Christmas Cactus Propagation

My mom has a very lenghy cutting from an usual looking Christmas Cactus. Any thoughts on how to root it? I don't grow them myself but was trying to figure out what to do. It is in water right now. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks much!

I think you're supposed to let the end callus over, then stick it in soil.

Will it die while callusing over? Any idea how long this might take?

No it won't die, it's a cactus so it behaves different than a cutting from another type of plant would. I think it takes a couple of days, maybe a week to callus over? I've never done it so I'm not positive.

I've done this - let it callus over for a week or so, then just stick it in cactus soil. Water sparingly. Honestly, I've also been impatient when a piece of Christmas cactus fell off when I was watering - I just stuck it back in the soil and it was fine!

Thanks for the tips. I'll tell my mom what to do. The cactus she saw was a beautiful salmon color.

It's part of the orchid cactus family. If you post a picture on that forum they might be able to tell you which one it is by the shape of the leaves. Be careful, you'll get hooked over there!

You said it was lengthy.I would pull each segment apart and let it callus over for a couple of days, making sure you put the correct end in the medium.

Hemental,

As far as I know, individual segments will not root readily in the home environment. I have always known that it has to be a sturdy "Y" segment. Allowing it to scab over seals the end and then no moisture or bacteria will go into the pulpous insides of the stem. I also dip it in rooting hormone and then put it in the soil.

Also, I usually snip off the very tip sections of the cutting to stop the "growth" while it is rooting. That is a general rule I follow no matter what I am rooting.

Hope this helps a bit.

Gita

Thank you , everyone. You've been a great deal of help.

Segments root very easily, I even don't let them to form a callus. I don't use rooting hormones, I just put them in the soil with high humidity and a lot of new plants will form in a few weeks.

Regards

Carlos

Carlos,

You must have just he right environment. Do you have a greenhouse? I used to work for a grower and EVERYTHING rooted in the humid atmosphere and heat of a greenhouse.

When I was talking about "segments", I meant only one, little section. I know you need more than one, as at least half of it gets stuck into the soil. Looks like most of yours had at least 2 sections to them.

Nice picture! What are you going to do with all those Zygos??? Do you sell them? Do you give them away? If you root them now, will they be big enough to bloom this winter?

I have several pots of Christmas cactus. A couple of them are pretty old. I gave them a trim this Spring and have all the good pieces rooting in small pots. They are starting to perk up. I think they all made it!

Gita (I'm a fellow European--Latvia)

Gita, I don't have a greenhouse but I enclosed half the balcony with polycarbonate sheets. With the central heating of the house I can say it can act as a greenhouse.
If they can be separated easily I only insert one segment into the soil. What you see in the picture as extra-segments is new growth.
To get a high humidity I use the plastic container once we've eaten the cake that came with it.
I don't sell anything. From time to time I give away some of these Thanksgiving cacti, rooted (inside the European Union) or unrooted. I have 8 varieties and around 20 pots, some with a lot of rooted segments in them. When I root them in Spring some can bloom in the next Winter and also in Spring as, if they have the right conditions, they can bloom twice a year. Right now I have a pair of blooms in plants that bloomed last November.

Regards

Carlos

20 varieties! WOW! Does that mean they are 20 different colors as well?
Right away, I had this idea of you planting ONE section of each variety in a big pot and letting it grow that way. When they all bloom, it will be a rainbow of colors. Just my brain doing it's thing....:o) Would you have pictures of all the different colors in bloom?

Sometimes I do also get a sparse second blooming--usually beginning of March, but it is nothing like the first bloom in November.

Here's one from last winter.

Gita

Gita, that is awesomely beautiful!

Well, not 20 but 8 varieties. I've found in my files pics of 6 of them. Here you have them

Another one, the same as yours

Another. This one has a bigger bloom than the rest

One more

One in the gold color range

and the star of the collection.

Gita, if you want some segments send me a dmail with your address.

Regards

Carlos

Carlos,

Oh, they are beautiful!!! I appreciate you taking the time to look them up.
I think I saw a salmon colored Christmas Cactus for sale this past November. Never saw that before! Would that be a new variety???

Is the white one that you call the "star" unusual? I have seen white Chr. Cactus for sale before, but they are the first to go. I have worked in many Garden centers and big retail stores with plants. I am at Home Depot now--9 years and going. NOT in garden any more. Got bad knees....:o( but I can always walk down there and look to see what we have.

Thank you for your offer of some segments. I really have way too many houseplants as it is. I am the one always giving plants away. I will keep reading this Forum to see what else you may have photographed.

Thank you, Gita

Carlos, I would love to have some of your segments if you have some th spare, they are beautiful and I love these plants! The white one is just magnificent! I have three pots with mixed colors in them, from some I received from another DGer last year. They were blooming over the Christmas Holidays...one is a darker pink, one is this yellow cream color...