How to grow an aged cactus from a Christmas cactus
Today, the editor will explain how to grow an aged cactus from a Christmas cactus and share some tips on plant care, including topics about Christmas cactus maintenance. Let's continue with the introduction.
Usually, when we grow a Christmas cactus at home, the ones with their own roots will eventually wither and die completely, making it difficult to keep them healthy. Seeing others' Christmas cactuses that have been thriving for many years without rotting roots and with more and more leaves, drooping down and blooming spectacularly, how do they do it? In fact, I once had a very large one, which my father gave away later. The maintenance method is quite simple. I will share it with you today. If you master it, you will not have any problems after a few years, and it can even become a small aged cactus, very beautiful. You only need to do four things.
1. Good pot and soil
The Christmas cactus belongs to the cactus family, but it is a type of cactus with weaker roots, very prone to waterlogging, which will inevitably cause root rot. Moreover, it goes dormant in summer, so we need to choose good soil and pots. What kind of soil is considered good? We just need to follow two principles: breathable and water-permeable. As long as the soil has good breathability and water permeability, growing a Christmas cactus will not easily result in root rot.
Generally, we can add more than half of the particles to the soil, which can be coal cinder or ready-made volcanic rocks or iris stones, and you can choose any soil for the other half. The pot should be short and wide, not deep. preferably a breathable red pottery pot. This way, growing a Christmas cactus will not be a problem, and its roots will not easily have issues.
2. Less water, more fertilizer
The Christmas cactus is a plant from the cactus family with very thick leaves, so we cannot water it frequently, but we also cannot let it lack water. How should we water it? It's simple: let the potting soil dry out completely and then water thoroughly. We need to follow this principle. Fertilizer should be used more often. How should we apply it? We ensure it's applied during watering with a slightly lower concentration, usually twice to three times a month. In between, we can dilute the fertilizer and spray it on the leaves with a spray bottle.
How to grow an aged cactus from a Christmas cactus
This way, with less water and sufficient fertilizer, its roots will grow well, the leaves will become thicker, and more leaves will grow. The flowers will bloom more beautifully when the time comes. But remember, in summer, water less or not at all and ensure good shading. It does not grow throughout the summer. From autumn onwards, start supplementing phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and use multi-element fertilizers in other seasons. This will not affect its growth and flowering.
3. Reasonable lighting
The Christmas cactus is a plant that enjoys light and can only bloom under appropriate lighting conditions. It also needs light during its growth process. If it lacks light, the leaves will become longer and thinner, making it very unattractive. So, in autumn, winter, and spring, just place it in direct sunlight, and it will not burn the leaves. In summer, when it stops growing, if you notice it is not growing, move it to a bright place to ensure good ventilation, and it will safely go through the summer.
4. Prune every year
If you want to grow a Christmas cactus well in a pot without grafting, remember to prune it every year. How should you prune it? It can be divided into two times a year. The first time is before summer arrives when it stops growing. At this time, you should cut off its small and soft leaves, leaving only the thick and large leaves. When autumn comes, it will grow rapidly and produce many leaves.
When you want it to bloom at the end of autumn, prune the leaves again, cutting off all the small leaves below the first large leaf, and you can remove more if needed, depending on the plant's shape. After this pruning, all the leaves will be thick, and the leaf length will be shorter. By adding fertilizer and watering, multiple flower buds will grow from the remaining leaves, with three to five flower buds per leaf possible, allowing for a full bloom.
If you don't want to graft a Christmas cactus and want to grow one with its own roots, you don't need too many in a pot, just one or two will do. By following the four points I mentioned, it can be maintained in your home for many years and bloom every year. Over time, the base stem will become completely woody and grow into a small aged cactus, which is easier to maintain later. Even if you don't water it for a long time, it won't easily die. Try it out!
The above information on how to grow an aged cactus from a Christmas cactus and tips on Christmas cactus care is provided by Green Enthusiast Network [www.lvzhimi.com] for netizens to refer to.