Materials Needed
- 2 small cacti (cylindrical-shaped and similar in diameter)
- Gloves (to wear when handling the cactus)
- String
- Clean, sharp knife
- Rubbing alcohol
Procedures
- Sterilize your knife by dipping it into rubbing alcohol. Be careful when handling the sharp knife. DO NOT TOUCH THE BLADE! If you do, germs may get inside the cacti and keep the graft from working.
- Cut off the top of each cactus with a straight cut across the cylinder.
- Switch the tops. Line up the center sections, called piths, as closely as possible.
- Press each top carefully but firmly onto the new bottom.
- Tie string around each cactus to hold the new tops and bottoms together.
- Keep the cacti in warm sunshine (or a heat lamp).
- In about one month the grafts should be healed. Remove the strings and enjoy your original creations!
What is Happening?
The inner white portion of the cacti, the pith, is where the cactus growth takes place. When the pith of the top is lined up with the pith of the bottom, new cells are produced which pass food and water up and down through the plant. These cells connect to pass food and water and eventually will hold tight to each other. Combining parts of two different plants together is called "grafting."
