How to Plant Cactus? A Complete Guide to Planting Methods and Precautions

SummarySite selection: choose sandy soil with good drainage and fertile texture. Cutting and planting: plant at a temperature of 20°C-30°C, and the soil should not be too wet. Planting: when planting, ridges are required, and fully decomposed organic fertilizer should be applied generously. Fertilizer and water: after the seedlings are planted, when the shoots grow to 6 cm, the first fertilization can be applied; decomposed organic fertilizer is best for fertilizing, and no fertilizer is needed during the dormant period. Earthing up: earth up promptly to prevent the plants from lodging. Pest and disease control: actively control pests and diseases such as locusts, red spiders and scale insects.

Cactus is a warmth-loving, drought-tolerant plant, so it grows best in warm climates. It is highly effective, and its sales around the world are currently very good, and many people want to grow it. But before planting it, you need to have a comprehensive understanding of its planting techniques.

I. How to Plant Cactus

1. Site selection: for growing edible cactus, it is best to choose sandy soil with good drainage, fertile texture and plenty of sunlight.

2. Cutting and planting period: edible cactus can be planted by cuttings all year round, but the most suitable temperature for planting is 20-30°C, and the survival rate can reach over 95%. When planting, the soil should not be too wet; if the soil is too wet, anaerobic microorganisms in the soil will multiply in large numbers, causing the seed stems to rot and reducing the survival rate, so planting is prohibited on rainy days. Before planting, place the cut new pads in the sun to dry until the wounds lose water and become dry, then disinfect and sterilize them with lime sulfur mixture, and they can be planted.

3. Planting specifications: when planting, ridges are required, with a ridge width (including the ditch) of 1.2 m and a height of 15-25 cm, and fully decomposed organic fertilizer should be applied generously. Plant 2 rows per ridge, with a plant spacing of 40 cm and a row spacing of 60 cm, planting 1600-1800 pads per mu, and the planting depth is 2/5 of the cactus pad, with the pad facing the sun (that is, east-west direction), so that both sides of the pad can receive sufficient sunlight in the morning and afternoon, which is good for photosynthesis.

4. Fertilizer and water management: keep the soil moist after planting. When the shoots grow to 6 cm after the seedlings are planted, the first fertilization can be carried out; the second fertilization is after harvest, to promote the cactus to continue sprouting. When fertilizing, it is best to apply decomposed organic fertilizer. Cactus does not need any fertilizer during the dormant period.

5. Earthing up: during the growth of the cactus, as the weight of the aboveground part increases, earth up promptly to prevent the plants from lodging.

II. What Soil to Use for Cactus

1. According to the actual conditions in each place, you can choose leaf mold, forest soil, peat soil, sandy soil, pond mud blocks, or a mixture of two or more of these soils, sometimes mixed with a small amount of limestone and charcoal powder.

2. Soil mix ratio for planting: 4 parts akadama soil, 3 parts coal ash, 1 part coarse sand, 1 part volcanic rock, 1 part mixed plant ash and carbonized husks. The size of the granules depends on the size of the individual cactus being planted.

3. Soil mix ratio for sowing: 3 parts akadama soil, 3 parts coal ash, 1 part coarse sand, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part coconut coir, 1 part mixed plant ash and carbonized husks. Choose granules under 3 mm, and lay large granules at the bottom of the pot.

III. Pest Control for Cactus

1. Locusts: when they are chewed by cabbage caterpillars and locusts in summer, spray with a 1/4 deltamethrin 2000-fold liquid to prevent this from happening.

2. Red spiders: make every effort to defend against red spiders, so the growing environment must be well ventilated and have suitable humidity, avoiding dryness and muggy heat as much as possible. The pesticides for controlling them include 40% omethoate 1500-fold liquid and 40% dicofol 1000-fold liquid. In summer, spray to kill them on a cycle of 1-2 weeks, and carry out a thorough spray before overwintering.

3. Scale insects: chemical control does not achieve a very good expected effect against scale insects, so more attention should be paid, keeping the growing environment as clean as possible, and cutting off and burning the branches with many pests.

4. White grubs, wireworms, cutworms: at this time, fertilize reasonably and use a 1/2 dose of phoxim 1000-fold dilution for irrigation, to prevent an outbreak of disease.

IV. Propagation of Cactus

1. Grafting propagation

(1) When grafting, first choose healthy, disease-free ball seedlings, first cut off the tip, then peel off the outer skin.

(2) Then prepare a well-growing leaf cactus plant as the auxiliary rootstock, then cut off the bottom of the ball seedling to expose the ball core.

(3) Then disinfect all the tools that will be used, and grafting can be carried out.

(4) After grafting, move it to a place with weaker light for care, and pay attention to loosening the soil and drainage.

2. Cutting propagation

(1) For cutting propagation of cactus, first cut off 1 to 4 stem segments, or large branches that can branch, as cuttings.

(2) Before cutting, dry the cuttings in the sun for three days, until dry.

(3) Prepare the cutting medium, using nutrient soil or river sand, peat soil, etc. as the cutting material; once the medium is chosen, directly take the dried cuttings and insert them into the soil.

(4) After inserting them, place them in a warm place with light for care, pay attention to watering less, and wait for them to take root and sprout.

The planting techniques for cactus mainly start from several aspects such as site selection, timing, and fertilizer and water. In the later stage of planting, pest control needs to be carried out on the cactus, to avoid unnecessary losses caused by pests. The propagation of cactus is quite similar to that of general succulents, and everyone can choose one of them to carry out.