Introduction to Laohualong
If you want to learn more about the related topics of succulent plants, the introduction of Laohualong's information, the editor of this site will introduce it to you next.
Laohualong originally did not have the word "old", it was just called Hualong. In 1991, a new variety, Hinton Hualong, was discovered. To distinguish it, it was given an "old" prefix, called "Laohualong". Hualong belongs to the Cactaceae family and the Rugose Ball genus. It is native to a small valley in the northeast of Mexico. It likes to grow on steep stone walls covered with limestone.
Hualong grows slowly, and it is generally believed that a 3cm ball diameter Hualong grown from seed needs at least 10 to 15 years of growth. After maturing, the general ball diameter does not exceed 5 centimeters. Old ones with enough years will grow lateral buds, forming clusters. Hualong has weak roots and basically does not function to store nutrients. The surface is covered with wrinkles, good at collecting moisture from the air. It has always been one species in one genus.
Below are some other knowledge about Hualong:
In its native habitat, the large hemispherical bodies of Hualong are hidden underground or surrounded by layers of moss, with only the heads exposed to sunlight. Its native habitat is on steep cliffs where the sun does not shine in the afternoon. It grows in areas above 2000 meters with lower temperatures, with large temperature differences between day and night, and a lot of dew at night.
Below are some brief points on how to grow Hualong well and how to plant Hualong.
The first point is: during the growing period of Hualong in its native habitat (April to May, and around October), let it be exposed to moderate sunlight in the morning, and semi-shaded in the afternoon. A high humidity environment is better. If the humidity is almost the same as or slightly lower than the seeding humidity, although it will become a Japanese-style horticultural seedling (becoming bright and plump), it can be confirmed that the diameter of most seedlings can be more than double that of the native habitat.
The second point is: the native environment of the original Hualong ball is a relatively low-temperature area, with a growth temperature possibly between 10℃ and 30℃. I think its growth temperature is about five degrees lower than that of a general cactus. Although the temperature in its native habitat sometimes drops below 0℃, the ground temperature and moss wrapping can protect them. It can also grow well in my nursery at about 0℃. Due to the low temperature of its growing season, the reproduction of decay fungi is very low, so even if the humidity is high, it is not easy to rot. But this is not the case in tropical summers like Japan. Long-term high temperatures and stuffiness often lead to the rotting of Hualong. During this period, only by controlling water, ventilating, and making the environment cooler can it safely pass.
The third point is: although the first point mentioned that high humidity is very important during the growing season, this is based on the large day-night temperature difference in the native habitat, which produces abundant dew at night in the native habitat. Moss also plays a good role in storing water.
About seeding, in relation to the above three points, when seeding, please adjust according to the seedlings' weak resistance to decay fungi, high temperature, and dryness. It is better to place the seeds in a sterile storage box.
The above [] introduces the experience and knowledge of Laohualong's information introduction, hoping that after reading this article, it can bring you a little help!