Attractive Flowering Cactus
Attractive Flowering Cactus
With some very few exceptions, cacti are not grown for their flowers. But, when cactus flowers do appear they are every bit as gorgeous as many of the better known flowering indoor plants. They can rival even the showiest of the orchids with their intensely glowing purple and ruby shades. Their color density is great and they are very beautiful to look at.
Be Careful Smelling These Flowers
Flowering cacti are also very large in comparison with other plants. We usually see little cactus three or four inches high in a small pot with two of three flowers of the same size. The most popular flowering cactus is the crab cactus. Its bright flowers give off a wealth of color. The crab cactus' young stems are flat and resemble the claws of a crab. When they age, they become round and woody. Growing the crab cactus in soil made of equal parts of fibrous loam, sand, leaf-mould with some broken up charcoal or broken up bricks for drainage is what needs to be done for healthy cactus growth.
The orchid cactus is another beautiful red flowering cactus that blooms in the summer. The big flowers grow up to six inches in diameter and it is similar to the night blooming cereus. The color outside is scarlet-red and inside is carmine-red. It grows about three feet high and has flat stems. The spring cactus is also called Easter cactus. The flowers of the spring cactus are a sight to behold with their symmetrical flowers that typically open wide.
Nutrition and Watering
Flowering cactus nutritional requirements are not unique and quite easy to provide. It needs constant liquid feeding with adequate nitrogen. Between watering, you should allow the soil to dry, but the plant should not be stressed especially during the expansion and induction. Flowering cactus should be grown under relatively high light levels, which can cause the cacti to grow faster. It needs cool treatment, warmer temperature during forcing can cause bud drop.
Flower Induction
Flowering cactus is promoted mostly by short days at cool temperatures followed by long days at moderate temperatures. If the temperature is difficult to maintain because of high light levels, then shade may be provided during cooling to reduce solar heating of the plants. As some preliminary research results suggests, these plants may be cooled for a short time in a cooler if the temperatures in the greenhouse cannot be maintained.