How to Propagate a Cactus From a Paddle

The word "propagate" might sound difficult, but propagating many types of plants, such as the cactus, can be easier than you think. Arizona Cooperative Extension assures gardeners that propagating most types of cactus is a "very simple procedure." When you propagate a cactus, you are making a new plant from existing vegetation. Cacti that have paddles include prickly pears in the Opuntia genus. Others that lend themselves to vegetative propagation include Cereus, Echinopsis, Mammillaria, Lophocereus, Stenocereus and Trichocereus.

Leather gloves
Kitchen tongs
Knife
Pumice or perlite
Peat moss or compost
3- or 4-inch pots with drainage holes
Rooting hormone (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Make cuttings of single paddles when the nighttime temperature is reliably 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
- 2
  Choose a healthy plant from which to take a paddle cutting. Avoid paddles that appear bruised, shriveled, blemished, or in any way unhealthy.
- 3
  Cut the paddle at a 45-degree angle at its node, which is the spot where the paddle is connected to another paddle or to the main stalk of the cactus plant. Wear gloves and handle the plant with kitchen tongs to prevent injuries to your hands.
- 4
  Dip the cut edge of the paddle in sulfur or rooting hormone if you wish, although this is optional.
- 5
  Dry your cut paddles in a warm, dark, dry, well-ventilated area to force the cutting to develop a callus over its cut edge. Depending on the species of cactus, a callus might take several months to form, but this step is critical because the callus will prevent disease microbes from entering your new plant.
- 6
  Prepare a potting mix containing half pumice or perlite and half peat moss or compost. Fill 3- or 4-inch pots half full with the mixture, and then set the callused edge of your paddle on top of the mix, making sure you cover 1/3 to 1/2 of the paddle's base after you fill the pot with more potting mix.
- 7
  Place your potted paddles in an area with bright, indirect light, and water them when the soil begins to lose moisture.

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