Is It Possible to Propagate Cactus? A Beginner’s Guide

Propagating from Cuttings 

The most common, and likely easiest, route for propagating cacti is through cuttings from an existing plant. There are many cacti that can be grown this way. Stem cuttings are taken from an existing plant and allowed to dry out. Eventually, when taken care of, the cuttings will begin to root and grow into a new plant. 

Cacti commonly propagated from stem cuttings include: 

• Columnar cacti 
• Opuntia/prickly pear 
• Pincushion/globular cacti 

Easy Steps to Propagate Cacti 

When it comes to propagating cacti, the process is pretty easy. We will outline the steps below to successfully propagate your plants. 

From Cactus Pads 

1. Start by disinfecting your tools. You’ll need a razor blade or sharp knife. Pruning shears don’t make clean cuts. Disinfecting the blade prevents spreading disease to your plants. You can use warm, soapy water or alcohol wipes to disinfect. Make sure that you are doing this every time that you make a cut.
2. Some species of cacti are prickly/spiny. Protect your hands/fingers by wearing gloves and using tongs to handle the plants. 
3. Choose a pad to make your cut from. Ideally, you should be using a healthy plant and avoid using pads that appear to be discolored, diseased, or stressed. In some cases, the pad will break off easily. If not, use your blade to cut it off. 
4. Set the pads aside to dry for a few days. This gives the wound time to heal and callous over. Do not place it in direct sunlight to dry. 
5. If desired, dip in rooting hormone to encourage it to develop roots. This is an optional step, so you can skip it if you wish. 
6. Prepare a suitable potting mix and plant your cactus cutting in it by sticking the cut part into the soil. You should get approximately 1/3 of the cutting into the soil and pack it well so it doesn’t fall over. 

If you prefer, you can lay the pad flat until roots develop and then place it in the potting mix. 

7. Wait a few days before watering your cutting. Then, every few days you can mist the soil, or you can wait until it feels dry. Once it has established roots, decrease the amount of watering you’re doing and allow soil to dry between waterings. 
8. While the newly rooted cutting does need some sunlight, you should avoid direct sunlight until roots are fully formed. 

Patience…

At this point, you are on your way to having a new plant. It may take several weeks for roots to fully establish – but in a few months, you’ll have new growth. Gradually increase the amount/intensity of sunlight to avoid burning it. 

From Columnar Cactus Cuttings 

1. Start with disinfecting tools. As mentioned above, pruning shears do not make a clean cut. You’ll want to use a knife or razor blade. Clean and disinfect it to avoid spreading disease. Make sure to clean it between cuttings. 
2. Protect hands/fingers from prickly/spiny cacti by wearing gloves and using tongs to handle the plant cuttings. 
3. Choose the columnar cactus you want to cut. It should be at least 4” long and less than 4” in diameter. A wider piece will be more difficult to root. 
4. Make the cut and lay the cutting out for a few days to dry and callous over. It may take a few days or even a couple of weeks. The cutting should be exposed to air but kept out of direct sunlight while drying. 
5. Dip in rooting hormone, if desired. Of course, this is optional and you can skip it if you would prefer. 
6. Prepare the appropriate potting mix and plant your cutting by sticking the cut end into the soil- approximately 1/3 of the cutting should be under the surface. Make sure to pack the soil so the cutting does not tip over. 
7. Give your columnar cactus cutting a few days in the new pot before watering it and only mist it every few days or if it feels dry. Once roots establish, decrease watering and allow soil to dry before watering again. 
8. Place the plant in an area that is bright, but not in direct sunlight.

In a few weeks, the root system will be established and, in a few months, you’ll observe new growth from the top of your new plant. To avoid burning the plant, you should slowly increase the amount/intensity of light you provide for it. 

From Offshoots 

Now, we will provide steps for propagating cacti from offshoots. 

1. Choose a plant that has offshoots, which are babies that grow off of the mother plant. Keep in mind that not all cacti will have offshoots. 
2. Disinfect your knife or razor blade before using it and between cuttings. You’ll want to avoid using pruning shears as they don’t make a clean cut. You want the cut to be a clean one to ensure that both the cutting and the mother plant will heal. 
3. Make sure that you are wearing gloves and using tongs to handle the plant as this will keep your hands/fingers protected from the spines of the cacti. 
4. Select the offshoots that you wish to remove. You should choose the ones that are large enough and have begun producing roots. It is possible to use offshoots without roots, but you’re much more likely to be successful with roots. 
5. Gently remove offshoot from the mother plant, keeping in mind that some will be easier than others. Sometimes, a gentle tug will remove the offshoot. Other times, you’ll need to cut it. 
6. Once you have removed the offshoot, you can plant it in an appropriate potting mix. You do not have to dry out an offshoot like you do a cutting. Make sure to securely pack the soil around the offshoot. 
7. Allow the newly planted offshoot a few days before watering it. The soil can be misted every few days or when it feels dry. Once it establishes roots, decrease watering and let the soil dry before watering again. 
8. Avoid direct sunlight, but make sure that the offshoot is getting some sunlight and heat. Once it has established roots, you can increase the amount/intensity of light to the plant. 

