Don't throw away a rotten cactus - cut it once and put it in water and it will grow a mass of big white roots

The cactus ball is actually quite strange: when grown in soil it easily gets root rot, and it clearly can't take much watering, yet throw it in water and the roots grow especially well. Why? Today Huahua will introduce water-cultured cactus balls to everyone!

How to water-culture a cactus ball?

1. Choose the ball

Either a cactus ball with root rot or a vigorously growing cactus ball can be used for water culture; it is best if the root stem protrudes downward, as it roots easily!

[Image source: Baidu Tieba "Mengmao Wuyu"]

2. Treat the roots

Dig out the ball, cut off the rotten part, make the cut surface flat, rinse it clean with water, then apply carbendazim to disinfect, then put it in a ventilated place to dry for at least 3 days, until completely dry!

Tip: you can dry it for a few more days; the more water it lacks, the faster it roots!

3. Planting

Choose a water culture bottle of suitable size, add water and nutrient solution, and fix the cactus ball on a planting basket or foam board; the nutrient solution level should be 1~2 cm away from the ball and must not touch the ball, to avoid the ball rotting!

Note: add 1 g of nutrient solution per liter of water; do not water-culture with plain water, as over time the nutrients will be exhausted and the ball will die.

4. Rooting

Place the planted cactus ball in a spot with bright, indirect light. If the water culture bottle is transparent, during the rooting period put a black plastic bag over the bottle, that is, the ball is exposed to light while the bottle is shaded; after 3~7 days it will root.

5. Care

During the rooting period, it is strictly forbidden to spray water on the ball. After rooting, replace the nutrient solution immediately. When the roots grow longer, lower the water level so that the ball is about 3 cm from the water surface, keeping the ball dry and avoiding ball rot.

6. Change the water

In summer and autumn, it is recommended to change the water once every 5~7 days. Each time after adding the nutrient solution, gently shake 10 times to increase the dissolved oxygen!

7. If you add a bit of nutrient solution shared by flowers and fish, you can raise fish at the same time~

Why can a cactus ball be water-cultured?

Characteristics of the cactus ball

As a desert plant, the cactus ball is extremely drought-tolerant and not moisture-tolerant, and has high requirements for the drainage and air permeability of the potting soil.

Why does soil culture easily cause root rot?

Plant roots need oxygen for respiration and for absorbing water and mineral nutrients, while moist soil has extremely low oxygen content, so the cactus ball easily suffocates, causing root rot and the ball to shrivel and wither.

Why can a cactus ball be water-cultured?

Some people ask: if there isn't even enough oxygen in soil culture, isn't the oxygen content in water culture even lower, so why can it still be water-cultured?

Wrong. Water culture does not mean soaking the entire root system directly in water; rather, the white tips at the lower end of the roots are in the water, while the rest of the roots are exposed to the air, ensuring they can absorb sufficient oxygen.

As for other plants, such as pothos and spider plants, they can adapt to the moist, low-oxygen environment in soil, so they can also be grown directly in water, and their oxygen requirements are not so strict.

That's all Huahua has to introduce today

Flower friends, have you learned it?

Hurry up and give it a try,

From now on you'll never have to fear root rot again!

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