Cactus Care: Beautiful and Easygoing!
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Cactus care is easy, plus the plants add a strikingly beautiful accent to your home and garden. Just make sure you check the plants thoroughly for insect eggs and other signs of disease before purchasing them, to ensure that you are starting with healthy plants. Cactus or Succulent?
It is a common statement - all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. If in doubt, look for an areole, a cotton-like piece where roots, spines, and flowers grow. A succulent may also have spines, but it does not have areoles. Lighting Care When planting cactus or succulent indoor, choose the variety that is less hungry for full sunlight, like Gasteria or Mother-in-law’s tongue. Most of the other species of cacti and succulents require sunlight for proper growth. You must utilize artificial lighting for those. Soil Care should be taken that you use special cactus soil, or you can make your own. For every two parts of moss-based potting soil, add a part of coarse sand. If you want to get ahead of any pest problem, pasteurize the soil and the compost mixture. Preheat your oven to 200°F. Place the potting mixture in a sufficiently large aluminum baking pan. Insert in the center of the mixture a meat thermometer you have reserved for just that purpose. When the thermometer registers at 160°F, bake the mixture for a half hour. Allow it to cool prior to usage. Nutrient Care In the summer, you can fertilize your cactus or succulent about every other irrigation time. In the winter, the frequency as well as the concentration of the fertilizer should be reduced. You can purchase fertilizer that is specifically formulated for cacti and succulents in gardening centers. If they are not available, you can opt for 15-15-30 fertilizer as long as it includes trace elements. Check the label. Irrigation Care Water thoroughly the cactus or succulent. Then wait until the soil is arid around the plant before the next irrigation. Check your cactus. If it feels dry to your touch about a half of an inch from the surface, you can water it. You can also use a chopstick or a pencil. Stick it to the bottom of the soil. If dirt clings to it, do not water the plant. Your cactus or succulent will go dormant if the weather is too hot or too cold. In that condition, you do not need to water as often. If it rains, there is no need to water the plant. However, care to check the soil regularly. Repotting Care Repot your cactus or succulent annually. This will ensure that it does not become root-bound and you can also check at the same time for any starting root disease. If you are not able to gently remove your cactus or succulent from the old pot, it is better to break the container than to damage the plant roots. Place some cactus soil in the bottom of the new container and gently position the plant in the center Load more of the soil to fill the sides of the pot. Care should be taken to amply water the cactus or succulent and to locate it in direct sunlight for about seven days. Remember to Care Note that if your cactus or succulent is flowering, it is not advisable to bring the plant in an air-conditioned room. Growing cactus or succulent is easy, which is the reason why it has become a popular hobby, but that does not equate to no bother. Cactus care means some work!
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