r/Ariocarpus

This is currently my only Ariocarpus. I got this 5 months ago. I got it from the person who sowed the seed and it is around 3 years old. I have had it outside ever since I got it. I did have it in almost full sun and noticed the sun stress was causing some purple color which was cool but I was afraid too much might be detrimental. Since then I have moved it to pretty much part sun and the purple has gone and it is now more green as it was when I got it. I have a few cacti but this one is my favorite. I know they are fairly slow growing but it has grown quite a bit I think. The first picture was taken yesterday and the second was maybe a month after getting it. Any tips? Thanks

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for a second opinion from experienced Ariocarpus growers—especially those running indoor LED setups. My two older ariocarpus plants from my otherwise young collection are showing signs of stress. Im wondering if there is a reason for bigger worry and what could be done to improve their condition.

I’ve uploaded a few photos for context:
Before (October 2025): Plumper, greener, and actively growing.
After (Present): Severe tubercle shrinkage, bronzing, and deflated lower tissue.
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My Setup & Parameters:
Lighting: SpiderFarmer SF-300 LED (33W running at 27 cm distance, 12 h/day, DLI ~11.4).
Substrate: 100% inorganic grit (pumice/lava blend).
Wintering History: Spent winter outside (sheltered from rain, but exposed to cold ambient Dutch humidity, winter, yet other smaller seedling have survived it alright).

Other ariocarpus also has some similar spots. I removed them from the bag and put next to a small fan for 20 minutes for now.

Hello! I recently got this ario about 3 weeks ago online and potted it up a few days after. I watered it for the time about last week but now it just feels super weak and hollow. It feels like i can just pull out its tubercles because they’re so weak. Did I do something wrong?😭 The soil is like 10% organic and mostly pumice, decomposed granite, zeolite, and azomite.

I have vigilantly collected the most powerful cacti grafting rootstocks from around the world and propogated them out. Offering variety bundles of multiple species so that grafters can try them out, because they all have pros and cons, and everyones environment is different which matters. An opportunity to test multiple out in one order. (I had to pay shipping on almost all of them after a ton of research to identify them)

Pics 1-4 are of SOME of my favorite grafts currently on a variety of rootstock. 5-11 are pics of some of the rootstock species mother plants, 12-19 are some of the cuttings and rooted rootstock that Im ready to make bundles of for you. Mix and match. The grey shelf trays are 2'x3', the tip of my thumb to pinky tip is 9". (Pics of cuttings on shelves are not bundles, but currently available cuttings that can be included in bundles). Pic 19 is of an example $100 bundle. Pic 20 is of a $140 farmers bundle with chonkier plants, some well rooted, ready to launch into mother plants.

Well rooted plants worth about 2x a cutting of the same size, better deals on uglies.

Dragonfruit (great pusher, roots fast/well, won't support a scion after it gets bigger than an egg, watch out for root rot.

Acanthocereus Tetragonus (NOT Fairycastle) A beast. Like dragonfruit, but can push much larger scions and support them. This is a secret weapon.

Opuntias; In a cactus family more distantly related than most, making union success somewhat lower, but push well when unions take. Also generally hardy. All species I have here are spineless or near spineless which is a big deal because you don't want to mess with Glochids. They do quite well with Tephrocactus. Elata= great for micrografting Ellisiana= cold hardy, full sun and extreme heat hardy, vigorous grower. Possibly a bit harder than the other opuntias to form a successful union. (Probably THE most cold hardy rootstock I have) Opuntia Ficus Indica= this is the primary food production cactus, both paddle and fruit. Grows vigorously, not as cold hardy as Ellisiana. Opuntia Burbank Spinless= similar to Ficus Indica in that the paddles and fruit are edible, but less desirable as a food source. Some might consider it a more attractive mature plant. Definitely a vigorous grower.

