What are the ways to extend the flowering period of a cactus (ball cactus)

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970 0 views

It is also called the grass ball cactus; its stem is spherical or ellipsoidal, green in color, and its flowers grow among the spines. It usually blooms in the early morning or near dusk, and the time is very short, only a few hours to one day. Many people look forward to seeing it bloom, but in the morning they may not be up yet, and in the evening they may not be back from work, so they often miss the blooming. Therefore, everyone wants to know how to extend the flowering time.

I. When does it bloom

Under normal circumstances, if you want to see it bloom, you need to have grown it for at least three to four years, and the diameter of the ball must reach three to four cm or more. Different varieties have different levels of difficulty in blooming. Some that are very hard to get to bloom are said to need one or two decades of growing before they have a chance to bloom. It usually blooms in May; the short flowering period lasts only a few hours to one day, while the long one can last two to three days.

II. How to extend it

1. Growing environment

You need to provide it with an area of suitable temperature; you can choose a spot by the window and cover it with a plastic bag, so that it will grow faster and have a higher chance of blooming. It likes sunlight, and you must ensure the temperature where it is grown reaches above 20°C, otherwise it will not bloom. After it blooms, if you want to make the flowering period longer, do not put it under light anymore; just let it see the sun occasionally.

2. Watering

It likes dryness and does not need a lot of water. It is better to let the pot stay dry than to let it be too wet, and even more so, do not let water accumulate in it. When watering, soak the soil through; when it is blooming, there is no need to give it a new flower pot and soil.

3. Fertilizing

Fertilize it once every ten to fifteen days, using rotted fertilizer; the amount can be smaller, not too much. If in summer the temperature is higher than 32°C, or in cool weather the temperature is below 20°C, do not fertilize it, otherwise there will be fertilizer burn, which is bad for the roots, and it can easily die.

III. Points to note

1. A large part of cactus blooming is because it receives sufficient light. Generally in the morning and evening they are still flower buds, and the flowers only open when the sun is strongest, so if you want it to bloom, changing the light is a very good method. As for after it blooms, in order to extend the time the flowers stay open, you cannot let it get too much sun.

2. It has many varieties, and they differ when they bloom, so there is no universal rule. Therefore, in order to increase the chance of extending the flowering period, you should first learn about its variety and treat it according to its habits.