what should i do? i used a knife but this hapoenwd. whats the best course of action? thanks
by boris_kidric
what should i do? i used a knife but this hapoenwd. whats the best course of action? thanks
by boris_kidric
4 Comments
Just let it callous, stick it in dirt and hope for the best! It will probably be fine. I don’t know the anatomy of the part that stayed behind but I know cacti are pretty resilient.
If youre unable to sharpen your tools, next best option is serrated knives. Most people have one laying around but theyre like $6 at harbor freight
i would take my zhengsheng folding chef knife off amazon and easily remove the sticking out part plus the couple inches of the cutting with the hole.
It left behind the vascular ring, or “veins” of the plant used to transport water and nutrients, which also becomes the “woody” part of the cactus. A serrated knife in the future can help prevent this. I am unsure if this will slow down rooting, as the roots typically start from the meristem and move outwards/downwards. I’m thinking it will slow down rooting, as the meristem is essentially gone at the bottom, and the roots will have to travel a further distance. The hole will have increased humidity compared to the outer areas, and may be more prone to rot.
Edit: Stick it front of a fan and it will take awhile longer to root than most cuts, or just cut off some more of the bottom until you find meristem. Further cutting won’t hurt, as the bottom serves no purpose for photosynthesis, and the roots will be forming further up anyway. The bottom without vascular is all ready “lost” material.