
Cactus are good plants for containers. They are type of plants that can be combined in one pot for variation. Cactus are plants with different shapes and colors. Since they are long lasting plants, cactus plants are pretty decorations for any room in the house and they provide best accent to the house the whole year.
Cactus are easy to plant and easy to grow. Propagating them differ according to what kind of cactus they are. If cactus produce offsets, it symbolizes propagation. One method of cactus propagation is cutting. Leaf cutting requires drying of the tip of the leaf for about one week before letting them grow their roots by inserting them into the sand. Tip cutting is best for shrublike cactus plants. Tip cuttings must be dried in one to two weeks in a warm, shady area before they can be planted. Do not plant fresh cut leaves directly into the sand because these cuttings rot if not dried. New growth leaves are not best for cuttings. If you want for the cactus to produce flowers for a short period of time, the matured leaves are best parts for cutting propagation. You can cut matured leaves into small pieces, propagate them and put them into good sized containers.
Grafting is another method of cactus propagation. This method is planting one kind of cactus into another kind of cactus. Cactus will grow on any cactus as long as both are healthy. Grafting makes growth faster. The best time to graft cactus is in late spring or in summer. Flat grafting is made by cutting the cactus crosswise. Trim its shoulder and clean the surfaces and place the detouched cactus shoot on top of the trimmed cactus and secure them with a rubber band. Cover the grafted cactus with a paper bag and it will produce roots in 5 to 7 days. Cleft grafting is cutting the cactus and making a cleft in the middle of the cactus. Cut a cactus shoot that fits the cleft. Insert the cactus shoot to the cleft and secure it with a spine or a rubber ban.
(Epihyllum) an orchid cactus, (ferocactus) barrel cactus, (rhipsalidopsis) easter cactus, echinopsis, lobivia, lobivopsis, mammillaria, opuntia, schlumbergera, trichocereus are some of the varieties of cactus for cutting and grafting.
A collection of grafts of choice of cactus plants inside the house makes the house bloom especially when the cactus plants begin to bring out their different flowers with different colors. Propagating cactus is a rewarding plant and a garden project.