Aloha
I have some trichos that need transplanting and could also be cut and cloned.
I was wondering how you all thought about transplants, rooting, and cactus energetics.
When making cuttings, I always think about vegetative tissue : root ratio.
Should I transplant the entire cactus and let it root before I take a cutting?
Maybe the bigger the cactus, the more energy it will have to re-establish in the new soil.
or
Should I take a cutting, and then transplant the rooted cactus? The idea here is that during a transplant the roots might suffer and a smaller vegetative tissue : root ratio is preferable. However, unlike the previous condition, the plant will have less energy to work with, so re-rooting could conceivably suffer.
I want to maximize the health and vigor of these transplants.
Transplanting surely, even in its best form will damage the roots slightly, raising the vege tissue : root ratio. However, cutting and then transplanting would lower the vege tissue : root ratio.
I know cacti cuttings don't need roots to be temporarily sustained--in fact it is good to let the callous form before rooting cuttings. But with normal plants, rooting a cutting usually requires one to remove vegetative tissue (leaves) so that the plant can survive with a diminished root system. Cacti are clearly different.
But what do you think? Do "untrimmed" cacti re-root more vigorously than "trimmed" cacti?