By Grafting 

The final method of propagation we’ll discuss is grafting. You will need a few tools to do this: 

• Cactus plant 
• Gloves 
• Rubbing alcohol 
• Rubber bands
• Sharp knife
• Electrical tape 

Here are the steps for propagating cacti by grafting 

1. Disinfect knife/razor blade with soapy water or alcohol. This will help you avoid spreading disease to your plants. You’ll also want to make sure to clean between cuttings. 
2. Choose the plant you want to graft. You’ll want to make sure that the plants have a hardy rootstock and are compatible. For the base, you should choose one that’s a fast-growing species, and a slow growing one for the top (scion). 
3. Prepare rootstock by cutting a few inches above the soil. 
4. For your scion (top), cut the top off a cactus stem approximately 1” diameter. 
5. Place scion on top of rootstock so that the vascular cambium, the ring in the center of the cut pieces, is touching so that the grafting will be successful. 
6. Secure the two pieces together with rubber bands or electrical tape. 
7. After 1 to 2 months, grafting should be successful, and you can remove the electrical tape or rubber bands. 

Can You Root A Broken Piece of Cactus? 

Sometimes, pieces of cactus break off. Is it possible to root these into new plants or should you just throw them out? Some people have found success with rooting them. Below, you will find the steps for this process: 

1. Clean your knife with warm, soapy water or alcohol. Once again, you should clean the blade between cuttings. A clean blade will prevent spread of disease and fungus to your plants. 
2. Inspect the broken piece. If the ends are jagged, make the cut even with your clean blade. 
3. Let the piece dry out and callous over. The size of the piece and the humidity will have an effect on how long it takes to dry out. You’ll want to avoid direct sunlight but provide it with some light/heat. 
4. Prepare your container and potting mix. 
5. If you wish, you can dip the piece into a rooting hormone before planting it. This is not required but will help the roots develop. 
6. Plant the broken piece by placing the dried end into the potting mix. You should place approximately 1/3 of the piece into the soil and make sure it’s standing up. Pack the soil around it to keep it secure. 
7. Place the container in a bright location, but not in direct sunlight. 
8. Give the plant 2 to 4 weeks to recover before watering. Then, allow the soil to dry out before watering again- at least 2 weeks later. 
9. Gradually increase sunlight exposure. In about 2 to 6 weeks, the piece will begin to form roots. You can check by gently pulling. If there’s resistance, the roots have started forming. 

As you can see, it is possible to grow a new plant from a broken piece of your cacti.

When Should You NOT Propagate A Cactus? 

One of the primary reasons that cacti are so appealing is that they are easy to root and propagate – even if you’re a beginner. Generally, you can propagate cacti any time of year. However, it’s important to note that cuttings typically root best during summer and early autumn months. In order to ensure successful propagation, you might want to avoid propagating during the following:

During Heatwave 

A heatwave is not the most ideal time to propagate your cactus plants. They are already stressed and focused on trying to survive. Conditions are not ideal for multiplying. It’s best to wait until the heatwave ends or until a milder, less harsh season to ensure the results you want for propagation. After all, you don’t want to invest all your time and effort only to have your plants die. 

Pruning/cutting the plant for propagation also brings stress to the plant because now it has to focus on healing/regrowing in addition to surviving the harsh conditions. Of course, if you are growing your plants indoors or in a controlled environment, a heatwave really isn’t much of an issue. 

During Frost/Freezing Temperatures 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, frost/freezing temps are not ideal conditions for propagating your cactus plants. This is because these plants go dormant during these times. Therefore, propagating in the harsh cold will not give you the results you want. You should wait until temperatures warm up before attempting to propagate your plants.

If you attempt to propagate your plants in harsh cold, you make it more susceptible to rot and disease. Pruning/cutting your plant brings new, added stress to the plant because now it has to focus on regrowing and healing. Again, if you’re growing in an indoor, controlled environment, outside temperatures are not much of an issue. 

Conclusion 

In the wild, cacti typically reproduce via seeds. However, as natural habitats are declining, it’s critical that home gardeners continue growing new plants from existing ones. Propagating new plants from cuttings is a great way to do it.