Cactus flowers are the most beautiful miracle in the desert

Rather Be

 PTX, Vol. III

Pentatonix 

00:00/03:32

BGM：rather be

Many succulent lovers are diving into the cactus hobby in this hot summer - why? Because they are so easy to grow~

Belonging to the cactus family (Cactaceae), to adapt to the dry and hot environment of their native habitat, they store water in their stems and leaves (a succulent trait), while their leaves have degenerated into spines - all for the sake of survival.

According to statistics, there are over 2,000 species of plants in the cactus family. This family is truly enormous.

saguaro

Desert Wild Rose

They are all spiny flowers. Roses are beautiful, but our cactus flowers are also very beautiful, known as the hero flowers of the desert - no matter how harsh the environment, they must bloom and continue their lineage.

Time-lapse photography of Schick hybrid cactus (Trichocereus) blooming

Blooming times vary: some open by day and close at night (such as Echinocactus and Gymnocalycium), some open at night and close by day, and some cacti need to grow for decades before they bloom - for example, the well-known golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), which you might have grown for over a decade without any sign of blooming.

Echinocactus

Actually, golden barrel cacti in their native habitat only bloom after about 60 years. With good care, they might bloom in just over 20 years.

Cactus

There are now so many popular types of cacti: grass cacti, colorful grass cacti, Astrophytum, various "maru" cultivars, Gymnocalycium, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, Mammillaria hahniana... Among them, the colorful grass cactus (caocao) series has the most varieties and the richest colors.

* Colorful Grass Cactus *

A collective term for a series of hybrid grass cacti bred for their flowers. They are usually also hybridized with Cleistocactus, Echinopsis, and Golden Rat Tail to obtain richer flower shapes and colors.

The flowers of colorful grass cacti are extremely stunning, with a satin-like luster that even photos cannot fully capture, or dreamlike multi-colored tones that need no beauty filters, and some may even have delicate lace edges.

Depending on the breeder, colorful grass cacti are artificially divided into many different strains. Schick is one of the strains within colorful grass cacti.

Schick Colorful Grass Cactus

Schick is a hybrid colorful grass cactus strain selected and bred by American Bob Schick and named after his surname. It is a series of cultivars developed from the Paramount series, totaling 128+1 varieties.

The Schick series is quite classic and relatively famous, and is one of the foundations of modern German cultivars. Therefore, the historical status of Schick cannot be ignored.

Reverie

Celeste

Apron

Turandot

Mountain Skyline

Souvenir

As more and more enthusiasts join the colorful grass cactus ranks, for beginners, Schick hybrids (Schick crossed with other colorful grass cacti) are also a good choice. You don't necessarily have to grow Schick itself to get beautiful colorful grass cactus flowers.

Unnamed Colorful Grass Cactus

Besides colorful grass cacti, there are many other wonderful cacti:

* Five-angled Astrophytum myriostigma *

Astrophytum genus

* Gymnocalycium mihanovichii *

Gymnocalycium genus

* Mammillaria hahniana *

Mammillaria genus

* Orange Treasure Mountain (bottom) *

How to grow cacti well

1. Rooting

Some cacti bought online are cut offsets without roots. In this case, they need to be rooted. Wait for the wound on the cactus to dry, then place it on dry soil to wait for roots to develop. It is not easy to root below 20°C. Spring and autumn are the golden seasons for buying cacti.

2. Normal care

1. Soil: Loose and breathable is fine. If possible, use succulent soil; if not, garden soil also works (a last resort).

2. Pot: Any kind will do - plastic pots, clay pots, all fine. Not picky.

3. Watering: Water when dry, avoid watering when the soil is still moist, or the cactus will rot. Do not water during winter dormancy (when it is especially cold), or it will freeze to death. Cacti don't die of thirst - they mostly die from overwatering. Small cacti should not be kept outdoors; mature ones can be kept outdoors. With enough sunlight, water more.

4. Sunlight: More sunshine means better growth - lots of water, lots of sun, lots of fertilizer, and the cactus grows very fast. If sunlight is insufficient, it will become leggy and flowers won't be as good, but small cacti cannot be directly exposed to scorching sun in summer.

5. Fertilizer: Use phosphorus fertilizer in spring to promote flowering (flower fertilizer is fine); use potassium fertilizer in autumn to accumulate nutrients for next year's blooming.

6. Temperature: Some cacti can tolerate temperatures below 0°C, but it's best not to risk it - if frostbitten, the cactus will rot. It is recommended to bring them indoors for the winter when temperatures reach -5°C.

The unique charm of cacti in the wild:

So, will you jump into this hobby? Hurry and bring your friends along - jump together~

(To find these on Taobao, search: grass cactus, colorful grass cactus~)

·END·

—Welcometo submit articles - there are rewards! Contact us now—

Note: Some images and text are from the internet. If there is any infringement, please contact us to handle it.