De Grafting Astrophytum !!

Spring is finally here! winter felt really long this year even though it wasn't that cold, but it has made me even more motivated to do some serious cacti cultivation during this growing season.

First off I have done a few de-grafts, I use a modified half de-graft method I learned from a very experienced grower from Victoria Australia, he is known by the handle Hanazono but his name is Frank, he is a well known to the cacti community and a top bloke :)

This method is best used when Hylocereus or Pereskiopsis are the stock plant but can be done with some others too.

Here is my modified de-grafting method:

1. Find a suitable plant that needs a de-graft.

2. Cut the scion from the stock but leave 5cm of the stock, I.E cut 5cm below the graft union.

3. Using a sharp knife cut all the green fleshy tissue away from the stock plant leaving the woody yellow core. Try and scrape the last bit off using the knife and scraping away from the graft union. Once it is all off you will be left this this (see below). Now trim up the woody core so it is between 2 and 3cm long.

4. Now allow the exposed woody core to try in the sun (indirect sun), for about 24 hours and then you are free to pot the plant up as you normally would a plant with roots.

Here are a few I did today;