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A Detailed Guide to the Key Points of Growing Cactus (Ball Cactus) in Water

General News By Sophie Bennett 0 views
The ball cactus is a succulent plant that most people are familiar with, also known as the grass ball, Echinopsis tubiflora, and so on. The ball cactus is extremely drought-tolerant because it originated in desert regions. It comes in a great many varieties and has high ornamental value. The ball cactus also blooms, and its flower colors are fairly varied; it usually opens in the morning or in the evening. Nowadays many people place potted ball cacti on balconies, in offices, and so on, where they serve as a fine decorative touch for the setting. Besides growing them in soil, the <strong>ball cactus</strong> can also be grown in water; below, let us take a look at what its <strong>key points for water culture growing</strong> are. <p style="text-align: center;"></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;"><strong>I. Water culture method for the ball cactus</strong></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">1. Choose a healthy ball cactus, cut off its dead roots, then wash it clean with clear water and dry it in the sun, and place it in a nutrient solution at a water level no higher than one third of the pot.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">2. Buy two magnets with a diameter of no more than ten cm and place them in the growing vessel; this magnetizes the culture solution and thereby promotes root growth.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">3. Place the planted ball cactus in an environment with diffused light, with a temperature preferably no lower than twenty degrees Celsius; in roughly less than a week it will take root. After rooting, there is one step that must not be skipped, namely promptly replacing the nutrient liquid.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Throughout the entire process of inducing the ball cactus to root, it is best not to spray water on it, otherwise the ball cactus is very prone to rotting, which causes the whole ball cactus to die.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;"><strong>II. Key points for routine care after growing the ball cactus in water</strong></p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">1. Temperature management</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">The water culture temperature for the ball cactus should be controlled between five and thirty degrees Celsius; this temperature is the optimum temperature for its growth and is also suitable for the growth of other water-cultured plants.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">2. Light conditions</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Many people mistakenly believe that the ball cactus needs to be exposed to strong light to survive, but this is not so; only a certain amount of diffused light is needed, and it does not necessarily have to be exposed to the sun. Especially in summer, when the light is intense, it must not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise a scorching effect occurs, turning the whole plant yellow or killing it.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">3. Regularly clean the roots</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">A water-cultured ball cactus must have its roots cleaned regularly, especially in the hot summer, when the water generally needs to be changed once a week. In winter, the interval between water changes can be appropriately extended; once every half month is also fine. After changing the water, add a nutrient solution specially made for ball cacti, and prune away the rotted, wounded, and aged parts of the roots.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">Each time you change the water, it only needs to cover one third of the roots.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">4. Spray the leaves with water to retain moisture</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">On ordinary days, you can appropriately spray water on the leaves to increase the air humidity and leaf humidity; this way you can achieve the effect of glossy leaves.</p> <p style="text-indent:2em;">In summary, whether it is a water-cultured cactus or a soil-cultured cactus, the follow-up care cannot be separated from conditions such as watering, fertilizing, temperature, and light, so it must be cared for attentively.</p>

The cactus is a succulent plant that everyone is fairly familiar with, also known as the grass ball, Echinopsis multiplex, and so on. The cactus is extremely drought-tolerant, because it originated in desert regions. It has a great many varieties and very high ornamental value. The cactus also blooms, and its flower colors are quite varied; it generally opens in the morning or in the evening. Nowadays many people place potted cacti on balconies, in offices, and so on, where they serve as a fine decorative touch for the environment. Besides soil cultivation, the cactus can also be grown hydroponically. Below, let us take a look at what the key points of hydroponic cultivation methods are.

I. Hydroponic method for the cactus

1. Choose a healthy cactus, cut off its dead roots, then wash it clean with fresh water and dry it in the sun, and place it in a nutrient solution at a water level no higher than one third of the pot.

2. Buy two magnets, no more than ten cm in diameter, and place them in the cultivation vessel; this magnetizes the culture solution, thereby promoting root growth.

3. Place the planted cactus in an environment with diffused light, with a temperature preferably no lower than twenty degrees Celsius; it can take root in about less than a week. After rooting, there is one step that cannot be omitted, namely promptly replacing the nutrient liquid.

Throughout the entire process of inducing the cactus, it is best not to spray water on it, otherwise the cactus is very prone to rotting, causing the whole cactus to die.

II. Key points for daily care after hydroponic cultivation of the cactus

1. Temperature management

The hydroponic temperature for the cactus should be controlled between five and thirty degrees Celsius; this temperature is the optimum for its growth and is also suitable for the growth of other hydroponic plants.

2. Light conditions

Many people mistakenly believe that the cactus needs to be exposed to strong light to survive, but this is not so; it only needs a certain amount of diffused light, and does not necessarily have to be exposed to the sun. Especially in summer, when the light is intense, it must not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise scorching will occur, making the whole plant turn yellow or die.

3. Regularly clean the roots

Hydroponic cacti must have their roots cleaned regularly, especially in the hot summer, when the water generally needs to be changed once a week. In winter, the interval between water changes can be suitably extended; once every half a month is also fine. After changing the water, add a nutrient solution specially for cacti, and prune away the rotten, wounded, and aged parts of the roots.

Each time you change the water, it only needs to submerge one third of the roots.

4. Spray the leaves with water to retain moisture

On ordinary days, you can suitably spray water on the leaves to increase the air humidity and leaf humidity; this achieves the effect of glossy leaves.

In summary, whether it is a hydroponic cactus or a soil-cultivated cactus, the subsequent care is inseparable from conditions such as watering, fertilizing, temperature, and light, so it must be tended carefully.

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