ok so i flipped back around, should I Any water Now? or wait until roots have appeared? soil is very dry
you can pull it up and run the callous under a faucet for a second and then plant, but other than that, only give it enough water for the soil to be slightly damp. if you water the soil too much and there are no roots, it can start to rot, and you'll have to recut it. don't worry about it being under-watered; it's a cactus. you can literally store that cutting on a shelf in a pitch black closet for a year and then plant it and it will root and grow.
pull it up once a week and check for root buds. they'll look like hard greenish/white fingers. once you notice these, water lightly and let it dry completely, and repeat. t. pachanoi loves sun, so after rooting (do this in the shade) slowly acclimate to more and more sunlight. pups should appear a month or two after rooting, first thing that will happen is it will get really fat, swollen like a balloon.
here's a guide to taking/rooting cactus cuttings...
http://www.sacredcactus.com/index6.htm
Cut & heal
Cut the piece you want to root from the cactus with a clean, alcohol sterilized knife. Place it in a moderately cool, dry shady location to allow the base to form a scab. This will take 2-3 weeks. An electric fan can help dehydrate the end in 24 hours, then let it rest for a couple of weeks.
Sterile rooting medium NONSENSE!
Why a sterile medium? The "experts say" If you have problems with rot, then use sand or vermiculite as a rooting medium.
"The use of soil can cause rot since it contains bacteria." Nonsense! Soil contains
beneficial bacteria!
Rot is from too much water and/or from using anerobicly (BAD) composted material.
Anerobic compost stinks and has pathogenic bacteria in it! Good compost is aerobicly composted material and is sweet smelling humus that has beneficial bacteria!
World of difference.
If you don't know what you are doing, then read a book on
organic gardening. This is basic knowledge; not rocket science. Heck, just go buy a bag of cactus mix potting soil at a garden center/Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.
• Place cutting in a container of soil prepared as I describe on the Soil pages.
Logs can be half buried horizontally.
• Place in a warm partially shaded place (avoid direct sun). Moisten the media with a very small amount of water--you just don't want "bone dry" soil or the soil bacteria will die. Do not water for 2 weeks to a month and when you do , do it very lightly! If you water it like a plant before it roots --
it will rot.
The trick to rooting is to stress the cutting into forming roots. It has to have warm soil and bright daylight. If it is too cool, too little light--it has no need to form roots. You can't root cuttings in cool weather or the winter unless you heat the soil and provide bright light.
When roots start to form, water very lightly.
Wait until the soil feels dry when you stick your finger into it before watering again. After about 4 to 6 weeks, gently lift the cactus see if it has roots yet. If rooting has not occurred, rebury it and check again in two weeks.
• It can take weeks or months to root a cutting. Variables such as the time of year, local temperature and duration of sunlight, etc. are all factors.
• Keep the cutting warm during the entire process. Warmth always stimulates rooting.
• Maintain low exposure to direct sunlight; use shade netting (shade cloth) to make a shade nursery for your cuttings.
• Cuttings will sometimes root in only a few of weeks in spring and summer.
When the cutting has roots (congratulations!) increase watering and fertilize. When the roots form a substantial ball you may transplant it into a container with a compost rich, well draining soil mix.