I graft cactus for the first time (it's a hot mess) | Updates & results included!

[@CactusCaffeine]

Congratulations on the success of your new grafts. I too have learned the importance of grafting on certain situations. This video reminded me that I have not done any dedicated video giving an update on my grafts. Maybe one of these days. I’ve learned a few more lessons since then, specifically on which root stocks does better and which ones don’t last. Yes, getting pricked is part of grafting. 😅

[@cookiescacti]

I can't wait to watch your update video and root stock recommendations! I learned a lot from watching your videos over all these years

[@Terminatedsplants-cg4uf]

Cactus caffeine was just watching your video before this one

[@Terminatedsplants-cg4uf]

Cactus caffeine was just watching your video before this one

[@zeahlessley6108]

Congrats on the first try! If it helps, I try to like up the center of my scion with the edge of the vascular bundle circle of the root stock so it will look like the Olympic rings 😋 I grafted some lophs this spring and it's WILD to see how much faster the grafted ones have grown. The ones from the same batch are maybe 1.25 inches across and the grafted ones are nearly twice as large in any dimension. My little Copiapoa seedlings on Pereskiopsis also have just started blowing up, and it's cool to see them zoom past their non-grafted counterparts

[@cookiescacti]

That's so cool! It really is amazing to watch when it's your own plant. I struggle getting the rings to align when the scion is comparable in size to the root stock. Any good tips for that? Maybe the answer is to pick a root stock that is a certain size larger than the scion?

[@zeahlessley6108]

@@cookiescacti I think the goal is to make sure they overlap rather than completely line up, so I intentionally offset them so that the center of the scion is over the edge of the ring on the root stock. The more room you have on the root stock is probably better in that situation, but as long as the rings overlap, it should be fine.

[@mrspeachi4378]

Omg this came up at just the right time for me! I was just thinking about dipping my toes into grafting. You inspired me to start my own seedlings, and I was wondering if I should give grafting some of them a try but I’m nervous!

[@cookiescacti]

Wow! That is so cool! I've been putting grafting off for a long time. I guess we'll do what needs to be done when we need it. When the time comes, the desire to graft will outshine the nerves. Happy growing and let me know how it goes!

[@az.cactusjunkie]

Nice! I did my first grafts not long ago as well but i went the micro grafting route and used pereskiopsis as the root stock. Lost a few copiapoa columna alba but the rest took and are doing great. Always water the root stock and allow it to plump up first then do the grafting when its nice and full, if u dont and then water after, there is a chamce it will pop the seedling off with the build up of pressure. Cheers! And have fun with it. 🌵🌵🌵

[@cookiescacti]

Is micrografting when the scion is super small? Where did you find the pereskiopsis? Any chance home depot ever carries it? 😂

[@az.cactusjunkie]

😂 i wish Home depot sold it. I got some plants off etsy. There arent a ton of options on there but it did the job and now im just trying to porpogat what i have left so i can continue with my own supply form there.

[@cookiescacti]

@@az.cactusjunkie so cool, I wish I could see what you've got going! Instagram Angel! Instagram!!!

[@ChopsticksGarden-QuangNgo]

This is really cool - good job, Jenny.

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you so much! So far, about a dozen grafts have survived! Super fun and fascinating.

[@maribootz2534]

What a cool video! Very interesting! 👍👍👍. Thanks!

[@cookiescacti]

So glad you enjoyed this one!

[@Northerncacti2021]

Very cool. Thank you for sharing your first time. We all go through this if your seriously in the hobby. My first graft were two lophs and they died. I’ve gotten better since then

[@cookiescacti]

That gives me hope lol on the practice front. It's interesting the further we go into this hobby the types of skills we naturally pick up with the process, whether we want to or not

[@nathanielvargas3863]

I used the same type of Trichocereus from HD to graft one of my Lophophora. It was my first time grafting and luckily it took. This was a little over a month ago.

[@cookiescacti]

Cool! Is the Loph growth taking off?

[@nathanielvargas3863]

⁠@@cookiescactiyes, it is. I started noticing new growth a few days ago. It was very stressful because it is a “dichot” so securing it to the root stock wasn’t easy. I grafted two 2.5 month old Asterias to Pereskiopsis about a week and a half ago. It looks like the grafts took. Those were a hundred times more stressful because of their small size.

[@cookiescacti]

@@nathanielvargas3863 wow! Do you have to use a magnifying glass to see it clearly? It's like fine surgery

[@nathanielvargas3863]

@@cookiescacti I probably should have used a magnifying glass lol. I chose the two biggest seedlings out of a group that’s supposed to be Kikko.

[@jdamqueen]

Wow, this is great! I mainly have been growing trichocereus but I didn’t know I can use the rootstock for other species.

[@cookiescacti]

It's super interesting, right? I'm still figuring out all this stuff. I've heard some root stock pairs better with certain plants but I don't know which!

