How to Propagate a Cactus for Success, 4 Ways

Cacti are popular houseplants because they don’t need to be watered frequently and most will tolerate a bit of neglect. A member of the plant family Cactaceae, cactu are not only easy to care for, but they are also easy plants to propagate—meaning you can expand your cactus collection with ease (and for free).

There are more than 2,000 cactus varieties, and there are a number of different ways to successfully propagate them. Learn how to propagate cactus from cuttings, pads, offsets, or grafting.

How to Propagate From a Cactus Cutting

Propagating plants from cuttings involves trimming off a healthy portion of the plant and placing it in a growing medium until it develops its own root system. Most cacti can easily be propagated from cuttings, though there are some larger varieties that will not root from cuttings.

To propagate your cactus from a cutting, first choose a healthy stem a cut it off using clean, sharp scissors. (If working with a spiny cactus, be sure to wear protective garden gloves and/or use tongs when handling.)

Let the cactus cuttings sit in a dry place for several days, giving it time to callus. To promote root growth, dip the cutting in rooting hormone before planting it in a pot filled with peat-based potting mix.

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How to Propagate From a Cactus Pad

Growing a new cactus using pad propagation is one of the easiest and quickest methods you can use to expand your cactus collection, and is most commonly used to propagate prickly pear cactus. Removing a cactus pad, the plant’s flat green leaves, and planting it in a growing medium will result in an entirely new plant.

To propagate from a cactus pad, select a pad that’s at least six months old. Using tongs, grab the pad and break it off the plant. If this poses difficult, use a clean, sharp knife to get a clean break. Lay the cactus pad out for up to a week to callus, then place the pad with dry cactus potting mix. Soak the soil with water, then refrain from watering until you observe new growth.

How to Propagate From a Cactus Offset

Many cacti produce offsets, otherwise known as pups. These pups can be easily separated from the parent plant and propagated into a new plant very quickly. This is actually the natural way that cacti reproduce.

To propagate from a cactus offset, select a pup that is at least 1 to 2 inches long, as they are more likely to successfully root. Using your hand, gently twist the pup to remove it from the parent plant.

Let the offsets dry out for one to three days. Pot the offsets in a planter filled with dry cactus potting mix, making sure to cover at one-third of the base with soil. Wait about four to five days before watering to reduce the risk of rot.

How to Propagate a Cactus With Grafting

Grafting is a technique used to join two plants into one, commonly done with shrubs or trees—and cacti, too. Cactus grafting involves attaching a piece of one cactus (called the scion) onto a rooted cactus (the rootstock) to create a single plant.

Any cactus variety can be grafted onto any other cactus; the cactus plant that will grow from the grafted section will resemble the scion part, which will receive nutrients from the rootstock cactus plant.

To propagate a cactus with grafting, start by cutting the head off the rootstock plant using a clean, sharp knife. To create the scion, cut the head off a different cactus plant. You want them both to be the same size in diameter.

Place the scion on top of the cut part of the rootstock cactus, and secure the two parts with rubber bands or thread around the sides of the pot. You should notice the newly grafted scion start to grow after about two weeks. After two months, you can remove the rubber bands or thread.

Tips for Propagating Cactus

• It is always best to propagate cactus when it is actively growing, typically in late spring or summer, when its roots can establish more quickly.
• Do not propagate cacti during a heatwave, which can stress the developing plant.
• Before taking any cuttings, make sure the cactus is entirely dry.
• Be patient. Root development in cacti can be a slow process. It can take several weeks or up to a few months for a cactus seedling to develop a strong root system.
• While the process is simple, it can take anywhere between four to six weeks and several months for new growth to appear on a newly propagated cactus plant.

Safety Considerations When Propagating Cactus

• No matter the method you use, always wear protective gardening gloves while propagating cacti—especially when working with a variety with spines.
• If you’re working with a large cactus or outside in your garden, wear long pants and sleeves for protection.
• When cutting a cactus, be sure to use a clean, sharp knife or pair of scissors.
• If you have a large scrap of carpet, it can be a useful tool when handling cacti. Carpet cushions the plants while protecting your hands.
• Other useful tools to utilize when handling cactus include newspaper, chopsticks, and tweezers.

Propagating Cactus vs. Propagating Succulents

Cacti and succulents have a lot in common. That’s because all cacti are technically succulents, a name used for a broad group of plants that store water in their stems, roots, and leaves. But not all succulents are cacti, a botanical family of plants.

Because they are closely related, some of the methods used to propagated them are the same. Both cacti and succulents can easily be propagated from cuttings or offsets. Succulents are commonly propagated from leaves and stems by suspending the leaves above water to stimulate root growth, a method that doesn’t work for cacti, which generally have few or no leaves and need a soil medium to grow roots.