i bought a small cactus at wal-mart a while ago, but it met its
demise. i dont recall what variety it was, but the leaves or whatever
they are called, were elliptical, about 3/4 of an inch long, 3/8 of an
inch wide, and around 1/8 of an inch thick. no spines or thorns, with
smooth edges. overall height was about 4 inches. anyway, the leaves
would fall to the ground in the pot, but never seem to die. i have
seen other species of plants do the same thing. these leaves seem
immortal. i threw away the cactus remnants in question this morning,
except for one of those still green leaves. some small red hair-like
fibers are sprouting from this one, and i am wondering if this leaf
can be planted to grow another cactus. in the event this question is
scientifically absurd, please forward this message to
rec.jack-and-the-beanstalk. (just kidding).

thanks,

fc

the leaves or whatever they are called, were elliptical, about 3/4 of an
inch long, 3/8 of an inch wide, and around 1/8 of an inch thick. no spines or
thorns, with smooth edges. overall height was about 4 inches. anyway, the
leaves would fall to the ground in the pot, but never seem to die
one of those still green leaves. some small red hair-like fibers are
sprouting from this one,

From your description, this is not a cactus at all, but some sort of succulent.
We will need more of a description once it recovers. Let the leaf dry for a day
or so, then plant it with the end that was attached (you will see a scar) in
clean sandy soil (cactus soil OK, maybe with more sand added). Keep it just
barely, barely moist in a bright place out of the sun. Under a fluorescent
light is perfect. It should grow some roots and eventually a new plant, but be
patient. Once it starts to grow roots, you can feed it occasionally with very
dilute plant food.


Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)

i will give it a try, and report later on any progress.
as a side note, this remaining leaf is already somewhat, but not very
dry, having been off the plant for about 2 months. but with the red
fibers growing from one end, im sure there is life. i just examined
it, and it appears the fibers are coming out of the end that was
attached to the original plant. is atlantic ocean beach sand ok for
the sand? one last question, what is a good watering program for
watering a small potted cactus? i have 6 or 7 varieties
from wal-mart, all in small pots (average plant height 4 to 5 inches).
i just put about an ounce of water in each one, once a week. they are
not getting real big (perhaps limited by the root space in the small
pots), but seem to be healthy.



thank you very much,

fc