[@HyrimBot]

the spanish speaking channels said to use Echinocactus grusonii as root stock. they take all the spines off of the sides first and let those cuts heal before grafting onto them. the OUCH COUNTER is funny though!! use a razor blade to get cleaner cuts for better surface contact. Exacto types with handle are nice. Harrisia are also supposed to be a really good root stock but I had to start some of those from seed because can't find them at big box stores. my first grafts were onto Hylocereus root stock because i have plenty of that laying around not producing fruit though. good work!!!!

[@cookiescacti]

Have you tried myrtillocactus before? Are they any good? I bought a bunch of small ones hoping for less pain 😂 You know what? I just realized I have some very sharp knives from my previous hobby - leather craft... hmmm....

[@HyrimBot]

i have not :)

[@DFJA01]

Great video, and this is so reminiscent of my first attempt at grafting back in February - I did 3 Lophophora Williamsii seedlings on Myrtillcactus, and all 3 failed. But I also had some Pereskiopsis Spathulata rooting, so in April I attempted a few more when they were large enough. I think it's fair to say that I've had good success with columnar scions - Trichocereus Taquimbalensis, Pachycereus Pringleii and a number of other Trichocereus hybrids have done well. My globular cacti have been almost a universal failure on Pereskiopsis - Lophophoras, Astrophytum Asterias and Myriostigma. I have an Asterias which has been static for months all summer - not shrivelling, not dying. But I do have a Myriostigma on Myrtillocactus which has done very well, and a Melocactus Matanzanas on Myrtillocactus which looks like it's taking off. The thing is - for me, Pereskiopsis grows like a weed and I have tonnes of it. The Myrtillocactus seems a great root stock but is quite slow growing, probably similar to Trichocereus. So I've planted some Myrtillocactus seeds which hopefully will be big enough for root stock by 2025/6. Grafting really is addictive!

[@cookiescacti]

It is addictive! Do you know if anyone has ever shared information on pairing scion with graft stock? I'm sure there are some really good matches and some bad matches but I just have no idea without trial and error-ing myself. I've heard a lot of good stuff about Pereskiopsis as stock but I've never tried it myself.

[@DFJA01]

@cookiescacti I've not found any good information about compatibility, other than choosing a stock of the appropriate diameter. I have loads of tiny seedlings, so Pere seemed appropriate. But people say if you want a long term stock, Trichocereus or Myrtillocactus are better. I've only been growing for a year, so I'm still really a novice.

[@cookiescacti]

I guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves which pairings work the best. At this point I'm just happy when the scion takes!

[@christinakara278]

i think you did great!i ve been tryin once, yellow peanut and variegated gymno. . . in the middle of winter, , ,they were too far gone, so glad poor tricho is still alive and branching out, , ,every stock seems better than dragonfruit imho 🍀

[@cookiescacti]

Those tough-as-rocks root stocks are the best! Even when the scion fails the root stock continues going strong. All hail the root stock!

[@NikNiquete]

I would have repotted graft stock to your preferred soil like any other newly acquired cactus. The better, faster and healthier the stock grows so will the graft. Love the channel

[@cookiescacti]

Absolutely! It's what I'm doing going forward. This video was literally an unplanned recording of a quick unprepared seedling rescue 😂 I have since repotted the grafts into cactus soil.

[@WillMacDonagh]

Very cool! I think I’d be too scared to try it myself and cut the top off, but the ones that made it look great, and it reminds me how tough these plants are. I agree with you on letting the root stock keep its pups- feels like a good way of saying sorry to it for chopping the top off 😂

[@cookiescacti]

You can do it! The nerves melt away for the sake of rescuing a plant. We must honor the root stock for their noble sacrifice!

[@lorirober2536]

Thanks for sharing this grafting experiment. Very informative and interesting. How are your grafts doing now?

[@cookiescacti]

So far so good! The ones that took are still alive!

[@kathylovejoy2569]

As I'm watching this, I think you should buy yourself a large and small, set of kitchen tongs to hold the cacti. Then you wouldn't get poked. This is very interesting to watch. But I almost think that's a 2 person job. Thanks for showing your very first attempt at this.

[@cookiescacti]

You read my mind! I found some large and small BBQ tongs that work perfectly for picking up the pokey plants. The spiky root stocks are so difficult to handle without saying ouch at least a few times, but I'm getting better at it with time.

[@manderson3500]

I thought this was useful! It was nice to see the process you used and VERY nice to do all those updates- y try hat is the best in propagation videos but I know it’s a lot of work!! I’m curious what the end result is - is it a healthy grafted cactus? Or does saving the rotting scions this way lead to the scion being able to be its own plant someday? I think the former, but I’m not sure! Thank you!