Leafy Cacti;
(all of these have glochids that suck, consider gloves or finger protectors) Pereskipopsis Spathulata= If you are just starting out and you have time to water and tend your grafts a few times per week, this should be one of your first rootstocks. It grows fast, loves water (you CAN overwatch, but its hard), pushes arguably harder than any species. Propagates and roots fast. It will give you a steady flow of rootstock after you get going. These things are fantastic, BUT, they are finicky, and lose their leaves kinda easily which never grow back. Later on, not a big deal because the scion will often collect enough light itself. Gotta watch them. Eventually you will want less finicky species. Pereskipopsis Aquosa= larger close relative of Spatulata, similar traits. Doesn't push quite as fast in my experience (haven't used Aquosa much yet, got it more recently), but can support the growth of a larger scion than Spath. Quiabentia Zehntneri= slightly lower scion success rate than pereskiopsis, but much less prone to leaf loss over time. Also tends to produce the adult form traits in the scion. Can propogate and root fast. Burgundy leaf tips near the top, actually an attractive looking plant. Much better for longer term, larger scion growth.

Selenecereus Grandiflorus; Tied with pereskiopsis spathulata for the best micrografting rootstock IMO. Pushes moderately well, but not as fast as Pere. Much less finicky than pere, no leaves to lose. Has a decent water reserve on its trunk. Doesn't need to be watered as often. More dependable. Roots fast and well. Grows fast for propagation, but not quite as fast as Pereskiopsis spathulata. Puts out a lot of Arial roots which can be guided down into the soil when cut in sections. Grafting can be done anywhere along the vine. My recommendation is to cut the vine into aproximately 4" sections, trying to get an arial root on the lower part of each section when possible. Let callous, bury with Arial root guided into soil. Wait 2-3 weeks before slicing a thin layer off of the top to graft on.

"Uber Grandi"; (unofficial nickname I use to identify a particularly nice grandi hybrid I came across) This pups like crazy which is a blessing and a curse. Keep pruning the pups when they are tiny to keep the growth powering scion growth. If you want to multiply strong rootstock, this is a champ. I will advise to use the tilt method for this which encourages more new basal pups than pups near the top. Basal pups are better because when you remove them they have some roots, and take off much faster. "Uber Grandi" also has shorter, stiffer spines than other grandis to trichocereus generally, so its easier to handle. Its rather disease resistant also. It can grow thick, tall, and FAST if pampered. It pushes well, doesnt need a lot of room for roots relative to its size. Slightly cold hardy if it isnt wet.

Sun Goddess; Widely coveted as one of the best rootstocks and possibly the "gold standard" for large long term grafts. It grows fat, and encourages fat growth in its scions. Pups well, grows and roots at a good rate.

PC; "predominant cultivar" trichocereus. Rumors say it has something else mixed in with the trichocereus genes, but regardless, it is common because it grows well and fast. Nearly spineless is a bonus for handling it during grafting. A good, cheaper rootstock. Can be prone to diseases or rot more than some others. Not especially hardy.

Trichocereus Spachianus; (Aka "Golden Torch") I have personally not yet attempted to graft on it. It is highly regarded by many grafters though, some insisting it is the best they have tried. Quite possibly a regional favorite. Can be more prone to infection/rust than some other species it seems to me. Nice contrasting color if the spines would likely look nice.

Myrtillocactus geometrizans; (Aka blue candle cactus) This is a favorite of a LOT of grafters near me. Not because cold hardy, its not. Bring it inside in the winter. Can tolerate quite a bit of heat. It looks cool, has a nice blue color, not many spines, grows pretty fast with a good thickness for holding a large scion over time.

Harriisia Jusbertii; (I dont have enough of this to sell or trade yet this year) It is renowned as an excellent rootstock for medium scions because it rarely branches making it lower maintenance, it has rather attractive short spines, and tends to push the natural form of the scion. I haven't been able to grow mine to the size where I have experienced vigorous growth yet however.

Bigfoot Peruzco; New growth has awesome yellow glowing spines when the sun hits them right, but as the spines get older and lower on the trunk the color dulls. Anyway, tends to bring out cool spinage in the scions. Worthy. Speedy grower, rooter and pusher. Scions dont seem to grow as fat on this than some other species, but its a good one.

*please save, comment, share so this post gains traction and I dont have to repeat it a bunch.

$100 minimum orders, buyer pays shipping. CASHAPP only, allow about a week to ship and be flexible about shipping time.

I have had these plants for years and know that they did not look like this before. I went out to check on everything and noticed this white stuff. Is it bugs?
None of the other plants around them have anything like it. Took some pics of some smaller ones i have that dont seem to have it. Anyone seen this before? Should i quarantine them? Please help!!