What are the propagation methods and precautions for the coral cactus (Echinocereus poselgeri)?

Today, several pots of green plants are often placed on windowsills, balconies and tables in homes to improve the indoor environment. The coral cactus, which is tenacious and relatively easy to keep alive, has become the top choice for many people. The propagation methods for most succulents are cuttings, grafting and so on, so are the propagation methods for the coral cactus the same? Let's take a look together below!

Propagation methods for the coral cactus

The propagation process is as follows:

Step 1: Select the cuttings

For the cutting propagation of the coral cactus, first choose a disease-free and pest-free section of branch from a robust coral cactus plant, then use scissors to cut off the branching part. Use chopsticks or tongs to hold the cut plant part, so as to avoid damaging the branch and to prevent pricking your hands.

Then prepare a flower pot. Inside the flower pot, spread soil mixed with sand, that is, soil with optimal moisture, to provide for the cuttings.

Step 2: Prepare the cutting medium

You can insert the cut branch cutting directly into the soil, or use chopsticks or tongs to hold it and insert it into the sandy soil, then straighten it up. Then water, and water thoroughly in one go, but remember not to fertilize, so as to avoid burning the base and preventing it from taking root and sprouting.

Step 3: Cutting care

Place the small coral cactus plant in a place without direct sunlight for care. During this period, also pay attention to providing shade for about 5 days. Wait until the roots of the coral cactus have grown steadily, then you can place the coral cactus in a place with direct sunlight, so as to supplement its light needs.

Precautions for propagating the coral cactus

First, when selecting cuttings, be sure to use branches from healthy, pest-free and robust plants, otherwise they are very unlikely to survive.

Second, when cutting, use tongs to hold it, so as to avoid damaging the branch and affecting the cutting, and also to avoid hurting your own hands.

Finally, pay attention to watering, and follow the principle of watering thoroughly only after the soil has dried out, so as not to water when it is not dry, in order to avoid root rot.

How to grow the coral cactus

1. Soil requirements

When cultivating, the pot soil should preferably be sandy soil with good drainage and air permeability and rich in calcium. It can be prepared with 3 parts river sand, 2 parts shells, 2 parts coal cinder and 3 parts leaf mold (pond soil).

2. Planting method

Prepare a larger pot (a coarse clay pot is preferable), mix the soil well, and keep it slightly moist. Select some relatively sturdy stem segments (one node is enough) and plant them in the pot, then spray with water so that the surface of the pot soil adheres together, then place it directly under the sun to bake. Do not water frequently; keep the pot soil dry. After a period of time, some stems will begin to grow small golden-yellow spines, and the stems will begin to flatten slightly and widen, showing a tendency toward a pad-like shape.

Do not water often; this is the method used to force the growth of pad-shaped stem segments. If the newly grown parts are kept relatively moist from the very beginning, then the new stems will not show a tendency toward a pad-like shape, but will grow in the same way as the original plant. When the stem segments have grown to about 2cm wide, they can be potted up.

3. Fertilization method

The coral cactus should avoid chemical fertilizers, as they easily lead to root rot; it is best to apply little or no fertilizer. In spring and in late summer and early autumn, apply two rounds each of decomposed liquid fertilizer at half-month intervals. The pot soil should be dry rather than wet; if it remains too wet for a long time, the lower part of the plant will rot, and it will quickly spread to the whole plant.

4. Light requirements

If the coral cactus is placed indoors in insufficient light for a long time, it will become leggy; the new stems will be pale green and become very slender, and the whole plant will take on a different kind of flavor. But if it is then moved outdoors, the newly grown stems will thicken again, and at this point the overall shape of the plant will be seriously affected. So do not change the light conditions of the coral cactus at will; keep the light relatively stable.

What are the precautions for growing the coral cactus

1. Change the pot once a year

In the second year after transplanting, change the pot soil once before the spring growth period, and continue the same care. By the vigorous growth period, fully pad-shaped stem segments will grow, but at this time the stem segments are not very large, and the plant is not tall either. If you want larger stem segments, then you have to remove some surplus stem buds and let it "stand out alone as a single branch." In the third spring, change to a slightly larger pot. If managed properly, by the vigorous growth period it should grow its largest stem segments.

2. Avoid rot

For a fully formed pad-shaped plant, extra care must be taken with watering and fertilizing. Once it rots, it will be a great loss of several years of effort.

The main points to note are still the following: 1. Avoid concentrated fertilizer. 2. Better dry than wet. 3. Keep sunlight sufficient.

The coral cactus does not have high requirements for soil, but during cultivation you need to use one with relatively good drainage and ventilation. Although leggy growth in most succulents will affect the ornamental value of the plant, if the coral cactus becomes leggy after lacking light for a long time, its branches will become more slender, which is another kind of different scenery.