A Complete Guide to the Cultivation Methods of Cactus Fruit
Cactus fruit, as the name suggests, is the fruit of the cactus. Everyone thinks that cacti do not bear fruit, but they are all mistaken. The nutrition of cactus fruit is the highest among the entire cactus. Cactus fruit is rich in trace elements, various amino acids and other nutrients, and the demand for cactus fruit is now growing. Many people want to grow cacti that can bear fruit but do not know how to plant them. Below, the editor brings you the cultivation methods of cactus fruit. Let's take a look!
1. Site selection and land preparation
The cactus was originally a desert plant, with little demand for light and water. It is very tolerant of barren soil but afraid of water. Therefore, in order to meet the growth habits of the cactus, when selecting a site, try to choose sandy soil that is fertile, slightly acidic and has strong drainage. The plantation must have sufficient sunlight. After selecting the site, carry out land preparation. First, plow the soil and expose it to the sun for disinfection. If the planting site has a certain slope, it is best to do the work of building stone banks and earthen dikes. Then, according to the local weather conditions, determine the area of the drainage ditch and make the beds well to facilitate drainage and later management.
2. Seed selection and planting
There are many varieties of cactus, including fruit-bearing varieties. When selecting seeds, we must pay attention to choosing the seeds of fruit-type cacti. The cultivation method of cactus fruit is generally cuttings. When taking cuttings, pay attention to temperature and humidity. The temperature should be around 30 degrees, and the soil must not be moist. First dig the planting holes in the plantation. The specifications of the planting holes are determined by the size of the seedlings. Then press the stem segments of the cactus into the sand and control the depth well. Try to face the stem segments toward the sunlight so that the cactus has sufficient light time. It should be noted that before rooting, the seedlings must be prevented from directly contacting the fertilizer.
3. Field management
Although the cactus can survive in very barren soil, artificial cultivation still requires the cactus to have sufficient yield, and the quality must not be too low. Therefore, during the planting process, topdressing should be carried out in a timely manner. Before planting, after land preparation, apply sufficient fully decomposed base fertilizer. Then, according to the growth of the cactus, carry out reasonable topdressing. The topdressing fertilizer is mainly farmyard manure, with an appropriate addition of phosphate fertilizer. Although the cactus is somewhat afraid of water, when the cactus fruit enters the fruit expansion period, it still needs a certain amount of water. The soil moisture content is sufficient when the soil can be squeezed into a ball by hand without falling apart.
4. Timely harvesting
When the cactus fruit grows to the size of a table tennis ball, it is basically already mature. Mature cactus fruit must be picked in a timely manner. It is necessary to grasp the harvesting time of the cactus. If picked too early, the yield cannot be well controlled, which will have a certain impact on the yield. However, it must absolutely not be picked too late, because if picked too late, the sweetness of the fruit decreases, causing the fruit to be sour and reducing its commercial value. Therefore, about 30-40 days after maturity, all of them should be picked. In a constant-temperature environment, the fruit can be stored for a period of time, but it is still best to bring it to market as early as possible.
The above is a brief introduction to the cultivation methods of cactus fruit. Growing cactus fruit is no longer a rare thing in some places. People today pursue a quality life and are very fond of things with high nutritional value, so naturally the market for cactus fruit will become larger and larger. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for your reading and support.