The Beauty of Meat Plant Cultivation Knowledge: Meidou's Raising Skills
In comparison with the experience of most people with regards to the beauty of meat plants like Meidou, the following is an introduction to the cultivation skills of Meidou's beauty by the editor for netizens.
1. The Charm of Meidou
Meidou's dignified posture, the white dots embedded on its lush green skin, and the elegant air of its wart hair create a wonderful balance and solemnity that is captivating and never boring. With the continuous horticultural improvement by many enthusiastic爱好者, Meidou has become such a beautiful variety, which is unique among cacti. Meidou is cherished by many, and while enjoying its charm, there are also some unique cultivation methods for it.
2. Cultivation of Meidou
The native habitat of Meidou is in the eastern part of Mexico, where the rainy season is very humid and hot. Meidou often grows under the sparse bushes with weak light and the soil retains moisture well, with 2/3 of the ball buried in the soil and the roots growing straight.
(1) Soil Preparation
The most difficult part of planting wild plants in pots is soil preparation. It is very important to choose soil that retains moisture without becoming too wet and that drains well. For moisture retention, a soil mix with akadama as the main ingredient is very good, as it can grow thick, vertical roots. Soil with sand as the main ingredient results in finer roots for Meidou. To ensure drainage, the soil should be sieved to remove fine particles, thereby solving the problem of root rot caused by excessive watering. However, this also leads to the issue of the soil drying out quickly, which can only be solved by adjusting the watering rhythm.
Soil Ingredients and Mix Ratio
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Akadama Soil 4
Lightweight Stone 2
Hiraga Soil 2
Vermiculite 1
Charcoal or Rice Husk Charcoal 1
Decomposed Leaf Soil 2
Usage and Particle Size
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Seedling Use 1.0～1.5mm
Medium Ball Use 1.5～3.0mm
Large Ball Use 3.0～5.0mm
Hard akadama soil is preferred, small particles of hiraga soil, vermiculite has moisture retention and lightweight properties. Charcoal absorbs microorganisms and can promote root growth.
The above is a basic soil mix. It's fine to omit one or two types other than akadama soil, decomposed leaf soil, and charcoal, and adding kusonue sand or katsura soil is also acceptable. In short, there is no need to adhere to a specific formula; what's important is not to store water between sand-like particles, allowing excess water to flow naturally.
(2) Pots
In terms of aesthetics, using ceramic pots is无可厚非. But from a cultivation perspective, it is recommended to use black plastic orchid pots. Although they do not have good ventilation, there is no problem if the above soil mix is used. There is nothing better than plastic pots for raising the temperature of the pot. This is not limited to Meidou; the root growth of all cacti depends on the rise of ground temperature. Keeping the pot warm is an important task, and from this perspective, black plastic pots are ideal. Also, keep a gap between pots and always ensure the pots receive plenty of sunlight.
(3) Root Pruning and Potting
For pots below medium size, the soil should be changed every year, and for large pots, it can be changed every 2 years.
The method is to place fermented chicken manure as a base fertilizer on the large particles of soil at the bottom of the pot and cover the surface with large particles of soil to prevent the soil below from being washed away when watering. Plant a bit deeper to increase the sense of weight. From experience, repotting between April and July will not fail. Meidou roots need a high temperature of about 40°C (about 15°C at night) to start growing, which is not reached in March. Meidou can bloom in late February, and if repotted with other cacti in early spring, the roots may suffer from red rot due to low temperature and humidity, which often leads to failure. The reason for setting the deadline at July is to allow the roots to fully grow by winter, preventing the occurrence of the fatal waist裂纹 that can happen to Meidou. Once a crack occurs, it may recover in the spring but will happen year after year and cannot be completely cured.
The method of pruning roots is to shake off the soil from the roots, remove the fine roots by hand, and cut off the thick roots at the bottom of the ball 2-3 cm with a razor blade. Let it sit for a week to dry before planting. When pruning roots, check for red rot on the cross-section of the roots and remove any affected areas.
