Gray Ghost & Neon Cactus

The Gray Ghost Organ Pipe Cactus is actually a Stenocereus pruinosus. I am so happy I found this one today! It was rather by accident. You see, my Gray Ghost is no longer looking like this! I used it today to graft my Neon Cactus onto. But, I have saved the top of the Gray Ghost and hope to root it in the coming months as I did three years ago when it broke off with the help of clumsy landscapers. It needs very little water and can take a bit of cold but the sun scorched it a couple of years ago and it wasn't looking so good. So, anyway, when I was looking up how to graft a cactus, I found a picture of the Gray Ghost! "That's it!," I exclaimed.

So this is a Gymnocalycium mihanovichii 'Red Top' or Ruby ball or Neon Cactus. It is a cactus that is bred without any chlorophyll and grafted onto a green stock that makes its food. It will flower but rarely. If you put it in the sun, its color will fade as I believe mine has a little. Too much light, I guess.

So, a couple of weeks after I took this picture, the stock cactus (the base) rotted. It happened very quickly. I guess I had overwatered it. I hate it when it is a surprise. Anyway, I had to do something very quickly if I wanted to save the Neon. So, now, the Neon sits on top of my Gray Ghost stock. I cut each cactus and put them together then taped them down. Soon, they are supposed to fuse together and I will remove the tape. We will see if it works! I'll learn something anyway!