How to Grow Cactus Cuttings Outdoors

As with many succulent plants, cactus grow readily from cuttings and will tolerate indoor and outdoor rooting conditions equally well. However, cactus cuttings must never be planted directly into the garden immediately after harvest because the freshly severed end is susceptible to rotting without the appropriate pretreatment. Preparing and growing cactus cuttings outdoors works best in warm, dry areas where cactus plants occur naturally, but it will work in a variety of climates if the plants are provided with very sandy soil, ample sunshine and warm temperatures.

Utility knife or pruning shears
Coarse sand or pea gravel
0.1-percent IBA (indole-butyric acid) rooting hormone

Instructions

- 1
  Harvest cactus cuttings in early summer when daytime soil and air temperatures have reached 75 degrees F and night-times are no colder than 50 degrees F.
- 2
  Harvest a cutting measuring no less than 4 inches in length. Make a straight, non-angled cut across the cactus branch using a utility knife or pruning shears depending on the size of the branch.
- 3
  Set the cactus cutting away from direct light on a shelf or out-of-the-way place with moderately warm temperatures and good air circulation. Do not put the cactus cutting where moisture accumulates since it will rot.
- 4
  Leave the cactus cutting to dry out for at least five days. Check the open end of the cutting every few days for signs of callousing, which is when the juicy, exposed flesh begins to turn white and hard.
- 5
  Select a rooting bed outdoors after the cactus cutting has calloused. Choose a site with naturally sandy soil, full sun and excellent drainage. Avoid areas with loamy soil or spots with poor drainage where water pools after rain.
- 6
  Amend the soil at the rooting site to improve drainage, if needed. Work a 4-inch-thick layer of coarse sand or pea gravel into the soil at a depth of 6 inches.
- 7
  Brush a thin layer of 0.1-percent IBA rooting hormone onto the calloused end of the cactus cutting to expedite the rooting process. Lightly blow on the end of the cactus to remove the excess hormone.
- 8
  Bury the hormone-treated end of the cactus cutting halfway deep in the prepared rooting bed. Push the soil around the base to hold it sturdy.
- 9
  Water the cactus cutting four to six days after planting it in the ground. Carefully pour 1/2 to 1 cup of water around the case of the cutting without dripping any on the flesh. Water the cutting whenever the top 2 inches of the soil feel dry.
- 10
  Test for roots in 21 to 30 days by carefully holding the base of the cactus and trying to lift it from the ground. A rooted cactus will resist the movement.
- 11
  Leave the cactus to grow in its rooting bed or transplant it to a permanent bed with similar conditions.

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