Inspired by this link, and perhaps as the logical followup to this thread, I've finally got myself into gear and done a few experimental grafts.

The tek I used is identical to the one in the video - the one improvement I made is stretching the clingfilm over a chopping block allows it to be cut very easily and neatly with a hobby knife - and the stock is simply O. subulata monstrose instead of O. fragilis. The scions are three Loph williamsii pups and one Aztekium hintonii pup.

Put them together and you get this...



Assuming this little experiment works, I have to say that so far, this tek is very easy. I think that the shorter, fatter stocks afforded by using O. subulata are more attractive than the long pencils of perry, and surprisingly the tiny glochids and spines didn't bother me in the slightest, whereas perry normally leaves me impaled on spines, studded with glochids and using language unbecoming of a mild-mannered gardener.

Great little experiment Lach, let us know how it turns out. I never seem to have a great deal of success with O.Subulata Monst, the graft usually takes but the scion grows very very slowly or dies off. I'm going to do some experiments this season.

Will be interesting to see if the Monstrose(virus/pathogen??) is passed on to the scion, could make for some very interesting Lophs.

I agree grafting on Pereskiopsis can be a pain Due to this I only use it for a few species that I know grow really well on it. I lean more towards Selenicereus and Hylocereus. both excellent stocks.

Honestly, I'm possibly the worst grafter I've yet met, so I don't have any great hopes for the experiment. However, if it does work out I'm definitely excited to try this for a wider variety of species.

I wondered about the transmission of monstrosus causing pathogen when you mentioned you were going to do this, you never know till you try Lachy, and experimenting will also help to get better at it ...
Would be nice to get a hold of the type of spineless fat Opuntia stock they were using in that video ... I mainly use Pereskiopsis because its the one stock i have no shortage of.
Has anyone tried much in the way of areole or turbicle grafting? Im trying to find some info on aerole grafting in particular.

I would love to get hold of O. fragilis - the spineless version would be the icing on the cake. However, given Quarantine's paranoia about pretty much all Opuntiads, I think that unless it's already in collections within Australia, the odds of getting it are slim.

I vaguely recall reading, or hearing perhaps, that the monstrose phenomena did not occur reliably, and did not occur across all species. That said, I'm still curious as to what may happen here...

An interesting discussion showing monstrose passed onto pereskiopsis here

I was thinking of trying to selective breed cylindropuntia prolifera to reduce the spines or maybe try cross it with something that might reduce the spines unfortunately i dont think i have any plants that i could cross it with + i havent seen a flower out of mine yet. The first graft i ever tried was onto C. prolifera but at that stage i had only been collecting cacti for about a week so as you can imagine it was an epic failure i was impaled harshly.

I wonder if that would work with as well with a Cylindropuntia? to prickly?

Hmmm... well, I'm not too enamoured of this technique. Despite my best efforts, the Aztekium dried up and karked it, and two of the three Loph pups dried up and started to throw roots whilst on the stock so obviously the vascular tissue was not joined sufficiently. The third Loph is just sitting there, doing nothing. Maybe it requires a bit more time?

I had a chat with Crypto at the show, and he suggested that I was grafting at the wrong time of year. In hindsight, I would say that is definitely a strong possibility. I also suspect that as with a lot of opuntias, the vascular tissue is in a narrow layer very close to the skin, and so a degree of care will be rewarded when grafting.

Hi folks,

I tried also this method, but using Selenicereus as stock. It works well:






One week later


Planted for rooting


The roots appear after one more week, now they can be planted in normal pots.

Best regards
Alex