Clever tips for caring for ball cacti: how to grow them round, plump and full of flowers

Recently, a flower friend said that the ball cactus they have been growing for many years just will not bloom, and they do not know why. Actually, as long as it is a ball cactus, every ball cactus will bloom. If a ball cactus does not bloom, it only means that the environment you are growing it in, or your watering and fertilising, has not reached the level it needs to bloom, so it does not bloom. No matter what kind of ball cactus it is, even the sturdy-looking golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) that we see, it will also bloom, except that it takes many more years to bloom; it needs twenty or thirty years before it can bloom.

Why do ball cacti not bloom? Because for a ball cactus to bloom, it needs to meet several conditions.

1. Light,

We know that this ball cactus comes originally from desert or gobi areas, where the weather and the sunlight are extremely abundant. When we grow ball cacti at home, we must put them in the place with the most abundant light, preferably full sun. Abundant light can make ball cacti bloom quickly.

2. Soil

Another thing is the soil, which must be loose and breathable, because ball cacti rely on some fine hair roots to absorb nutrients. If its fine hair roots cannot spread out in the soil, then this ball cactus will not grow well. That is why some ball cacti I grow at home in garden soil have never grown well. Because garden soil easily becomes compacted, the soil for growing ball cacti must contain more than half granular soil, such as large-particle river sand or coal cinders. Then mix in some leaf mould or garden soil. Soil like this is loose and breathable, and its root system can spread out very well. When watered too much this way, it is also not prone to waterlogging and root rot.

3. Watering,

We all know that this ball cactus is very drought-tolerant. Because its original environment is the dry, rain-scarce gobi or desert areas. Its body is very large and can be used to store some nutrients and water. Even if we do not water it for several months, it is not prone to dying of drought. It is just that the body shrinks a lot, and it will consume the nutrients inside the ball cactus's body.

But if we want the ball cactus to bloom, we must give it plenty of water, water it thoroughly once the soil has dried out, and by no means let it go without water for a long time. Lack of water easily damages the fine hair roots.

4. Fertilising

If we want the ball cactus to bloom quickly, we should apply some phosphorus and potassium fertiliser, such as monopotassium phosphate. You can apply phosphorus and potassium fertiliser two to three times a month. It is best to use this kind of water-soluble fertiliser, as it is not prone to burning the flowers, because its root system is very long and fine, and improper fertiliser use easily burns the roots. Light fertiliser applied frequently can let the ball cactus quickly differentiate flower buds.

Flowering fertiliser, water-soluble fertiliser

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Only by satisfying loose and breathable soil, abundant light, watering thoroughly once the soil has dried out, and then applying some phosphorus and potassium fertiliser, will the ball cacti you grow all bloom. And when ball cacti bloom, they are dazzlingly gorgeous; one look and you will never forget it

However, good varieties of ball cacti are so expensive that it makes people click their tongues; a single offset can sell for several thousand yuan. Ball cactus lovers really do spend big

Some good varieties of ball cacti are so expensive that they make people click their tongues

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