The cactus is a plant belonging to the Cactus family. Cacti thrive mainly in America, from the southern border of Canada to Patagonia, while some species thrive in Africa. Most cacti live in hot, dry places. So they are forced to save water. As a result of these savings, cacti have no leaves, but thorns that prevent herbivores from eating the cactus. This way the outer casing of the cactus is not opened and no water is lost. However, because cacti have no leaves, photosynthesis takes place from their shoot. They can also store water in their shoot.
What is the proper nesting location for the cactus?
Cacti need full sun exposure, with few exceptions, and a long warm season of more than 6 months to grow. The intense activity of the cacti takes place in the period of spring and summer, a period in which, in addition to the growth, they also give their unique flowering. As for the winter, a period of dormancy, cacti seek temperatures of 5-15 ° C, although some of them withstand for a while and temperatures below zero.
What soil does the cactus need to thrive?
Cacti need coarse-grained sandy soil to grow. A common general purpose soil is not suitable for cacti, as it retains enough moisture. This is why we use specialized plant soils for cacti enriched with nutrients. Otherwise, we can add sand to the conventional topsoil or to a soil mixture of sand and soil in a ratio of 1 to 4 to lighten it and improve the drainage of the cactus substrate.
What watering and fertilizing needs does the cactus have?
Most people water cacti less than they should because of the misconseption that cacti are not affected by lack of water. However, cacti definitely need watering once a week during the spring months and twice a week during the summer months. On the contrary, cacti need limited watering in autumn, while in winter it would be good not to get wet and not to water, especially in cold and frosty conditions. For the cacti we have indoors, we should water twice a week during the summer months and once a week the rest of the year, including winter. Cacti definitely need fertilizing, especially during spring and summer when they are growing. Specialized fertilizers for cacti are needed, water-soluble with several trace elements, to improve their growth and to give their wonderful flowering. Add water-soluble fertilizer to the cacti twice a month during spring and summer.
A tip for cactus care.
Cacti usually suffer from rot due to excessive watering, especially in autumn and winter. This is especially true in heavy soils that do not drain and create suffocating conditions. In this case, when rot is observed at the ends of the cactus shoots, we should cut with a sharp knife the part that has rotted while we stop the watering for a long time. In terms of insects, in some areas, they are infested with aphids, thrips and nightshade that make dry marks on the cacti. To treat insects in an ecological way, we spray the plants every fifteen days, spring and summer, with a solution of potassium soaps that will be supplied from agricultural stores.