[@cookiescacti]

I'm glad you found this useful! I need a lot more practice. I haven't thought about what the goal is beyond rescuing the plants. I seem to do and learn things based off of need, so I'm sure I'll try degrafting someday because the grafts start having problems 😂

[@tibblescat2918]

Use a kitchen Mandolin to get a nice flat cut surface, and put a clear plastic bag over it all for a few days (stops it drying out so quickly).

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you for these tips! It's very helpful!

[@cactuscapacity]

I met a guy who knew a guy that talked to this one guy who knew this girl who found out that I graft cactus regularly!! lol! Some say it aint natural, but growing in a plastic pot in a foreign country is not natural either, and some natural things are really bad and scary!!! I love to watch these cactus get a boost! if you graft a regular cactus to a caespiatosa it will develop the pupping traits, then you can degraft caespiatosed variations of your scion! I am trying to find out what other traits could be transferred this way!!! I am addicted to grafting and it feels soooo natural and good!! I hate watching cactus suffer for 30 years while it could have been thriving!!!

[@cookiescacti]

Lolololololol! I used to hate grafts - the way they looked, the cactus mutilation required. But now I get it and I appreciate it! Have you degrafted before? That's probably the next natural progression of this hobby for me ☺️

[@cactuscapacity]

@@cookiescacti I don't degraft, but when my stock of seeds and plants is up I will just not graft as much... my lophophora are growing faster in my coco coir mix than their grafted counterparts on PC rootstock.. so there are some I will graft again and some I won't... I have a seedling video to come out soon... that copeopeoea that you grafted is not such a common scion and it looks wonderful... so some cactus i would rather graft and lophophora is one I would rather keep on its own root. I would rather graft astrophytum finicky ass!!! LOL!

[@bubuyoutubechannel6709]

Wow very nice

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you! Some of those grafts are still going strong!

[@billgolightly7203]

Interesting opportunity.

[@cookiescacti]

I like the way you put it, definitely an opportunity to learn a new skill

[@mrspeachi4378]

Hi Jenny, I came back to this video as I’m getting up the nerve to try my own grafts. How did your successful ones turn out long term?

[@cookiescacti]

The successful grafts are still alive! I think the scions are making nice progress although I have a hard time truly telling their progress without revisiting this video and looking at pictures

[@cookiescacti]

Let me know how yours go!

[@goldenkiwicompote]

Where did you get these square pots your using? I’m looking to change to square pots to utilize my space better!

[@cookiescacti]

They're from Greenhouse Megastore, it's the cheapest nursery pots I've found so far. www.greenhousemegastore.com/collections/plant-pots/products/square-black-form-pots

[@kayenicholls5473]

Hi am having trouble with rust on my seedlings i had to throw out over a 100 babies they were astrophytum

[@cookiescacti]

Oh nooooo! Did they die? I had a lot of trouble with rust on some Astro seedlings over the winter. I left them and the ones that survived grew out of the damage. It means only one thing going forward: grow even more!

[@kayenicholls5473]

@@cookiescacti The were to small for them so I just got rid of them I have treated the whole collection of all my plants as I have about 2000 plants so I hopefully I will have stopped it for now but will treat them in again in 8 weeks

[@Cacti_Of_Mexico]

Nice lophophora in the back! What species?

[@cookiescacti]

Time stamp?

[@Cacti_Of_Mexico]

@@cookiescactipause at 18:10

[@cookiescacti]

@@Cacti_Of_Mexico that is a Gymno var nudum of a species that I can't remember 😉

[@Cacti_Of_Mexico]

@@cookiescacti ok 😉

[@andersnrregren9087]

I ordered some grafted cacti so i could learn to degraft and re-root the tops befor i start to graft i would like to be sure i can degraft them

[@cookiescacti]

Ohh that's a good point. I don't know anything about degrafting. Looks like another skill to learn!

[@cactuscapacity]

I degrafted a few times to see what it felt like... It felt like I cut a fine piece of art, so I quickly regrafted!

[@funfunyo7523]

I would only use trichocereus for root stock Cicks are no good

[@cookiescacti]

Ohh why is that? And by "Cicks" are you referring to the polaskia?

[@funfunyo7523]

@@cookiescacti yes

[@cookiescacti]

@@funfunyo7523 gotcha! So why are Cicks no good as stock? Trying to learn 😊

[@chaiwatpotichanid]

🥰🥰👍

[@cookiescacti]

💚💚💚

[@shawnlinehan4005]

If you ever need any grafting pointers i'm your guy

[@cookiescacti]

Super happy to have a point of contact on grafting questions! Thank you!

[@lynettedeanda5792]

Your successes look so robust.

[@cookiescacti]

🤞🤞🤞 so far so good! Now I just have to keep the root stocks alive

[@ministerstayfly9213]

Cactus abuse 😢🌵

[@cookiescacti]

I used to feel the same but then I remember that this is also how cactus propagation is done. So the stock benefits by being propagated and having its genetic code multiplied and the scion gets to be rescued. So it ends up being a win-win situation.