Ah, the trichocereus pachanoi. What a wonderful plant. Its beautiful smooth green skin calms me, and at the same time its phallic resemblance excites me in ways I never imagined a plant could. Among all my plants, my pachanoi come first in my heart, and so here on these electrons you see before you, I try to give something back to these lovely organisms by helping you propagate and care for their kind. Keep in mind that my way of doing things is not necessarily the best, it's just what's worked for me. Also, these tips should work just as well for trichocereus peruvianus.

How to tell if it's a pachanoi
The trichocereus pachanoi is a tall, branching columnar cactus. It has anywhere from 4-10+ ribs. Its spines are short, growing in a star-like pattern from fuzzy aureoles. They bloom at night with large white flowers.

Making babies
So, you fancy yourself a green thumb, eh? Even if you don't, growing pachanoi from seed shouldn't be too difficult, and is definitely a worthy endeavor. There are two ways to go about doing this, organic or not. In both cases, you need some sort of a flat tray (aluminum pie tins or shallow plastic trays work well), Zip-lock freezer bags, cactus potting soil, and some good seed. The object of both methods is to prevent fungal growth, which can claim the lives of many a young cactus.

For the organic method, think mushrooms. You need to create as sterile an environment as possible for the little guys. Sterilizing any tools you work with and your hands before you start is a very good idea. Begin by putting about 1/2” of soil in the bottom of your tray. Now, either put the tray in the microwave or the oven and cook them until they're steaming and quite hot to the touch. When they're done, and the lovely aroma of roasted soil is wafting about the room, pull them out and place them in the plastic bags. If you've used pie tins, be sure they're cool enough so that they don't melt the bags. After they've cooled down, it's time to add the seeds. Just open the bags a little and sprinkle the seeds evenly over your tray. Next, you have to be sure there's enough water. Remember, these seedlings like it wet! You should use either distilled water, or tap water that's been boiled. I've found that using a spray bottle works very well. In any case, you want the soil to be very wet, but not mud. Now it's time to seal the bags and hope for the best.

If you want to make things a little easier on yourself, you can use a fungicide for the cacti. A downside to this is that the fungicide may decrease your germination rate, although I have found that the quality of seed has a much greater effect (if you can, patronize Mesa Gardens). Go to your local hardware store and get a fungicide that contains Daconil. Mix up a half-strength solution in a spray bottle. Add about 1/2” of soil to your tray, and spread the seeds evenly on the top. Now give the soil a good soaking with the fungicide. Put the trays in a freezer bag, seal, and you're ready to go.