Cacti can be expensive, so learning we would be able to root cuttings or divide them from our existing plants was really great news! The first time I learned this, I watched our gardener cut an agave offshoot from our front bed, which he told me was the cactus "bebé". Then he tucked it into an open space in the flower bed and pressed the dirt around it. No rooting solution, no preparation. He was so confident that it would grow into another big plant and seven months later, I can confirm he was right!
Most cacti will come out of their winter rest around spring and will begin to grow - a great time to start a few new plants. Cuttings
Rooting a cactus cutting is much easier than rooting most other types of plants. Healthy pad-forming, columnar or segmented stem cacti are very easy to start from cuttings.
Rooting a cactus cutting is much easier than rooting most other types of plants. Healthy pad-forming, columnar or segmented stem cacti are very easy to start from cuttings.
1) Cut the pad off with a clean, sharp knife. If the pad is large or woody, you can use a saw. Unlike most plants, cacti love to be clipped and started in warm weather. Late spring and summer are the best times.
2) You could just stick the thing in the ground at this point, but for best results, dry the cutting in a dry, shady place until the cut area forms a callus. This will take a few days to a week. The larger the cut surface, the longer you should allow the cutting to dry. Don't water the cutting during this time.
3) Once the cutting is ready for planting, plant directly into your garden or in pure sand or a well-draining soil mixture (sand, perlite, pumice, gravel can be combined for a very good planting medium).
4) Water. After a couple of days, check the soil and water again after the soil is completely dry. Continue watering until the winter months, when watering can be done on your normal drip or sprinkler system setting according to your flower bed's particular situation.
Root rot is a concern and may cause your cutting to die. Don't over-water your cuttings!
Division
Division is an ideal method of propagating those types of cactus which bud off new plants from the side of the mother plant. These babies usually already have roots developed and should be carefully pulled or teased away from the parent plant and placed in a place of their own. The advantage of this type of propagation over the taking of cuttings is that division leaves the mother plant with almost no signs of disfigurement (e.g. natural childbirth vs. cesarean).
When it comes to soil type, cacti aren’t particular, but they do need good drainage.
Be Careful!Prickly pears (Opuntia) have fine bristles, known as glochids, that fly off the plant with the merest disturbance. They’re relentless, invading cloth and skin, and they take a good washing with hot soap and water to remove.
Chollas (Cylindropuntia) have barbed spines that are downright painful – especially when you try to pull them out of pricked skin. And the spines on most other cactus are just plain sharp.The best strategy for moving prickly pears and chollas is to use tools. Never try to handle a piece of any prickly pear or cholla with your hands, even when wearing gloves!
