How to Care for a Cactus Plant
Let me tell you about how to care for a cactus plant and the related knowledge of daily maintenance, let's take a look together!
The cactus is a perennial herbaceous plant with succulent leaves, belonging to the Cactaceae family and the cactus genus. It is commonly grown indoors in pots. Its young plants are spherical, while the older ones are cylindrical, with sharp spines and large, beautiful flowers. Cacti are robust in nature, follow the crassulacean acid metabolism pathway, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night, and have the ability to absorb most harmful gases, improving and purifying the indoor air. Let's learn about the cultivation methods of cacti.
One, Soil
The soil material for potting cacti should be conducive to drainage. You can place small stones at the bottom of the pot, about 3 centimeters thick. Then add a growing medium mixed in a ratio of 1:2:1 with decomposed leaf soil, garden soil, and coarse sand. If conditions allow, you can also add a base fertilizer or decomposed organic cake fertilizer to the growing medium.
Two, Light
In the growing season of cacti, they can be placed outdoors for cultivation, ensuring 4 to 6 hours of sunlight each day. In the summer, when sunlight is intense, they need to be shaded appropriately. Sufficient sunlight is beneficial for flowering.
Three, Temperature
Cacti are native to the dry grasslands of Argentina and southern Brazil and prefer a warm environment. The most suitable temperature for their growth is 20 to 25 degrees Celsius during the day and 13 to 15 degrees Celsius at night. The minimum temperature should not be lower than 0 degrees Celsius, and they should be placed in a warm indoor environment during the winter.
Four, Watering
Although cacti are drought-resistant, they prefer moist soil and should be kept moist. However, this does not mean that too much water should be given. Excessive watering can cause waterlogging and root rot. It's also not possible to go without watering for a long time, as it will make the plant soft. Watering should follow the principle of "water when dry, and water thoroughly when watering."
Five, Fertilizing
Cacti enjoy fertilizer and require 2 to 3稀薄 liquid fertilizers per month. No fertilizer should be applied in the first year of planting, and no fertilizer is needed during the winter.
Six, Pests and Diseases
Cacti are prone to scale insects during the growing season. A small number can be brushed off with a brush or removed with tweezers and destroyed. If there are many, you can bury 15% ironmorte granules in the soil or pour 40% omite emulsifiable concentrate (2000 times dilution) around the roots.
Seven, Precautions
When potting cacti, do not choose an overly large pot. It's best to place the cactus in a pot that still has some space. Because an overly large pot makes it difficult to control the amount of watering, it can easily lead to excessive watering and root rot.
Eight, Propagation Methods
(1) June is a suitable time for sowing cactus seeds. Before planting, soak the seeds in warm water for 3 days, then insert them into broken bricks, maintaining a distance of about 2 centimeters between the seeds. After watering, cover with white paper to prevent rapid evaporation of moisture. Keeping the temperature at 25 degrees Celsius, you can see seedlings after a month. After the seedlings have some light exposure and the potting soil is dry, a little water can be added. Wait until they are a year old before repotting.
(2) Cut one of the offshoots from the cactus with a small knife. If the incision is large, let it dry first and then place it flat on moist river sand, keeping the sand surface moist, without too much water. Then move it to an environment of 20 degrees Celsius, and it will grow after a month.
The above[] introduces how to care for a potted cactus and the daily maintenance points of cacti. I hope this article can bring you some help!