Rooting Christmas cactus

Help! My bad dogs have managed to knock over one of my christmas cactuses. It is in full flower and the bits they have knocked off are quite large- 2 Y shaped pieces with about 6 segments on each, + flowers. When I have tried to root them before I have just stuck them in water and sometimes roots have developed and more often not. When I have put them in compost they have always died.
It is my favourite yellowy one with cerise stamens, so would really appreciate it if anyone has an idiot proof method of propagation, please?

 

Try just laying them on the surface, and just give them an occasional spray, Liz, not really the best time of the year for it at the moment though, is it?

 

Try some the regular way (single segment the right way up) and also some leaf cuttings.

Split a segment lenght-wise either side of the central vein and then stand them edge on in some free draining compost with bit of extra grit worked into the surface.

Either way, keep them in shaded light and misted with water every second or third day. Using a poly bag will probably make them rot so let the air circulate but stand on a gravel tray with 1/2 of water in it to help with humidity. Don't stand the pots in the water though, raise it up on some bigger stones. Keep an even temperature round about 15C.

It's very much a personal thing but I don't like hormone rooting powder (never works for me) so I use well rotted garden compost which seems to have more rampant hormones than a teenager! I also have a suspicion that cuttings like company. Singles rarely do so well but put four or more (I usually do 7 in a pot - one central and six round about it) and they strike much better.

[ 25. January 2006, 12:18 AM: Message edited by: frogesque ]

 

Thanks both, I now have enough pieces to try every method twice.I may have been blaming dogs when something else was afoot. Although it was out of their reach the plant has now dropped 2/3rds of its' branches. I have heard that they don't like being moved- when the buds started flowering it was on the kitchen windowsill, I moved it to the front room where it is a bit warmer in an effort to be kind to it. The kitchen is 50-60 f and the living room 55-65f. Would draughts be a factor? This has never happened to me before, my plants are usually moved to the front room when in flower. The pink and white ones are OK. :(
Here are all the broken branches:-


The remains of the plant viewed from side where branches dropped:-


and the poor flowers [these are mobile phone pics and look pinker than they really are. Also please forgive quality of pics. due solely to my ineptitude!
:(

 

Yes indeed moving them can cause a problem. I have one that is 18 years old. Flowered brilliantly in the kitchen - then I moved it to another room, flowering stopped, and whilst branches did not drop,som withered and then fell. Its back in the kitchen :D

 

I accidently knocked some stems off my Christmas cactus recently (too many people partying round my house!!), I put them in a glass of water on the window sill. They're got a few little roots now so I'll plant them up properly. I prefer to do it this way cos I can see what's happening.