Cacti can be propagated in three different ways. How the respective propagation works via cuttings, offshoots and seeds can be found here.
A small green cactus can be found in many households. With the right cactus care, the prickly plants will decorate the house or garden for a long time. If you want to expand your own cactus family, you can do so in three different ways with our expert tips and guides.
Propagating cacti via cuttings and offshoots: A guide
Depending on the type of cacti cultivated, offshoots or different types of cuttings can be taken. For example, leaf cuttings are possible with Rhipsalidopsis and head cuttings with Rhipsalis. Most columnar cacti (Opuntia, Pereskia) as well as all sprouting and child-forming cacti can be propagated very well with offshoots.
Material and tool list:
- sharp, disinfected knife
- Matches or a lighter
- Tin foil
- Candle
- Growing substrate
- Plastic Pots
Instructions for cuttings/offshoots
The months from April to August are the perfect time for cacti propagation. But always watch out for the thorns! Before separating offshoots or cuttings, it is best to put on thick gloves for protection or use grill tongs or something similar to fix them.
Next, light a candle and heat the foil-wrapped knife over the flame. If the film turns black, the cutting or offshoot is cut off. The rule is: head cuttings are 10-15 cm long, spherical offshoots are larger than their diameter and as far developed as possible. Leaf cuttings are taken from the mother plant at original size.
After each cut, the still hot knife is pressed onto the cut. This stops the flow of juice and prevents "bleeding". Before thecut off the next offshoot, the knife wrapped in aluminum foil must be reheated by the candle flame.
Only after the cactus cuttings have dried in the air for a few days and the first roots have formed are they potted. The growing pots are filled with nutrient-poor cactus substrate and half of each cutting or offshoot is potted. In the first week you should not water. The substrate is then kept only slightly moist with low-lime water. As soon as a cutting has rooted through its nursery pot, it is repotted and cared for like an adult representative of its species.
Tip: A match can be used to support larger leaf cuttings and prevent them from falling over.
Propagating cacti from seeds
Propagation via offshoots and cuttings is much easier than via seeds. However, there are many species that root only with difficulty or hardly form sprouts. For example, the majority of ball cacti are propagated by seeds. Even rare species are often only available as seeds.
Make your own cactus seeds
Since propagation via seeds is the sexual form of propagation, at least two specimens of the same species or variety are always required. When flowers develop, they can be pollinated by hand with a brush. This is how the pollen is transmitted. If there is a risk of cross-pollination by other specimens, the cacti are isolated. The typical cactus fruits have developed by autumn. Ripe fruits are picked and pricked if necessary to release the seeds. The seeds are thoroughly cleaned (the remains of the pulp have a germ-inhibiting effect) and placed on blotting paper to dry. The cactus seeds can be stored in labeled paper bags or small, airtight containers until the next sowing date (ideally in April).
Pretreatment of the cactus seeds: breaking dormancy
Since the seeds of many species (e.g. Notocactus and Coryphanta) are dormant, they must be pretreated before sowing. Seeds are presoaked in 3.0 percent hydrogen peroxide for 20 minutes and then diluted 50 percent with water and left there for 24 hours. Hydrogen peroxide is available at the pharmacy.
Material andTool list:
- Seeds
- Sowing substrate
- Quartz sand in 3 mm grain
- Seed tray or small pots
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Indoor Greenhouse
Pure mineral material such as perlite or pumice beads have proven to be suitable as sowing substrate. The seeds can swell well here and the roots can grow gently thanks to the pore structure. A cheap alternative is cat litter (no clumping litter!).
Tip: Before use, sterilize the seed substrate in the oven for 30 minutes at 150-180 degrees or in the microwave for 10 minutes at 800 watts.
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Instructions for sowing
Since the freshly germinated cacti are not very resistant, the seed tray, the pots and the greenhouse are meticulously cleaned before use.
The seed container is filled with substrate and the seeds are distributed on it. Attention: Light germs may be pressed, but not pressed into the substrate. A thin, translucent layer of quartz sand to protect against mold is permitted. The seed pots are briefly placed in lukewarm, low-lime water. Only when the seed soil has been sucked up to the top layer with water do the containers go into the indoor greenhouse.
Temperatures between 20 and 25 °C are ideal and direct sunlight should be avoided. The greenhouse cover is briefly aired daily until the first thorns form. After that, it can be permanently removed. It is always watered from below by placing the seed pots in lukewarm rainwater or boiled tap water until the substrate is soaked.
Germination starts within a few days to several weeks, depending on the species. Examples of cacti that germinate well are Echinopsen, Lobivia, Rebutien or Mammillaria . Opuntias however, have a reputation for taking forever to germinate their seeds.
Tip: A low-dose organic liquid fertilizer is suitable for supplying cacti with nutrients. 1 ml of our Plantura organic room and green plant fertilizer is dosed in 1 liter of irrigation water. This mixture is given every other watering between spring and July.