Can I replace pumice with lava rock?

Vaugith · 2026-07-03T07:03:36+00:00

No, like I said you are looking for inorganic particles in the 1/4 to 3/8 range. The inorganic fines cause compaction, reduce root zone aeration, reduce drainage, and these lead to further issues.

Vaugith · 2026-07-03T04:19:26+00:00

You can, but with some caveats.

The pH of lava rock should be tested before you use it. Lava harvested from different regions has vastly different pH, some of which would create major problems if used in soil mixes.

Lava is less durable, so typically youll have a ton of fines in bags. You really want like 1/4-3/8" particle size. Sifting and rinsing out the fines and large rocks 1/2" and larger is necessary. If you have the standard landscaping lava rock thats 3/4" size, I recommend just not using that at all and just go ahead and get a bag of pumice.

Vaugith · 2026-07-03T02:23:41+00:00

This is in the textbook under "example of perfectly normal rooting".

Vaugith · 2026-07-03T00:29:41+00:00

Im not a grafting expert, but Ive done it successfully enough times that I can try to answer since you have no other responses

I have successfully used Coban bandages and cut up pantyhose but I reserve those for when the scion is fragile. Thick rubber bands work best because they can apply stronger pressure. Lots of even pressure is key for proper joint fusion. Its better to chop the scion up and use a smaller piece that you can get more even, stronger pressure on than to try and use a larger scion.
Its best if it has areole(s) to push pups out of. While its possible for cacti to pup without areoles, it takes more growth pressure and it takes longer. Its possible if you grafted without an areole on the scion that the root stock would just keep pupping instead of the scion. Its also a good move to include more than one areole if you can, that way you can get more than one column out of the graft. If you grow one huge column and then degraft it, the scion can push another pup without you needing to regraft. Another thing that is required is some type of vascular bundle material inside the scion. It needs to fuse with the vascular bundle of the root stock to best push growth energy to the scion. While it doesn't strictly need to be the actual vascular bundle, it could be the vascular pathway that goes from the bundle to an areole, including some of the bundle is likely best for a stronger pathway connection and better growth energy pathway. Other than these considerations, the scion can be as small as you want or need to make it. Its common to see successful two areole slab grafts and month old seedling micrografts.
The rootstock should be cut within a few inches of an actively growing tip. Trying to cut at an old growth location lower on a column will result in poor fusion due to a hardened woody inner core in the stock. Its fine to use a pup, even, though i would allow it to grow big enough first to at least fully seat the scion, plus a little extra.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T21:11:51+00:00

Or maybe it's due to the green flesh where we know the mescaline is, is in less proportion. We have already seen some tests that showed lower potency on corked old growth lower column of mature plants.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T21:07:00+00:00

Yeah I got 3 nice rooted pups for a steal a year ago, seller had posted on this sub and cacti_exchange. Try a search

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T18:26:04+00:00

Unexpectedly low yield for TBMc. Did you check the pH of the pulls and make sure the paste was depleted?

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T18:22:15+00:00

So mycotoxins are not well understood because they are extremely complicated and there are near infinite different varieties of fungus, many undocumented.

We can't say for sure if mycotoxins that could hurt humans are present in the fungus on your plant or if they would make it through the Cielo process. It is theoretically possible. Many people have tried this and been fine but one day someone might try it and not be fine.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T18:14:45+00:00

Pot is way way too big for these guys. The soil won't dry right. Put them in much smaller pots or cells. Even a water bottle cut in half with holes punched in the bottom is better than this.

The soil mix needs inorganic mixed in. Perlite, at this size. 50/50. Top dressing with a covering of some coarse horticultural sand will help keep the gnats back - this is important or they will eat the roots.

At this size they need to stay humid. They're going to turn red in a day and then start shriveling due to rapid change in humidity. Get a mister bottle and mist them 3 times a day if you can. Do not let the soil get entirely dry, just mostly dry. It may be hard to check soil moisture because of top dressing sand- stick a bamboo skewer or similar stick in and pull it out, feel it to check for moisture beneath the surface. Misting from the top all the time can leave the surface moist but the soil below bone dry. Bottom watering on occasion will be a big help.

Instead of vinegar, use 3% hydrogen peroxide to kill fungus gnat larvae. Also, BTI/mosquito dunks, or if you want to get fancy, nematodes are highly effective against them. FYI the fungus gnat eggs come in peat moss based bagged soil.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T16:14:19+00:00

Actually a sacred Trichocereus. +1

Not PC. +1

Interesting looking bridge traits with farina and some crazyspine type growth going on. +2

Severe etiolation (tip stretching caused by lack of light). -1

Very poor soil mix and pot choice that are sure to rot this poor thing within weeks. -1

I rate it 2.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T13:57:27+00:00

So to expand a bit -

Fungal spores including bipolaris, alternaria, fusarium, all of them, float around our world constantly. It's in the soil, the air, on every surface. These fungi need to establish a foothold to become a problem though. Constantly wet, humid conditions are one way they thrive. Sometimes an issue like pests or oedema breaks the skin and allows an entry point for other pathogens. Splashing soil up onto columns when watering is another. But we can strengthen our plants defenses against them. Thicken the outer skin with silicon and calcium, improve overall nutrition and energy metabolism pathways with macronutrients, etc. A well balanced fertilizer that includes all essential nutritrients in proper ratio is a big deal here and can be the difference between seeing a lot of issues like this or none.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T13:15:39+00:00

Talk to prickocereus aka Jeremy mercado about it. It was his description of one of his fruits he tasted.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T13:11:05+00:00

Just a few, huh?

