On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 17:07:53 -0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 16:34:28 -0000, "James Wilkinson Sword"
wrote:

Thanks for everybody's help. Anyone know how I can duplicate a cactus? I've got 5 of them, completely different varieties. They all have a single stem from the earth though, so cutting in half in the same way wouldn't work.

Cuttings of cacti are easy. If they have branching 'leaves' or side
shoots, just cut off one or two where they join the main stem, using a
sharp knife or Stanley knife blade. Leave the bits you've cut off
lying around for two or three days in a warmish place to let the cut
surface dry and callous over, and then pot them up into damp sand in a
pot with drainage holes, keep them in a warm place and they will
happily root. But just make sure the sand is only damp and stays that
way, never soaking wet, otherwise the cuttings will rot.

If they're just tall straight cacti with no side branches, you can
just cut off the top few inches and repeat the drying and potting, as
above, but it will disfigure the original plant.

Thanks.

--
I consider exercise vulgar, it makes people smell. -- Alec Yuill Thornton