Grating succulents and cacti is a fun thing for me to do. I started to graft on succulents many years ago just for the fun of learning a new trick. Grafted cacti were expensive then and I paid dearly for every cacti I lost. I decided that I'd try to do the thing myself and learn that skill by trying it out on the plant resources I had. Selenicereus undatus or dragon fruit grows wild in my garden so I use it for all my grafting trials.
On rainy days when there is not much I can do in the garden I graft, even though it is not the right time of the year to graft. Grafted plants need to be protected for a longer period during the rainy season for healing and hardening before they can be left in the open. I have lost many of my grafted plants this last year due to excessive rains, but that is something that happens if it rains the way it did in 2022.
I learned to graft watching videos and trying those techniques on whichever root stock to any scion. Some worked some didn't. However, I find grafting cacti and succulents works much easier than grafting other plants. I have a hard time grafting adenium plants for some reason.
I find grafted Christmas or Easter cactus works better for me than the ones planted directly in the soil. I also find that it flowers much faster and more profusely than those grown on own roots. I also have another problem when it comes to Christmas cactus, when it rains here like it did in 2022 all my plants rot away. Only the grafted ones survived this year. So I prefer to graft these succulents on a root stock which is usually dragon fruit stem.
I also find grafting cacti much easier as the process need not be done as though you are doing surgery in a sterile environment. Just cleaning the knife with a small piece of cotton/tissue paper and sanitizer you use would be sufficient to make a graft that works.
All you need is a sharp knife or blade, a bottle or acetone or surgical spirit or sanitizer, a grafting tape or good plastic sheet cut into strips and you are good to go. For this graft here I have a dragon fruit root stock and a couple of segments of the Christmas cactus.
Make a cut in the root stock just above the place where there are thorns. This cut needs to be one to 1.5 cm deep.
The next step is to take a segment of the Christmas cactus and delicately make a slanting cut at the bottom taking care to remove only the green layer on top. This needs to be done on both sides.
The cut segment needs to be handled with care, as this decided whether the grafts works or not. Without touching the cut part insert the graft into the cut portion of the root stock making sure it fits well into the cut. I usually prefer the cut to be deeper as it helps hold the scion in place.
Now with the tape tie up the graft just as we used to bandage wounds in the olden times. Draping the graft well ensures that the graft does not move and gets a chance to adhere to the root stock well. I don't do this step and the next anymore as I make sure the scion and the root stock are locked firmly.
Cover this whole graft in a polythene bag loosely to prevent the graft from drying. Within a week you would know if you were successful if the scion and the root stock remain fresh, fixed in place and healthy. Within ten days you should start seeing signs of new growth, the tips of the scion would show a pink to brownish color.
A pencil cactus I grafted. I wasn't sure if it would work, but it does.
I love grafting plants for various reasons one of them is to save the plant itself, another reason is to provide a delicate plant a solid base and the Selenicereus undatus or dragon fruit is indeed a solid root stock.
I also graft to get two or more color of flowers in one plant like I did with a hibiscus a few years ago. I have also done T grafts on roses successfully.
Healed and growing graft
Grafting is fun and is a great skill to learn if you are interested and an avid gardener.
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