Psychedelic Cactus Garden
San Pedro is a cacti which falls into the same family as Peyote. It grows fast (up to 12 inches per year) and easily replicates from cuttings.
I have a small garden growing in my cold frame which is made from old windows. It consists mainly of San Pedro with a few Peruvian Torch cacti (also in the family). The smaller plants were grown from seed, the larger ones are cuttings from one tall cacti.
San Pedro is legal to grow, it only becomes a controlled substance once you chop it up or extract the mescaline.
I used to have these plants indoors and they did very well. The only problem is that they don't go dormant in the winter if they are warm. They will still grow and, with less sunlight, they grow more slender. Hefty growth in the summer with slim growth during winter makes them irregular shaped which can lead to breakage.
I planted them in the ground this summer and you can see the irregular growth in these pictures. There is also some insect damage, there was none when they were indoors. In a few years the pups should be quite large.
San Pedro is cold hardy to 5 degrees F. as long as it is not excessively wet. Good drainage is necessary as well as protection from frost.
The flowers of San Pedro are beautiful and short lived, perhaps to remind us of the beauty and fleeting nature of life.
San Pedro is a powerful medicine and ally which should always be used respectfully.
Here are mine grown from cuttings
if you zoom in on the smaller one, it is growing from the side of a root trunk. I'm curious to see how it grows as it gets larger.
The larger one has a smaller fresh growth which is growing really well. I'm a little worried about how small the trunk is near the pot compared to the width it is growing further up.
At what point should i plant in a larger pot do you think? And if they are getting too top heavy would you cut and replant? Any tips on making cuttings?
The pot sizes look good at the moment. Very nice cacti. The larger one looks top heavy, I would cut that up into three pieces. Cuttings should be at least 6 inches long. Too small of a cutting will dry out quickly and rot more easily.
To take cuttings, use a sharp knife and make a clean, horizontal cut. Let the ends dry out for a few days and roots will often times sprout. I usually wrap cuttings in a cloth and set them on a shelf with good air circulation. Simply place the cutting about 2 inches deep in cactus mix and it will sprout roots. No need for much water. Recently I tried laying a cutting down flat and covered halfway with soil. It has sprouted a few buds but is not as vigorous as vertically planted cuttings. Some of my cuttings have 3-4 new growing tips. The tip cutting will also make new growth from the bottom or even the top of it.
What do you find to be different in both growth patterns, and masculine content comparing San Pedro and Peruvian Torch? I've never grown a Peruvian Torch.
This is my first time growing Peruvian Torch which I've grown from seed. These babies are 3 years old. Growing from seed takes a long time which is why I prefer cuttings. I do like the idea of new genetics though instead of having a whole garden of cacti that originated from one plant. I've never seen a large Peruvian Torch in person though I do know they have larger thorns and girth. In the last picture I posted, it is the small cacti in the forefront. Very large thorns. I also planted Bolivian Torch which I believe is quite similar to the Peruvian one. I think its that lighter, greenish-grey colored one. From what I understand, the mescaline content varies from cacti to cacti based on many factors such as soil conditions, altitude, amount of sun received and age. Generally speaking, a cutting 12-15 inches in length is considered to be one dose for one person.