How to Grow a Cactus Ball? Practical Care Tips for You

Cactus ball, also known as grass ball, Changsheng wan, Duanmao wan, and Zhenzhu ji, is a perennial succulent herbaceous plant. It is commonly grown as an indoor potted plant, so how do you grow it?

How to grow a cactus ball?

1. Light

First of all, it needs plenty of light. In general, the stronger the spines of a cactus ball, the more light it needs, and if conditions allow, such a ball is best grown outdoors all day. When growing balls indoors, be sure to choose a sunny spot as much as possible, and turn the pot from time to time.

2. Temperature

The suitable growing temperature for a cactus ball is around 20 degrees, and too high a temperature will force it into "dormancy". However, it can tolerate low temperatures of around 0°C.

3. Water and fertilizer

Cactus balls are drought-tolerant. During the growing season, water them appropriately and apply liquid fertilizer once every 10-15 days; during the dormant period, keep them slightly dry and stop fertilizing.

4. Repotting

Young cactus plants should be repotted once a year. Mature plants do not need to be repotted every year. However, after a certain period, the nutrients in the pot tend to be used up, the roots fill the potting soil, or because of frequent watering, the potting soil becomes hard and compacted, which is bad for drainage and aeration and can easily cause root rot. Therefore, repotting is generally done once every 2-3 years. When repotting fast-growing varieties, the new pot can be somewhat larger than the original, and it is suitable if the original pot can fit inside the new one. During cultivation, the surface soil in the pot should be loosened frequently to keep the soil well aerated and promote root growth.

Although cactus balls are easy to grow, it is advisable not to buy dyed cactus balls, bare-root cactus balls, or grafted cactus balls.