Plant cactus and make them blossom

Many people may not know very well that the cactus is actually a member of the big family of succulent plants, and there are a variety of cactus, some as small as a bullet, some as big as a giant tree, some shaped like towel gourd, some shaped like hydrangea, with all sorts of strange shapes.

Cactus is one of the most common plants in the desert. Such poor growth conditions create their special appearance. Please don't lose your love for them because they are covered with thorns. When you take good care of them, you can also bloom flowers that you can't put down.

Although most people haven't seen their flowers, it doesn't mean they won't blossom, but it only takes a few simple steps to show you the bright side (please note that the cactus referred to in this article is desert and succulent, not leaf cactus and tropical).

1. Change the basin

1. Time to change basin

In Zhangzhou, a basin change is usually carried out in spring (mid-March to early April) or autumn (September to early October), and watering should be stopped 3-5 days before basin change. When changing the basin, first take the plant out of the basin, shake the soil of the root, cut off the old root, rotten root and semi-withered root, be careful not to cut off the main root, that is, the so-called "radish root", the healthy root leaves only 3~4cm length, put the plant after root cutting in a cool and ventilated place to dry for 5 days and 6 days and then replant, so that the root is fast and good. If there is a young plant next to the old plant, it can be broken off, the root system will be properly pruned, and then planted to become a new plant.

two。 Preparation, disinfection and planting of cultivated soil

5 parts of loam, 3 parts of peat soil or rotten leaf soil, 2 parts of coarse sand, plus a little hydrated lime or old wall dust ash can be used to prepare calcareous sandy soil or sandy loam with good drainage and permeability; epiphytes can use compost soil, coarse sand, peat soil, plus a little bone powder to prepare neutral or slightly acidic drainage and fertile culture soil with good water retention.

After the culture soil is prepared, it is sprayed with 40% formaldehyde 50 times liquid 400~500ml per cubic meter, sprinkle on the culture soil and mix evenly in the first 10-20 days, cover it with plastic film, open the film one week before planting, and plant after the smell of the medicine has dissipated. When planting new plants, a layer of screen should be placed on the drainage hole at the bottom of the flowerpot to prevent insect pests, and then cover tiles and other things on the yarn net to facilitate drainage. The basin soil is added to the 2~3cm from the basin mouth to facilitate watering later.

As the soil is moist, it is not necessary to water immediately after planting. It can be watered once after 7-10 days. The planted plants should be maintained in a place with bright light and no direct sunlight, germinate new roots after about 10 days, water again, and return to normal management.

2. Cultivation and management techniques

1. Watering and spraying

Cactus has obvious growth period and dormant period, the growing period should be watered, and the dormant period should be watered less or even no watering. For epiphytic type, if the winter temperature is kept above 12 ℃, it can be watered and sprayed all the year round; if the winter temperature is kept below 12 ℃, watering can be reduced and stopped. Water temperature should be close to soil temperature as far as possible, early (before sunrise) and late (after sunset) in summer, from 10:00 to 11:00 in winter, and directly onto basin soil, otherwise the appearance of thorns will be affected. In addition, it is necessary to sprinkle water on the ground in summer to increase air humidity.

two。 Fertilizer application

Fertilization should grasp the following principles: timely, appropriate amount, depending on the object. Fertilization is carried out in spring and autumn, and once every 20 days, it should be carried out in the early morning or evening on a sunny day. If the basin soil is dry, sprinkle some water on the basin soil and then apply fertilizer with a concentration of 0.05%-0.2%. The effect is better if it is watered once the next morning. Terrestrial fertilization requires fertilizers rich in potassium and phosphorus and less nitrogen, while epiphytic fertilizers require more nitrogen fertilizer.

3. Light

Terrestrial type prefers plenty of sunshine, especially in winter. Generally, tall, cylindrical and flat cacti are more resistant to strong light and can be placed outdoors without sunshade in summer, while smaller spherical ones prefer semi-overcast conditions in summer, covering the top growing point of Jinzhu with a circular plastic film in June and August in summer high temperature season, so that all parts of the sphere grow evenly. Epiphytic cacti require semi-overcast conditions all the year round.

4. Temperature

The suitable temperature for cactus growth is between 20 and 35 ℃. The terrestrial type does not require a high temperature during the dormancy period in winter, but the temperature can be maintained at 4: 7 ℃ while keeping the basin soil dry. Epiphytic type, however, requires a higher temperature in winter to maintain a temperature of 10-13 ℃ or higher. When the cactus reaches 30: 35 ℃ in summer, the growth rate of most cacti slows down, and sometimes some kinds of stems turn yellow or burn, so the sun must be shaded and more water must be sprinkled on the ground to lower the temperature.

5. Air

Cactus flowers are mostly native to desert open areas, with good ventilation and fresh air. Therefore, in the hot weather in midsummer, we should do a good job of ventilation and cooling in the cultivation site. The cultivation greenhouse should choose a well-ventilated environment and set up more vents such as windows and skylights to facilitate ventilation in the hot summer weather. If necessary, equipment such as exhaust fans, hair dryers or electric fans can also be installed to enhance the air circulation effect of the environment, so as to promote cactus flowers to spend the summer safely.

6. Diseases and insect pests

Bacteria and fungi are harmful to cactus flowers, but the problem is not very serious. As long as cultivation conditions are improved, management measures are appropriate, prevention and eradication of diseases and pests are applied at the same time, it is easy to achieve good results. The more common diseases and insect pests are:

⑴ rot. The pathogens are bacteria and fungi. The occurrence of this disease is often related to improper watering, poor drainage of basin soil and persistent excessive dampness. After discovering the diseased plant, immediately cut off the diseased tissue with a sharp blade, and apply charcoal powder or sulfur powder in the incision, at the same time control watering or changing pots, cutting or grafting separately. It is best to spray 40% copper oxychloride suspension 800-1000 times regularly on planting sites and plants as a precaution, but mainly to improve ventilation and avoid persistent excessive moisture.

⑵ insects and other animals. There are mainly shell insects, red spiders and slugs. To control scale insects, 50% omethoate emulsion can be sprayed 1000 times, red spiders can be sprayed with 20% dicofol wettable powder or 40% dicofol EC 1000 times, rodent and tide insects can be sprayed with 2000 times liquid, flower racks and around flowerpots can be sprayed with 2000 times liquid for snails and slugs, lime powder can be sprayed around flower pots, and 8% diclofenac granules can also be applied. To control cockroaches and ants, you can put drugs or sugar water to kill cockroaches and ants and kill trichlorfon.

Cactus has many functions in daily life, such as placing a pot of cactus next to the computer or TV. When you have been watching TV or playing with the computer for a long time, looking at it can also relieve eye fatigue.

I hope this article will let you know how to take care of cacti and like them.