Cultivation and Maintenance Methods for Golden Tiger Cactus
Today, the editor will introduce some related content about the Golden Tiger Cactus, a type of succulent plant. Let's take a look at the cultivation and maintenance methods!
How to care for Golden Tiger Cactus and what details to pay attention to during its maintenance process, here is a brief introduction to the Golden Tiger Cactus: Golden Tiger, also known as Yellow-thorned Golden Tiger, is a very popular type of cactus in the Echinopsis genus of the cactus family. There are several main variants in cultivation, such as White-thorned Golden Tiger, Wild-thorned Golden Tiger, Short-thorned Golden Tiger, Golden Tiger Brocade, and Golden Tiger Crown.
The Golden Tiger is native to the desert areas of Mexico and is now cultivated in both southern and northern China. Golden Tiger enjoys plenty of sunshine and prefers fertile, well-draining sandy loam soil. During the hot summer, it should be appropriately shaded to prevent the body from being burned by strong sunlight.
Morphological characteristics: The Golden Tiger has a spherical stem, deep green body, densely covered with yellow hard spines, and the top of the ball is densely covered with golden fluffy hair; the flowers are yellow, terminal among the fluffy hair, evenly sized, and very beautiful and spectacular; the fruit is covered with scales and fluffy hair, and the seeds are black and smooth.
Breeding Techniques: Golden Tiger is propagated by seed sowing and cutting grafting methods.
1. Seed Sowing: Using seeds collected in the same year yields a high germination rate. Sowing is done from May to September. After 30-40 days of germination, the seedlings are as small as rice grains or mung beans and can be transplanted or grafted onto rootstocks for growth. 2. Cutting Grafting: This involves grafting seedlings that have been cultivated for more than 3 months onto the tender stems of the Hylocereus undulatus to promote growth. When the scion reaches a certain size or the rootstock can no longer support it, it can be cut off, the wound dried, and then planted in a pot.
Golden Tiger enjoys plenty of sunshine but prefers semi-shade in the summer. When the temperature reaches above 35°C, it should be shaded around noon to avoid sunburn. It can be placed in the sun before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to promote more flower buds and avoid excessive shading, which could make the ball elongate and reduce its ornamental value. Maintain an overwintering temperature of 8-10°C and keep the potting soil dry. If the temperature is too low, the body will develop yellow spots. Prevent rainwater in the summer.
Summer is the peak growing season for Golden Tiger, and water demand increases. During dry spells, water frequently, preferably in the early morning and evening. Avoid watering with cool water in the hot midday sun, as it can cause "chills" and lead to illness. If the potting soil is too dry at noon, lightly spray water to moisten the surface, but do not spray water on the top of the ball or grafting site to prevent rotting. During the growing season, apply a dilute fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other components once or twice every half-month, combined with watering. Organic fertilizers should be fully decomposed and used at the appropriate concentration.
Golden Tiger has a robust nature and strong resistance to diseases, but in the summer, due to humidity, heat, and poor ventilation, it can be susceptible to pests such as red spiders, scale insects, and whiteflies. It is important to strengthen pest control. For red spiders, use a 40% dimethoate or 90% diazinon solution at a concentration of 1000-1500 times for spray control. When scale insects or whiteflies are found, they can be manually removed.
Have you understood the detailed introduction of the cultivation and maintenance methods for the Golden Tiger Cactus?