In addition to the above method, there is another method that completely removes the roots from the base of the Meidou. In mid-February, dig up the Meidou and completely remove the roots, then dry it indoors before planting in mid-March. This method can reduce the rotting of Meidou but requires a greenhouse and temperature control.
Another method is to not cut the thick roots, shake off the soil, let it sit for one day, and then plant it. Various methods have their pros and cons, and there is no unified standard; you can refer to and implement them accordingly.
(4) Watering
Meidou loves water and it is best to keep the soil moist. During the growing season from April to October, water from the top every 3 days (note: this refers to a full sunlight greenhouse environment, do not copy), and during the dormant period in winter, water once every 2 weeks (also referring to a greenhouse environment). Completely stopping watering is bad for Meidou physiologically and is a cause of waist cracks. Abundant sunlight and strong roots allow Meidou to survive the cold winter.
(5) Sunlight Protection
Give Meidou the best sunlight, although it can tolerate quite strong light, it originally prefers soft sunlight. Use 50% shading in the summer, observe the color of Meidou, and adjust according to your own environment.
(6) Diseases
Meidou is prone to the red rot disease mentioned earlier, which is not caused by bacteria and should be considered from a physiological perspective. Low temperature, insufficient sunlight, and excessive humidity will inevitably cause red rot. Meidou roots have subtle characteristics and are very resistant to diseases caused by general bacteria, making the use of fungicides completely unnecessary.
3. Meidou Seedlings
In order to obtain ideal Meidou, enthusiastic爱好者 repeatedly carry out seedlings. However, the possibility is very low, with one seedling out of a fruit capsule (about 200 seeds), and some say one in a thousand. To be considered a premium variety, it is one in ten thousand. Meidou seedlings are very easy, from mating to fruiting in just 3 weeks, and 100% germinate after sowing. If all goes well, they can grow to 5 cm in 3 years and start flowering for selection. Seed collection is best done during the growing season in May to June, with one flower per plant per year. Meidou inherits the genetic genes of the parent plant more.
One of the things Meidou is proud of is that it is a pure line. There are no hybrid varieties with Meidou as the mother plant, and it does not accept pollen from other species. There is a large phoenix Meidou (the mother plant is in front, the father plant is behind), but not a Meidou large phoenix. This is also one of its charms.
4. Cultivating White Meidou
This is a problem that troubles many people. Buying a pure white Meidou, but it soon gets dirty. In areas with continuous hot and humid summer nights, it is not easy to keep the Meidou hair clean. A dry and cool environment is needed in the summer. While it cannot be said that regional factors are decisive, it must be admitted that there are regional differences. High temperature, humidity, and strong light are the main factors that prevent the cultivation of clean white Meidou hair.
So how can you keep the Meidou hair clean?
(1) Do not place Meidou in a high humidity greenhouse
(2) Place it on a cement floor to prevent the rise of ground moisture
(3) Water in the early morning on sunny days
(4) Shade to provide soft light
(5) Ventilate well in the summer
If you can do the above five points, you should be able to achieve considerable results. Regarding watering, some water from the top, others immerse the pot, and experts in various regions all water from the top, so there is no need to delve deeper into this.
5. About Premium Meidou Varieties
In merchant sales catalogs, Meidou is always named after a master, and these Meidou may be seedlings of the master, but they are not the same as the premium varieties owned by the master. Without the name of a master, it is difficult to sell, which is a dilemma for merchants. The wisest approach when choosing is to use your own eyes.
6. Conclusion
Every plant has its profound aspects, from seedlings to growing specimen balls, there should be no room for failure. Nothing compares to the joy of nurturing a plant with one's own efforts. To grow plants well, it is important to understand the native environment, grasp the growing season, step away from the book, and work on the cultivation conditions and soil mix to achieve good results.
The specific content of the sharing of the cultivation knowledge of Meidou is forbidden to copy without permission!