Cactus enthusiast Dennis Hoidal has grown cacti and succulents for 15 years, and what began as hobby has developed into a full-time business with an inventory of close to one million plants. He became interested in growing cacti when he gave one plant to his wife as a gift. Intrigued by the striking blooms of cacti (figure A), he began buying more and more, then found they were easy to propagate. To propagate a cactus, Dennis first sterilizes his shears with isopropyl alcohol. He snips off a portion of the plant (figure B), dips the cut piece into rooting hormone and lays it aside in a dry area until the first signs of roots appear. He then places the cutting in a small pot filled with sterile potting soil (figure C). The surface of the soil is covered with a gravel mulch. Dennis keeps careful records of what he grows and how it has been cultivated in order to avoid making the same mistake twice. Good record-keeping can prevent costly mistakes. If grafted, certain varieties of cactus grow much more quickly than if left on their own rootstock (figure D). Once the grafted plants have become established, more cuttings can be taken.
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