Many gardeners are wondering: how to plant a cactus? And this is not surprising, because no one wants to rub their fingers on sharp thorns. Yes, and the cactus itself, although it is a picky plant, nevertheless, due to non-compliance with the rules of planting, it can rot. Therefore, further we will talk about how to plant cacti so as not to injure ourselves and the plant.
The choice of soil and capacity for planting
In order for the cactus to fully develop, he needs to choose the right soil. It should contain the necessary nutrients, and also not to let in excess moisture and air.
There are many types of cacti
The pot should slightly exceed the size of the plant itself. The container can be made of any material. The color of the pot is better to choose light, so that the roots of the plant do not overheat.
Essential Soil Components
Ready-made substrate can be bought at the store. It should include river sand, brick chips, peat, humus from leaves and turf, as well as other nutrients.
You can prepare the soil for planting yourself. To do this, mix in equal parts:
- washed river sand, with a fraction of 1 or 2 mm;
- ground with small lumps;
- humus.
To obtain a slightly acidic medium, peat is added.
Important! It is taken 2 times less than land.
Seed cultivation
To our country, suppliers bring from Holland only certain types of cacti, because of this it is not so easy to get the desired copy into your collection. Therefore, you should study the information on how to grow a cactus from seeds at home, and start sowing.
Growing cacti from seeds makes it possible to get your favorite look. To this end, you can turn to famous cactus growers or order seeds from abroad.
Tool selection
Before you start growing cacti from seeds, you need to prepare all the things necessary for this:
- soil for planting;
- a solution of potassium permanganate, which is diluted to a dark cherry color;
- capacity for sowing, size 10x10 cm;
- polyethylene or glass;
- labels on which you can indicate the variety of the plant.
Capacity selection
For sowing seeds, plastic cups with a height of about 7 cm are suitable. Many drainage holes are made in them and placed on a pallet.
Then grooves are made and seeds sown. If necessary, a label with the name of the variety is glued opposite each row.
Soil options
To sow seeds, you need to choose the right soil. It should be well-permeable, and also have few nutrients. It is their absence in the soil that contributes to the development of the root system.
There are several options for soil that will be ideal for growing seeds:
- Land from decayed leaves is mixed in equal amounts with coarse sand, plus a third of the crushed charcoal.
- River sand, leaf humus and ground peat.
It is most reasonable to sow seeds in the soil in which cacti will live in the future.
Seeds prepared for planting
The soil for growing seeds must be sterilized. To do this, collect a pan of water and put it on fire. A colander is installed on top, on the bottom of which a fabric is spread and the soil is poured out. All cover and boil for 30 minutes. When the water has cooled, the colander can be removed.
Important! Sterilize the soil no less than 10 days before sowing. It is during this period that the beneficial microflora is normalized in the soil.
You need to disinfect the seeds themselves. They are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate from 10 to 15 hours.
How to plant a cactus with children
Planting cactus kids is a fairly simple process if the shoot has already formed roots. Cubs can be dropped off from the mother tree when they have already reached 1.5 cm in height.
When the kids began to erupt, the roots need to wait a bit until they get stronger. Then they can be taken and planted even in one pot. Mix representatives and different varieties. The main thing is to maintain a distance between them, since the processes need space, because they will increase in size. It is important that different plant varieties have the same needs, and they can be easily looked after equally.
Important! Cacti are allowed to plant along with succulents in a glass vase, creating original floral arrangements.
Variants of planting a cactus without roots
What to do with children who have a root - this is clear, but how to plant a cactus from a shoot without roots? Such kids are best planted in spring or summer. To do this, use the recommendations of true professionals who have been involved in the reproduction of cacti for many years:
- It is necessary to tear off the baby very carefully so as not to damage either the appendix or the mother plant, therefore it is even better to cut it off.
- The resulting baby is placed for 3 days in a cool, dark place, so that the cut is slightly dry. If this time is not enough, then you can hold the sprout in a dark place for a few more days.
