The lazy gardener's plant: the cactus ball. Anyone can grow one, but getting it to bloom makes you a pro.

The cactus ball's original environment is very desert-like, growing in rather barren places. It needs plenty of light, loose and airy soil, and, during its growing season, fertilizer must keep up. The cactus ball will grow very quickly.

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The cactus ball likes plenty of light. Apart from appropriate shading in summer, it should get full sun in the other seasons. Once it lacks light, the cactus ball will grow leggy and lose its shape; only with ample sunlight will the cactus ball grow vigorously.

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The cactus ball is fairly drought-tolerant, as we all know. Even without water for a year, it will not die; the ball just shrivels and becomes thinner and smaller, and it will keep growing once watered. So the cactus ball is a typical lazy person's potted plant. But during the growing season do not let it lack water: water thoroughly once the soil has dried out completely, which lets the ball grow faster.

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Fertilizing: the cactus ball is fairly tolerant of poor soil, but that does not mean it dislikes water and fertilizer. Applying a multi-element organic fertilizer or compound fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen once a month lets the ball store up plenty of nutrients and produce beautiful flowers. There are several hundred varieties of cactus ball, and their blooms are stunning; one look and you will never forget them.

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Moreover, after the cactus ball finishes blooming, it will also set seeds. The little red fruits hanging on the ball are very pretty too. If you grow it to this point, your cactus ball counts as a great success.

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