Great tips for caring for ball cacti, so one flower blooms after another in his home
When it comes to the Gymnocalycium baldianum among ball cacti, many flower lovers find it very difficult to grow, since one slip in controlling the amount of water and it's dead! Today, Huahua has invited a master grower, "Departed Scenery," to chat properly with everyone about just how Gymnocalycium baldianum should be grown to bloom abundantly!
1. How to water?
Complete Guide to Growing Flowers
Using my own invented squeeze-the-ball watering method:
Use your hand to squeeze the ribs of the Gymnocalycium baldianum, and don't be afraid of the spines; most balls have soft spines. If the body feels soft and the soil is also dry, then you can water, watering thoroughly. Within one to two days the ball body will become firm again (don't be impatient and think the ball hasn't taken up water); the ball has already drunk its fill of water, and it is slowly recovering, and it will be very happy! During the flowering period it needs more water to supply the flower buds!
Gymnocalycium baldianum requires a dry environment and is afraid of water accumulating in the pot soil, so generally the pot soil should be kept "dry before wet." After winter begins, watering should be absolutely prohibited, keeping the pot soil dry to prompt it into a dormant state. This is because cacti have the strongest cold resistance during dormancy.
If improper watering is done in winter, breaking their dormancy and restoring their physiological activity, then the plant's cold resistance will decrease, and it will easily suffer freezing and rot. When overwintering, if the room temperature is too low, you can cover the plant with plastic.
2. How to fertilize?
Complete Guide to Growing Flowers
Unfortunately, I don't have much experience in this area, and I don't usually fertilize them much either. I just apply Flower Duoduo and Miracle-Gro flowering formula after blooming. The reason my balls bloom abundantly in early summer, I believe, is more sunlight and ventilation, plus an appropriate watering method, having accumulated a large amount of nutrients in winter and spring.
3. How to mix soil?
Complete Guide to Growing Flowers
The soil I use is all mixed by myself. Gymnocalycium baldianum is not demanding about soil quality and is robust by nature. But that doesn't mean it doesn't like fertile soil. So when growing Gymnocalycium baldianum, use slightly alkaline soil, and you can use a mix of river sand, crushed coal cinders, bone meal, green zeolite, and garden soil. Basically all are very loose and breathable, which is beneficial for root growth.
4. How to do daily care?
Complete Guide to Growing Flowers
From April to October, during the growth period, place it in a spot with sufficient light. If light is insufficient, the ball body will become leggy and the flower buds will find it hard to open. During high summer temperatures, provide appropriate shading at noon to avoid intense sunlight scorching the surface of the ball body.
For watering, grasp the principle of "don't water if not dry, and when watering, water thoroughly." Pay attention to good ventilation, avoiding stuffiness and dampness. Below 10 degrees in winter, my own estimate, move it back inside the enclosed window balcony, placing it in a bright sunny spot to keep it warm.
Master grower's summary
Actually, Gymnocalycium baldianum is very easy to grow. As long as you usually pay a bit of attention to watering, fertilizing, soil, and daily care, you too can grow a Gymnocalycium baldianum that blooms abundantly!
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