Bolivian Torch outlet: a B grade Trichocereus bridgesii cutting
Trichocereus bridgesii, usually sold as the Bolivian Torch, is a fast growing columnar cactus from the high deserts of Bolivia. In the wild it reaches two to five metres with stems fifteen to twenty centimetres thick. Among the indigenous people of Bolivia it is known, like the related T. pachanoi, as Achuma or Wachuma. The knobbly growth form of this species picked up the trade nickname penis cactus.
This one comes from the outlet and has been set aside as B grade. That is not the same as faulty: a cutting lands in this bin because of scars from earlier cuts, a discoloured patch, a corky area or a shape too crooked for the standard sorting. Marks like that will not grow out, but they say nothing about how well the plant grows. What you receive is an unrooted cutting rather than a potted plant. Pick your length when ordering: 10 to 12, 25 to 30 or 50 to 60 centimetres.
Rooting a cutting
Let the cut surfaces dry for a week or two in an airy, shaded spot until a firm callus has formed; planting straight into damp soil is the quickest way to lose a cutting. Then stand it upright in dry, free draining cactus soil with plenty of coarse sand, perlite or pumice, and give no water for the first fortnight. After that, keep the regime lean and water only once the mix has dried out completely. Roots form best in warmth and bright light, though the fresh cut should stay out of harsh midday sun.
Related cacti
Avalon Magic Plants also stocks the regular Trichocereus bridgesii in several sizes, the potted Bridgesii monstrose and Trichocereus cuzcoensis.
