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[Buttons]

This week i took delivery of some severely neglected Lophophora that were being sold by a collector that just no longer has time to give the plants the care they needed and by the looks of them they have had a bad spider mite infestation for over a year but i know this is damage that will grow out eventually. I was amazed at the size ratio of plant head size/ root size on a few of these and one in particular has an incredibly thin head.
 Anyways the main reason for this post is to ask for any of your experiences with de-grafting as you can se in the picture there is a Lophophora fricii (top right) with pups grafted onto a Pereskiopsis root stock ( not good for the UK climate) but i could tell immediately that the plant was soft and dehydrated and the reason for this is the grafting stock had died!
 So now i am going to have to cut away the dead stock and fill it with sulphur and just pray that this poor plant makes it through and starts to root. If anyone has experience in rooting ex grafts i really could do with some help here.

[PermieGing]

I have never grown any cacti....

However, i am in college for horticulture.
So, id imagine one would have to take a sterile hot sharp edge, and cut as close to the dead part as possible, while cutting through live tissue, so it can grow roots.
Then maybe root it like a cutting of some sort??

??
Hope this at least sparks some ideas
Good luck !

[Shpongle Lover]

Geeze, Buttons, I would have guessed you had been through this a million times by now given your spectacular collection.  You may want to consider the following actions.  YOU are the one on-site and closest to the plants and are therefore in the best position to determine what to do, and what resources you have available to do it.  With that caveat here are my recommendations:

Step 1: Eradicate all spider mites, mechanically, then, if necessary, chemically.  You can use an old soft tooth brush and cool running water if the cactus flesh is sturdy enough to handle a light brushing.  Use the mildest mitocide available to you in your country - or your organic insecticide of choice.  See for ex:  http://www.liquidladybug.com/?gclid=CKKRhdSszbkCFVGe4AodKD8APw

Multiple treatments will be required as the eggs will (may) not be killed by the pesticide. Typically, reapplication will need to be done every week or so depending on temperatures. At higher temperatures, the mites reproduce faster and more frequent treatment will be necessary. Since most pesticides will create a phototoxic reaction on the cactus epidermis, it is best to keep your plants out of direct sunlight after treatment for several weeks.

Step 2: IF NECESSARY, do as PermieGing said.  Use a scalpel with a # 10 blade or sharp single edge razor blade and cut the cactus just above the border of the tap root by 2 - 3 mm.  Plant the root stock and hope for the best.  Wait 1 week to allow callus formation on the head, then set it on some moist, sterile sand.

S.L.

[New Wisdom]

You could chop it off and then put some rooting hormone and sulfur on the bottom,  Let it callus for a few weeks.  Then put it on some sterilized sand and wait for it to root.  You could chop each little pup off and attempt this if you want. But I'm not sure how good it'd turn out.

[Buttons]

Ok yes i have one or two grafts but i have made these just for a bit of fun. A few years ago now i bought 5 big L.koehresii from an italian grower , they lasted a year and come winter the pereskiopsis grafts died and i lost all 5 plants as by the time i realised it was too late. The problem i tend to see with Pereskiopsis is that the graft becomes embeded in the plant and the plant grows over it and its not like i can cut this away flush and remove all the old graft.  Sulphur will indeed stop any rot but i also want to point out that sulphur is also used as a soil acidifier which is exactly the opposite to what lophs need, so you see this isnt cut and dried. I will confess i have never taken a button and rooted it because i have never needed too, i can get hold of plants so why mess about has been my philosophy in the past. Im not even sure regrafting is an option in this case , the more i think about this i think im just going to chop it and hope it roots, i dont think there are any options left

[Buttons]

You could chop it off and then put some rooting hormone and sulfur on the bottom,  Let it callus for a few weeks.  Then put it on some sterilized sand and wait for it to root.  You could chop each little pup off and attempt this if you want. But I'm not sure how good it'd turn out.

Sulphur and rooting powder O.o Never done this before, i think i may try this with the pups as the pups will be removed to try and get the head to sit flat to the soil so it can hopefully root. The down side is that its dormancy time here now so it has to make it though winter yet before it can begin its recovery, poor thing is going to look like a dried prune by next year

[New Wisdom]

Awe. Poor little guy!  I hope it works out for you. 

I use sulfur and rooting hormone with all of my cuttings.  I just a nice layer of the root hormone on first, then i sprinkle sulfur on it then rub it around a little bit and it forms into a paste. 

I'm sure you can root it during the winter. Just bring it inside and put it near a window for it to root.  It'll probably take a while anyways.  I've never rooted lophs though personally. I only have experience with opuntia, mamilaria, trichocereus, and myrtillocactus.

