14 
CACTUS PETE 
PTIrtTITiitiiititiiitiiititifiiiiiitiitiiitiiiiii iti itil llllelelaletntetedeededtataetltlasteateetadtcdaehadacheddtachetheced one 
bereits a a aS aa SS Sasa, 
ee 
All cuttings should be left in a cool, shady 
place for one or two weeks before they are 
planted. A thick, juicy cutting needs to lie 
longer than a thinner, dry one. If dried too 
quickly, cuttings are apt to form a brittle scab 
that may later split open and become infected. 
A slowly dried cutting will have a very tough, 
rot-resistant scar-tissue. 
It is possible to save badly withered cuttings 
_ of choice varieties by planting them at once in 
very dry soil in a cool, shady place, and with- 
holding water for at least two weeks. Start to 
water very sparingly, and keep the cutting on 
the dry side until it begins to get plumper. 
Placing withered cuttings in a solution of vita- 
min B* is also a helpful practice. 
When making cuttings, choose the older 
growth, as it makes the strongest roots. A long 
cutting produces a stronger, faster-growing plant 
than a short cutting, as it has more substance. 
The first roots come directly from the woody 
core. 
It is possible to start cuttings in water, but 
this is not advisable, as it produces a weak, 
watery root that may be injured easily or may 
rot. The strongest roots are formed when cut- 
tings are started fairly dry and are kept dry 
for at least two months. 
TRANSPLANTING 
If you purchase small rooted plants, it is 
always safest to plant them in a perfectly dry 
3 4 ad 
ONE STEM CUT IN 3 SECTIONS 
a ee 


e 
NEW GROWTH 


(2) Cutting with 3 eyes makes new plant; (3), (4), 
and (5) are pieces of one stem. Each makes a good 
plant. No. 5 makes strongest roots, new growth from 
top eyes, tall plant. 
soil mixture, and to withhold water for at least 
three days. Then water the plant sparingly 
until it is re-established. 
The soil around the roots of adult plants 
being transplanted should be completely dry. 
Remove the plant, divide it, and remove some 
of the old soil from around the roots. The 
plant may then be replanted in new soil, which 

SLIGHT AIOGE 
7 EAUsED By 
vA WOODY CENTER 
fo § 
aa 

LOBES -——_ 
SMALL SECTION 
LEFT AFTEn 
CUTTING FLOWER 
> 

SCALES 



THREE BUDS 
FROM ONE "EYE" 
Scales between the lobes are all that is left of true leaf. 
Eye is hidden behind the scale. 
should also be dry. Withhold water for at least 
a week after transplanting or re-potting, then 
begin watering sparingly. Plants which are 
damp or watered at once may rot off at the 
base. A dry plant cannot rot. Quite frequently 
the best blooms are obtained from newly re- 
potted plants when they are put back in a pot of 
the same size in which they grew formerly. 
BPIPEIYE Ee OiMa Dies 
Some gardeners identify their Epiphyllums by 
writing the names directly on the leaves of the 
plants with a waterproof pencil or waterproof 
ink. Such writing often remains legible for a 
year or more. 
Place your pots of Epiphyllums outside when 
the next rainstorm comes along. If the pots are 
properly drained, this is an effective way of 
leaching out deposits of alkali that have accumu- 
lated in the pots. 
Be sure to keep old leaves cleared away from 
around Epiphyllums. Such debris offers a hid- 
ing place to snails (Epiphyllums’ worst enemy) 
as well as to other pests. 

Natural growing habit. 