- The baby is placed in a pot, which is more than just a couple of centimeters from her. Sprinkle the soil with the baby is not necessary. It should lie freely on sandy soil. It must only be periodically gently watered so that it does not budge.
- When the baby has roots, it is planted in a pot.
Kids with roots
How to plant a cactus
It is better to plant plants from the end of March to May, when cacti begin to grow. Although this can be done throughout the entire growing season.
The new pot should be slightly larger than the previous one. If rotted roots are found in the cactus, then they must be carefully cut with scissors. In this case, the capacity is selected slightly less than the previous one. More sand and pieces of charcoal are added to the soil.
In the case when the cactus grows slowly and the root system develops poorly, the pot is left the same size. They just change the land so that it is fresh.
Important! The pot needs to be disinfected, because it is poured with boiling water or wiped with alcohol.
If you need to transplant a cactus, then 3 days before that, watering is stopped, since the wet soil will stick to the roots and with the slightest damage the plant may begin to rot. The pot is turned over and a plant is pulled out with tweezers. If the container is not very rigid, then the walls can be pressed a little to make it easier to pull out the cactus.
From the plant you need to shake off all the remnants of the old earth, but if it is stuck inside the tuber, you do not need to tear the roots. Cactus is planted in slightly moist soil. Drainage is placed on the bottom of the pot, and a substrate is placed on top. It is not necessary to ram the ground during planting, as this can damage the root system of the plant. The substrate is poured on the root neck, otherwise the cactus may begin to rot.
How to plant a cactus? If the plant has a narrow root neck and a wide stem, it can be surrounded with large stones around it, so that it is more stable. Small pebbles are not suitable for this, as the soil will not breathe. If the stones can not hold the cactus, you need to build a support, and tie a plant to it.
Landing pattern
Important! After transplanting, a healthy cactus is not watered for 3 days, if its root system is damaged, then you need to wait 6 days.
Young cacti, before they turn 4 years old, are transplanted every year, and the oldest in age annually. Flowering varieties are transplanted after flowering.
Transplant tools
First you need to get the tools you need for transplanting plants. For this process you will need:
- Plastic tweezers or a strip of paper that can be folded into several balls to wrap around a cactus and pull it off the ground.
- A pot of appropriate size.
- Alcohol or hot water.
Cactus Growth Time at Home
Another frequently asked question is how does a cactus grow? Cactus growth directly depends on its variety. There are small species of cacti that grow to just 1 cm. An example of this variety is blossomfeldia. Slowly growing and ariocactus, which are also called "living stones". Over 50 years, these specimens grow by only 12 cm.
For a long time, hanging cactus varieties have been popular among flower growers. Therefore, the question often arises of how to plant a Decembrist.
Such varieties are planted in separate pots so that their leaves hang down freely. The Decembrist has 2 or 3 new leaves each year, and in growth he adds from 2 to 4 cm.
Fast-growing specimens are the Strauss cactus and prickly pear. They grow very beautiful, up to 1 m high and add about 10 cm per year.
Further flower care
For the full development of cacti, you need to provide the right care:
- Lighting. Children do not like bright light, but adult cacti really need it. They are not even afraid of direct sunlight. Conversely, poor lighting can ruin a plant. In some varieties, bright light contributes to flowering.
- Watering. Adult specimens in summer need moderate watering, and in winter they reduce it. Some varieties in winter do not need watering at all. Water on a cactus does not need to be poured; the soil itself is gently moistened.
- Top dressing. Plants do not fertilize immediately after transplantation. It is forbidden to do this during the rest period. In cacti, it can be both in winter and in summer. The plant is noticeable, it absorbs little moisture during this period. Feeding is better in cloudy weather. If the cactus grows more in width than in height, then there may be an excess of useful substances in the soil.
Watering procedure
Now that it has become known how to grow cacti, you can start choosing a pet. The main thing to remember, no matter how prickly it may be from the outside, it still requires attention and proper care for it.
