below 60F at night, they get moisture out of the air and roots grow slow if at all. When it is hot during the day, the stomata close so they don't dry out, so the only way to get moisture is through the roots. It helps to stress them to grow roots. Start them with a few hours of full sun each day. They might not look so good, but when they wrinkle they put more effort into root growth, looking for water. They will recover, they are hard to kill if you don't water too much. Hope this helps.

 

[Mitakuye Oyasin]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate your experiences as I am trying to understand my new friends and what they do and do not like and how they operate. I'd like to be a good caretaker for them. Peace.

 

[PrimalWisdom]

Hormones won't hurt I guess, but I've never needed them. To grow roots, it needs warmth and moisture, just not too much moisture. It sounds like they aren't getting enough sun. If it is dropping below 60F at night, they get moisture out of the air and roots grow slow if at all. When it is hot during the day, the stomata close so they don't dry out, so the only way to get moisture is through the roots. It helps to stress them to grow roots. Start them with a few hours of full sun each day. They might not look so good, but when they wrinkle they put more effort into root growth, looking for water. They will recover, they are hard to kill if you don't water too much. Hope this helps.

Yeah I tried the no hormone thing at first, but I also battled to get them to root and eventually gave up trying. that's when a friend suggested the hormones and I have never looked back.

If you manage to get them rooting without hormones that's the 1st choice. I'd try damon's advice and see if it helps, seems like good advice.

Good luck with your cacti dude. I wanna see some pics once they get going!