Help rooting San Pedro?

[Azarius]

Slugs (or possibly snails) chewed this 6" top off a small San Pedro :/
Can anyone recommend a good way to root it?
Isnt there a theory that alkaloids deter consumption by pests/animals?!

Thnx!
-A

[laughingwillow]

I'd cut the bottom off with a sharp, clean blade and then maybe dip into rooting hormone before setting cutting in a dark place until roots start showing. Dont' worry about the damage on top. It should scar over and might eventually pup from there.

lw

[Azarius]

Thnx, will do! =)

btw it was snails  :roll:

[Stonehenge]

Snails did that? Never saw it around here and we have snails. You must have super snails.

LW is right. Just let it sit at least until it callouses over. Then you can put it in dry soil or leave it sit. The only advantage of putting it in dry soil is that the roots are more likely to form in the soil than in the air that way.

[visionarybear]

snails can be nasty..but that is some extreme munchage! id do as mentioned above, to deter the pests, u can use baits, but alot of people dont like to, so u can also use a coarse surface, such as egg shells, or smashed shells, they dont like crawling over them, or even make a moat around them to drown the buggers. potted or in ground? if potted, u could put a copper ring around the top of the pots, it burns the snails/slugs so they wont cross it..

[ngnyus]

Yeah, and I have also heard that pests will boost alkaloid levels, so no worries, just let it dry completely before you stick it back in the ground.

[JRL]

I have had snails do damage, they mostly like the growing tips. Never seem them eat like that, but that sure does look like snail shit on there.

Look for snails with paisley shells......

[jikuhchagi]

A little late to the party... :lol:

but I would think you wouldn't even need to cut off the bottom. I'd just let it callous over and plant the mo fo.

[Cassie]

I'm even laterer than him. I have had a lot of slug and snail damage over the years and that one looks like it has a chance of continuing to grow as a tip, rather than make pups from the damaged point.
I would do what jik said and just pot it up. I use woodashes to deter the slimy creatures. Replace after rain, works a treat. If you must use slug poison get the expensive, kinder, type and remember each plant needs only about 5 baits. People really tend to over-use that stuff.
Happy growing!

[neonfyr]

Dam'n those snails must be on a real bender.

[Stonehenge]

The thing I don't like is the black rot. I had a peru monstrose sent to me from africa and one lobe after another came down. I would cut off the infected lobe and it helped but I left it alone for a while and came back and every lobe and part was hollow and eaten out by rot. The whole thing died.