Pereskiopsis grafts

A month old grafting of Sclerocactus spinosior on Pereskiopsis.

I made my first succesful attempts at grafting many years ago but didn't really grasp the full potential of this technique in cold northern climates like mine until my friend Paul Davydov came along onto the scene. Now increasingly it seems to me like the use of grafting, especially in cold climates, is one of those things that sets apart the truly expert from the amateur.

This year I've made more graftings than ever before, many just purely experimental. Among these were a number of graftings on Pereskiopsis stock. I found that my success rate with this stock, without physical aids to pressure the joint, was not as high as touted by many advocates. I've concluded that Myrtillocactus stock with "magic elastic" (Mme) is much more satisfactory giving me excellent results with even the smallest of seedlings. With "Mme" even smaller than pinhead size seedlings of Aztekium and Blossfeldia were grafted successfully!

Of course there are many that will argue contra, as I used to, that grafting produces unnatural looking plants severely limiting the usefulness of this technique. To which the pro side can produce many arguments in rebuttal;
1/Plants on their own roots in cultivation are usually also unnatural in appearance because they are most often overwatered and over fertilized.
2/Many species are almost impossible to raise to a significant stature on their own roots (especially in cold climates) because they are slow growing or just difficult.
3/The grafting can be masked by using a short stock and/or burying the stock for show purposes.
4/A stock species which produces a more natural appearance in the scion can be chosen.
5/Graftings can be degrafted and rerooted to produce larger natural looking plants much faster.
6/Grafting allows faster and more reliable propagation of rare and difficult to grow material.
7/Many species are not available to the collector as mature plants on their own roots. However most species are available as seed which can be grown most rapidly and reliably as a graft.
8/Grafting can be used to save diseased material that is rare and precious.

Month old grafting of Mammillaria herrerae on Pereskiopsis.