How to Graft Compatible Cactus Species

Cactus grafting is a popular tool for cultivating and propagating difficult species. The transplanted plant is called the scion, and the plant that receives it is the rootstock. Grafting can salvage a frail plant with weak roots. It is also used with healthy but slow-growing plants and fast-growing rootstock to obtain faster scion growth or flowering. Grafting is also the only means for growing and propagating genetically anomalous plants that lack chlorophyll and are incapable of sustaining their own growth. The ruby ball cactus is one such example.

Rootstock plant
Scion plant
Kitchen knife
Alcohol (optional)
Rubber bands or string

Instructions

- 1
  Clean the knife to be used in the grafting procedure. If desired, dip the blade in alcohol and allow it to dry.
- 2
  Cut the rootstock plant at the desired position. The cross-sectional area of the rootstock at the grafting site should be approximately the same as that of the scion. Having the rootstock slightly larger than the scion will also work, but a smaller rootstock does not provide a stable base for growth of the scion.
- 3
  Bevel the cut area so that the rootstock tapers slightly at the top. The skin and outer layers of tissue dry more quickly than the inner tissue; beveling keeps these quicker-drying areas from deforming the flat cut surface.
- 4
  Clean the knife. Dip the blade in alcohol and allow to dry.
- 5
  Cut the scion plant at the desired position. Bevel the edges in fashion similar to that used for the rootstock.
- 6
  Examine the cut surfaces to identify the ring of vascular tissue in the middle of each piece. If these do not line up when you join the two pieces, the graft will fail. Within each ring lies a number of smaller circles, known as vascular bundles. These bundles transport air and water throughout the plant.
- 7
  Slide the scion onto the rootstock using a sideways movement to make sure there are no air bubbles captured between the pieces. Match the vascular tissue rings of the two plants. If it is not possible to line up the rings, make sure they intersect in at least one spot. The greater the area of intersection, the more successful the graft will be. Above all, do not place a smaller scion fully within the vascular tissue ring of a large rootstock. In such cases, place the scion off-center to ensure intersection with vascular tissue rings.
- 8
  Stabilize the scion---using rubber bands or string---so that it remains firmly pressed against the rootstock. The rubber bands or string should go over the top of the scion and under the bottom of the pot in which the rootstock is growing. If the rootstock is growing in the ground, you may instead place a light weight on top of the scion.
- 9
  Remove the stabilizing devices after two weeks, but continue to handle the plant carefully until you see new growth in the scion. In many cases, this happens by the end of the first month after grafting.

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