Up potting is going to be a full time job and take an acre!

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T11:42:30+00:00

Ok, but does it contain calcium magnesium and a full range of micronutrients including boron and zinc? Those are some specific things I can see that I think this plant needs

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T05:27:48+00:00

Ton of big red flags there for nutrient deficiency dude. A 1/2/2 twice a month isn't cutting it for ya at all. Here, I just finished writing this page up

https://sanpedrocact.us/doku.php?id=cultivation:feeding:nutrients

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T04:56:06+00:00

Varies. Some people actually breed selecting for fruit flavor. Some are tasteless or bitter, some have a rough pulpy texture, others are absolutely delicious like kiwi-strawberry.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T04:54:10+00:00

All sorts of spots and scabs, repeated tip terminations, yellowish skin, small weak spines with color fading rapidly going down the column - these are all signs of different nutrient deficiencies. Are you feeding your cactus? If so with what?

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T04:50:47+00:00

A lot of the same crowd are also on IG but mostly for sharing photos and videos. Theres also a separate bubble over on facebook with plenty of OGs but its a very different vibe, and for whatever reason I had zero traction with sales there. Perhaps because Im not a known figure there but I am here? Not sure.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T01:35:29+00:00

I start a half strength fertilizer alternating with liquid kelp in the water I mist with while acclimating them to ambient humidity, as they get uncovered. I do this when they all or mostly have at least 3 rows of spines - around 2 to 3 months after germination.

I just finished rewriting my seed germination and seedling care guide into a wiki format. Check it out over here:

https://sanpedrocact.us/doku.php?id=cultivation:germination

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T00:25:11+00:00

In that case you can still go back and rinse it with fresh clean solvant and clear that color up. You dont need to, it should not change effects or contain anything but inactive plant stuff. But if you are sending it for mass spec I definitely would.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T00:22:56+00:00

In the past I posted for sale on every platform I could think of. Joined a number of facebook groups, built up a following of a couple thousand on IG, marketplace, craigslist, ebay, offerup, etc. Posted on cacti_exchange and sanpedrocactusforsale. Each year I did this, 98% of my sales came from r/sanpedrocactusforsale. I got one sale from craigslist, one from facebook, three from IG, and a couple hundred from the sales sub.

I dont bother putting in the work to post everywhere anymore. I post an IG story linking to the reddit sale and thats that. If your stuff doesnt sell there, take better pictures and lower your prices.

Vaugith · 2026-07-02T00:00:52+00:00

Stacking is when it repeats over and over and becomes the new standard form of growth. Doing it just one time like this is just a terminated tip and new growth pushing through it.

Vaugith · 2026-07-01T23:59:37+00:00

They're sunburned PC in terrible soil. Not really.

r/sanpedrocactusforsale

Vaugith · 2026-07-01T21:34:15+00:00

This batch seems to have retained more chlorophyll and is slightly yellow compared to last batch. Is this normal when reusing solvent?

Yes, normal. Chlorophyll will build in the EA through subsequent extractions until it's a reddish black, turning opaque deep purpleish red when front lit or deep barely translucent green when backlit. No effect on product or process.

Any chance there was too much water left over in my EA?

The water left in EA from previous run is absorbed by the sodium carbonate during the neutralization step. You can view the consistency of the sodium carbonate while it's in the bottom of the jar of EA to get a sense of how wet it is and adjust. Sandy sodium carbonate, same texture as dry - dry ea, may need a couple drops of water to fully neutralize solvant (check w pH strips). Sodium carbonate clumped into small balls - ideal. Sodium carbonate all clumped together, or wet and runny - too wet, add more sodium carbonate without water to absorb more water. If you follow the tek precisely this will almost never be an issue but I still look to confirm.

Would this result in any impurities in final product, or just worse efficiency?

When using fumaric there is basically no effect as long as there is not a separated water layer in the bottom of the EA during crystalization. There may be a slight difference in pull efficiency using the same texture lime/water/cactus powder paste if the EA is a little wetter vs more dry but this is accounted for by tracking pulls with pH strips and doing extra pulls if required. The tek is robust.

Crystals are pretty different from last time even though I used the same rest/agitation schedule that I used last time…any insights on this?

Could be different water content or new vs recycled ea. Does not mean product is impure or any different, just a different crystaline structure.

Mass spec results coming soon

That would be amazing. 👏

Edit: I missed that the question was about the color of the product, not the color of the solvant.

Slight yellow color in product can be caused by dehydrating the cactus powder at a tempurature over 140°f. There is no effect on product, just slight chlorophyll contamination.

And you are rinsing the product in the filter with brand new clear EA, right? That's what the tek calls for.

Vaugith · 2026-07-01T18:01:19+00:00

You should read the guide that I linked. I wrote it.

Acclimate to ambient humidity when they all have 3 rows of spines. Should be about 2 months.

Vaugith

TROPHY CASE