What are the cultivation methods and precautions for coral cactus?
Coral cactus, also called cactus stick, is a shrubby succulent potted plant belonging to the dicotyledons. It is covered all over with sharp spines and loves sun, and needs shading during its winter and summer dormancy periods. It is distributed in Mexico and the southwestern United States. It looks quite like coral, its stems are generally round, and it blooms in midsummer. Similar to most cacti, the coral cactus plant is also covered in sharp spines. The watering section discussed below may involve touching the coral cactus, so flower lovers should be cautious and careful. Now let me introduce in detail the cultivation methods and precautions for coral cactus. Let's take a look!
Cultivation methods for coral cactus
I. Soil requirements
The soil used to grow coral cactus needs to be sandy soil with good drainage and aeration and rich in calcium. It can be made by mixing river sand, shells, coal cinders, and leaf mold, that is, tang soil, in a ratio of 2:2:2:3.
II. Planting method
Prepare a slightly larger pot, a rough clay pot is better, mix the soil well, and keep it slightly moist. Choose a relatively robust stem and plant it in 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 yellow small spines will grow out from the stem, and the stem will gradually become flat. Flower lovers who have grown other water-loving plants must reverse their habits and must absolutely not water frequently. This is the method that forces the growth of pad-shaped stem segments. When the stem segments grow to about 2 cm wide, they can be potted.
III. Fertilization method
Do not apply chemical fertilizer to coral cactus, otherwise the roots will easily rot. Applying too little or not at all is also not good. 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 wet 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.
IV. Light requirements
If coral cactus lacks light, it will become leggy, the stems will be light green and become very slender, so it should not be placed indoors with insufficient light for a long time. If it is later moved outdoors, it will again grow thick stems, and this will affect the overall appearance of the plant, so stable light conditions should be maintained for coral cactus so that it grows steadily.
Precautions for cultivating coral cactus
Repot once a year. In the second year after transplanting, change the potting soil once before the spring growth period, with the same care as before. By the time the vigorous growth period arrives, what grows will be completely pad-shaped stem segments, but at this time the stem segments are not large. If larger stem segments are needed, then some excess stem buds should be broken off so that all of them grow straight as single plants. In the third spring, change to a slightly larger pot again. If cared for well, then by the vigorous growth period the largest stem segments can be grown.
In order to prevent rot, after the plant has reached its complete form, the following three points should still be noted in cultivation: 1. Avoid applying concentrated fertilizer, 2. Prefer dry over 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 treat them carelessly just because you think they are easy to grow. I hope this is helpful after reading! To learn more related knowledge, please pay more attention to this site!