[Buttons]

Geeze, Buttons, I would have guessed you had been through this a million times by now given your spectacular collection.  You may want to consider the following actions.  YOU are the one on-site and closest to the plants and are therefore in the best position to determine what to do, and what resources you have available to do it.  With that caveat here are my recommendations:

Step 1: Eradicate all spider mites, mechanically, then, if necessary, chemically.  You can use an old soft tooth brush and cool running water if the cactus flesh is sturdy enough to handle a light brushing.  Use the mildest mitocide available to you in your country - or your organic insecticide of choice.  See for ex:  http://www.liquidladybug.com/?gclid=CKKRhdSszbkCFVGe4AodKD8APw

Multiple treatments will be required as the eggs will (may) not be killed by the pesticide. Typically, reapplication will need to be done every week or so depending on temperatures. At higher temperatures, the mites reproduce faster and more frequent treatment will be necessary. Since most pesticides will create a phototoxic reaction on the cactus epidermis, it is best to keep your plants out of direct sunlight after treatment for several weeks.

Step 2: IF NECESSARY, do as PermieGing said.  Use a scalpel with a # 10 blade or sharp single edge razor blade and cut the cactus just above the border of the tap root by 2 - 3 mm.  Plant the root stock and hope for the best.  Wait 1 week to allow callus formation on the head, then set it on some moist, sterile sand.

S.L.

Thanks for the reply, I have been googling this and it seems that cutting above the scion is the recommended way from what i have read online, although info is scarce on de-grafting. My main concerns are that winter is getting near and it really isnt the time to be doing all this but the more i think about it the more it looks as though i have no option. To me all this just puts me off pereskiopsis even more as a UK grafting stock, Give me Trichocereus or Harrisia any day!

[Buttons]

Geeze, Buttons, I would have guessed you had been through this a million times by now given your spectacular collection.  You may want to consider the following actions.  YOU are the one on-site and closest to the plants and are therefore in the best position to determine what to do, and what resources you have available to do it.  With that caveat here are my recommendations:

Step 1: Eradicate all spider mites, mechanically, then, if necessary, chemically.  You can use an old soft tooth brush and cool running water if the cactus flesh is sturdy enough to handle a light brushing.  Use the mildest mitocide available to you in your country - or your organic insecticide of choice.  See for ex:  http://www.liquidladybug.com/?gclid=CKKRhdSszbkCFVGe4AodKD8APw

Multiple treatments will be required as the eggs will (may) not be killed by the pesticide. Typically, reapplication will need to be done every week or so depending on temperatures. At higher temperatures, the mites reproduce faster and more frequent treatment will be necessary. Since most pesticides will create a phototoxic reaction on the cactus epidermis, it is best to keep your plants out of direct sunlight after treatment for several weeks.

Step 2: IF NECESSARY, do as PermieGing said.  Use a scalpel with a # 10 blade or sharp single edge razor blade and cut the cactus just above the border of the tap root by 2 - 3 mm.  Plant the root stock and hope for the best.  Wait 1 week to allow callus formation on the head, then set it on some moist, sterile sand.

S.L.

Thanks for the reply, I have been googling this and it seems that cutting above the scion is the recommended way from what i have read online, although info is scarce on de-grafting. My main concerns are that winter is getting near and it really isnt the time to be doing all this but the more i think about it the more it looks as though i have no option. To me all this just puts me off pereskiopsis even more as a UK grafting stock, Give me Trichocereus or Harrisia any day!

Well this honestly is a first for me too, , i may start a photo blog within this post, i think it may be a case of sink of swim tho but i guess spring time will tell, Fingers crossed thos eh

[nobody]

I would try to re-graft it onto a Trichocereus or other large grafting stock. Then after it is healthy I would remove the pups to practice rooting techniques before de-grafting the larger scion again. The main focus being the health of the cacti, if it is still bug ridden and malnourished it will have some problems pushing roots. I think removing all the pups and then trying to root will be too much stress for that one.

[Buttons]

I would try to re-graft it onto a Trichocereus or other large grafting stock. Then after it is healthy I would remove the pups to practice rooting techniques before de-grafting the larger scion again. The main focus being the health of the cacti, if it is still bug ridden and malnourished it will have some problems pushing roots. I think removing all the pups and then trying to root will be too much stress for that one.

nanashi

Thanks nanashi, i now need to find a 6cm wide stock :/ I had better get hunting

[Shpongle Lover]

Man, I hate to see neglected plants just as much as neglected horses, dogs and cats.  Makes me mega-grouchy.  I hope you can reverse their condition and salvage the poor things!

Please keep us updated on your efforts and progress.  I'm pretty sure there will be something for all of us to learn from your handling of this matter.  Good luck and good vibes to you and your plants!

S.L.