The Latest Cultivation Methods and Precautions for Coral Cactus
Coral Cactus, also known as "cactus stick," is a shrubby succulent potted plant belonging to the dicotyledons, covered all over with sharp spines, fond of sunlight, and requiring shade during its winter and summer dormancy periods. It is distributed in Mexico and the southwestern United States, looks quite like coral, and its stems are generally round, blooming in midsummer. Similar to most cacti, Coral Cactus plants are also covered with sharp spines, and the watering step mentioned below may involve touching the Coral Cactus, so fellow flower lovers should be cautious and careful~ Now let's have the editor give you a detailed introduction to the cultivation methods and precautions for Coral Cactus. Let's take a look!
Cultivation Methods for Coral Cactus
1. Soil Requirements
The soil used to cultivate Coral Cactus needs to have good drainage and aeration and be rich in calcium, of a sandy type. You can use river sand, shells, coal cinders, and leaf mold, that is, sugar soil, mixed in a ratio of 2:2:2:3.
2. Planting Methods
Prepare a slightly larger pot, a coarse clay pot is better, mix the soil, and keep it slightly moist. Select a relatively robust stem and plant it into the pot, then spray water so that the surface of the potting soil binds together, then place it in the sun to bake. Do not water frequently; it is best to keep the potting soil dry. After a period of time, some small yellow spines will grow out from the stem, and the stem will gradually become flattened. Those who have grown other water-loving plants must reverse their habits and absolutely must not water frequently. This is the method that forces the growth of flat pad-like stem segments. When the stem segments grow to a width of about 2cm, they can be potted up.
3. Fertilization Methods
Coral Cactus should not be given chemical fertilizers, otherwise the roots will easily rot. Applying too little or not applying at all will not do either. We can apply fully decomposed fermented liquid twice each every half month in spring, summer, and early autumn. The potting soil can remain moist but must not remain dry. If it is too moist for a long time, the lower part of the plant will rot, and soon the whole plant will rot, so be sure to pay attention to the balance between dry and wet.
4. Light Requirements
If Coral Cactus lacks light, it will become leggy, with stems turning pale green and becoming very slender. Therefore, it should not be placed indoors with insufficient light for a long time. If it is later moved outdoors, it will grow thick stems again, and this will then affect the overall appearance of the plant. So a stable light condition should be maintained for Coral Cactus to keep its growth stable.
Precautions for Cultivating Coral Cactus
Repot once every year. In the second year after transplanting, change the potting soil once before the spring growth period, and manage it as before. By the vigorous growth period, what grows will be completely pad-shaped stem segments, but at this time the stem segments are not large. If you need larger stem segments, then you should remove some excess stem buds and let them all grow straight as single plants. In the third spring, change to a slightly larger pot. If managed well, then by the vigorous period it will be able to grow the largest stem segments.
To prevent rot, after the plant has reached its complete form, cultivation should still pay attention to the following three points: 1. Avoid applying concentrated fertilizer, 2. Better dry than wet, 3. Keep sunlight sufficient.
The above is all the content about the cultivation methods and precautions for Coral Cactus. For plants of the cactus family, fellow flower lovers still need to be careful when growing them. Do not think that because they are easy to grow you can treat them carelessly. I hope this helps you after reading! To learn more related knowledge, please pay more attention to this site!