the root stock decay.you must cut down the scion.then leave the scion with
the wound facing up, in a dry spot under very bright yet indirect sunlight.

I guess you have watered it,right?

Yes I have, when the soil looks dry which is usually every 1 to 2 weeks

Is there any way I could save these?

it's hard to save it now.

That surviving pink offset would have to be grafted onto a new base. Not the easiest thing for beginners but it can be done. Perhaps you can youtube a good tutorial. Basically the bottom of the offset would be cut and at the same time the top off a suitable, new bottom. Your old stock (base) was a Hylocereus but other cacti can be used. There is a blue columnar cactus called Myrtillocactus that is often used and you can sometimes find at the stores. Right after cutting the two are placed together and the pink top weighted down a bit until the two heal together.

The pink part does not have chlorophyll, so it will die if you ever degraft it and try to root it allow. It must rely on a stock plant that has green in it for the plant to make food to survive.

Even as an amateur grower, I do not even know how to degraft and graft a cactus. It's not as easy as it sounds, but you can always try it as a last ditch effort.

My best advise is, toss the poor plant and avoid buying anymore grafted moon cactus like these. It's not a beginner plant, and it's an unnatural form of growing cacti.

Bernard

Thank you, I looked up a YouTube video on grafting and gave it a go. We'll see how well it goes in the next couple weeks

What did you graft it on?

Hope it will work, and pls. post a follow up.

I cut the rotten part of the original stock off and graphed it back onto that it hopes of saving both plants

Natalie, was there enough of healthy tissue? If there are any leftovers of rot, it will keep rotting.

Just wondering - did you take photo by any chance?

I also had the same thing happen to my moon cactus. I have wondered if maybe after the scion reaches a certain size it needs to be grafted to a larger rootstock ?

Anybody else have any opinions on this ?

Watering cactus "every one to two weeks" is way too much...Once a month is more appropriate. Cacti & succulents hold lots of water in their stems/stalks/leaves. During the winter, when cacti go onto dormancy, a light drizzle every other month is sufficient.

To properly graft this or any cactus, use a clean, sharp razor to slice off the bottom of the cactus you're placing on top. Do the same with the cactus you're using as root stock...This cactus should already be potted.

The most important step in this process is "marrying" or "matching" the rings that you see on the cut sides of the cactus. This is the cactus' "circulatory system." It's impossible to match all rings. The idea is to at least place one ring on top of the other cactus' rings...This is the point where the graft will fuse together.

Once you've positioned the graft, it must weighted down to be held in place while it fuses. Two appropriate sized rubber bands work very well. You can also use string but be careful not to cut into the cactus. It's a little tricky but you'll place under the bottom of the pot and stretch up over the cactus. Using the second rubber band, do the same in the opposite direction so that you have what resembles a plus sign over your cactus.

Leave in place about 2 months, then carefully cut the rubber band away so there is no pressure on the cactus.

I've successfully grafted many moon cactus pups this way. I recommend waiting until the pups are sizeable, about an inch or more in diameter before removing from the mother plant. I've never had any success with grafting small pups that broke off the mother. To remove all cactus pups, just twist right off at the base.

I hope you find this information beneficial.

I would toss it, chalk up to experience. Read up on cactus care before buying again. I do not water my cacti from November to March. Not a drop. These are short lived curiosities at best, honestly.

Christopher

Hi, Christopher!

Cactus & tropicals...We have the same taste in "greenery!" I was previously in zone 6, as well. Now I'm in zone 12.

I have a Euphorbia I'd like you to meet.

The crested one was the original mother plant. It was huge at one time but it was chopped down...a real travesty. The large, straight limbed euphorbia that you see was a cutting of the mother plant. As you can see, all the branches have grown in straight with no cresting. This particular plant has always fascinated me. When I lived

in New York, I took one small straight cutting home and got a beautiful crest on that one, just out of nowhere.

I agree with you in terms of watering as it applies to cold climates only. However, it's important to remember that cacti & succulents need to be watered in accordance to climate. I live in the Caribbean. During the winter months only few cacti go into dormancy here. If I cease to water them altogether, they will shrivel up and die. This happened to my mother's Echinopsis & Cereus. The large planting of Echinopsis was totally obliterated and the Cereus bent in half, yellowed, and dried out. These were planted in the garden.

While many cactus lovers hate Moon Cactus...Let's face it, they ARE unnatural oddities...Many people enjoy them for just that reason. A well grafted Moon Cactus can be enjoyed many years. I had mine for over eight years. Unfortunately (thanks, USPS), they were all beheaded during a recent transport. I chalked THAT up to experience!

To the original poster:

I'm so sorry you lost your plant, especially since your sister gave it to you. Get a new one, place it in a sunny window (loves strong afternoon sun), water it thoroughly every 1-2 months and allow all the water to drain through the drain holes before placing back into a saucer.. never allow it to sit in a saucer of water, and enjoy it. The colorful graft on top will start to shrivel a little bit when hasn't had enough water. That's a good indicator of how often your plant will need to be watered. As long as it looks healthy and its not shriveling, your plant is fine.

LatinLady, you have good taste. Nice Euphorbia lactea crested and normal you have there! Euphorbia are among my favourites, I love the sheer diversity of them.

Of course you are at an advantage with your climate. Mine have to spend the winter indoors.

Watering depends on the climate and many other factors. Being in the northeast, I don't water cacti in winter to give them a rest period.

Christopher

Check out these additional pictures of yet other cuttings from the mother plant. Although they appear to be grafted, they grow as pictured, both straight & crested together.

The crested piece just keeps growing within its undulations...very slowly, but fantastic!