An EasyBloomer asked the following question..."Can you root cactus limbs?" A branch broke off from the main trunk of a cactus and it had several buds that were yet to open. Luckily, cacti are among the easiest plants to root. Many plants require some type of rooting compound/hormone to take root, but cacti do not need these compounds. They will take root on their own. There are some things that should be considered, however, when trying to get a cactus to root. If a branch breaks off, the cactus will be wounded. The cactus needs time for the wound to callous over. Place the broken cactus piece in a warm dry area. Cacti do not need water for long periods of time, so there should be no worry allowing several days (even several weeks) to go by while the wound callouses over. After the callous is fully developed, plant the piece of cactus in potting soil. The potting soil should drain very well. You could mix in some perlite or sand with the potting soil to increase the drainage. Also, cactus mix potting soil is available for purchase. The calloused portion of the cactus should be underneath the soil so that light does not penetrate to it. Water the cactus like you normally would (most people over-water cacti...I usually recommend that if you think you should water a cactus, you probably don't have to yet...give it some more time). The cactus should start producing roots fairly quickly. I hope this was helpful! Happy Gardening!!! --Robby
