MAKING THE CASE FOR Cuttings
When my mother, Beatrice, passed away, I inherited a small, struggling Christmas cactus that was barely clinging to life. It was little more than a handful of scales on two branches. The poor thing had been left in a back room, largely forgotten during her lingering illness. But five years later, this plant has recovered, growing to easily four times in size, if not more.
Even before it came into my care, this plant was a treasured family heirloom, belonging first to my paternal grandmother, Laura Weidman. I can remember a time when it spread an easy 2 feet in width, filling its pot with arching falls of leaves and blooms.
Now, the time has come to take cuttings of this treasured Christmas cactus for family members, to ensure it lives on as a legacy to first Laura, then Beatrice. No pressure.
Propagating new plants by rooting cuttings seems to defy logic: Break off a chunk of plant, stick it in dirt, and expect it not just to live, but also to grow new roots and become a new plant all its own. That might sound as unrealistic as cutting off your own pinky
