When Do Cacti Bloom? A Detailed Guide to Their Flowering Period
The cactus is also known as xianbazhang, guanyinzhang, and so on. It is a clumping succulent shrub of the genus Opuntia in the family Cactaceae, with a great many species that can be specifically divided into the pad cactus group, the segmented cactus group, the crab claw cactus, the leaf-type forest cactus group, the globular cactus, and so on. Because it often grows in dry environments such as deserts, it is called the “hero flower of the desert.” Now let us take a look together at when cacti bloom!
When do cacti bloom?
Cactus flowering is most concentrated from March to May, and there are not very many species that bloom in autumn, but quite a few species can be grafted with offsets in spring to make them bloom in autumn. A cactus can only possibly bloom when it is grown properly, and cactus flowers are very beautiful. The flowers generally grow on the plant's areoles, and the flower shape is relatively large, with very bright and gorgeous colors as well.
What do cactus flowers symbolize?
1. Strength: The very existence of the cactus is in fact a synonym for strength. The bright and beautiful cactus flower looks extremely soft, as if even a breeze passing gently by could hurt it, yet no matter how the wind blows or the sun and rain beat down, the flower remains beautiful as always.
2. Hope: A cactus blooming is a miracle both expected and unexpected, because although everyone knows that a cactus can bloom, actually getting a cactus grown at home to bloom is very rare.
How can a cactus be made to bloom?
1. Watering: Cactus flower buds form more easily under conditions of water shortage. Watering too much leads to excessive vegetative growth, and the flower buds cannot differentiate smoothly. A relatively suitable watering interval is once every 3 to 7 days in summer, and about once every half month in winter.
2. Fertilizing: Apart from placing a few pieces of horseshoe slices at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer when repotting, the cactus needs no excessive fertilizing at other times; just apply a few dilute fertilizer solutions as appropriate. However, cacti very much like calcium fertilizer, so when preparing the potting soil you can mix in some wall-peel soil.
3. Light: Cacti bloom easily under full-sun conditions. If the environment is shady, the growth and development of the flower buds are easily hindered. Therefore, if you want a cactus to bloom normally, it is necessary to ensure that it receives more than 8 hours of sunlight each day.
4. Pruning: Cactus flower buds are borne on old stems, not on tender stems. Therefore, in late spring and early summer, and in late autumn and early winter, the newly grown succulent stems must be cut off, otherwise the plant will consume more nutrients and flowering will be affected.
5. Plant age: A cactus must grow to 60 to 90 cm tall and have about 7 segments of succulent stem itself before it blooms easily. In terms of years of cultivation, reaching this standard requires about 3 years of growing. The longer it is cultivated, the better and more abundant the flowering.