Cacti normally have only a little tuft of roots near the soil surface. This enables them quickly and easily to absorb moisture from heavy and infrequent rain before it disappears quickly through the sandy or rocky soil in which they live. It also enables them to gain the greatest advantage from heavy dews which appear during the night and are quickly dissipated by the morning sun.
At home in the wild, growing in little pockets of decomposed vegetation in the crannies of trees, the roots are comparatively confined in space and although the `soil' mixture is rich and generally moist it is really wet only for brief periods.
So we should give them as much light as possible at all times, winter and summer, yet at nights and during the winter temperatures may be allowed to drop to about 40F. (5C.). Because of their liking for bright sunshine it is well to give cacti plants a holiday in the garden or on the balcony during the summer. So long as they are watered well and not forgotten this sojourn in the sun will be of great benefit to them.
As each bud grows and develops it receives minutely different amounts of light, dependent upon its position on the stem and distance from the light source. It is helpful (though not always vital) to maintain this pattern, and for this reason once bud initiation has begun and the plant is brought indoors it should not be moved from its position until flowering of the entire plant has been completed, a matter which can sometimes take several weeks.
If the plant must be removed to water it, make sure that it is replaced in exactly the same position and the only way to do this is to mark both the pot and the shelf, window sill or other location.
Propagation of nearly all cacti, whether terrestrial or epiphytic, is usually a comparatively simple matter from cuttings. Seeds of terrestrial cacti are simple to germinate and can sometimes produce interesting plants.
At home in the wild, growing in little pockets of decomposed vegetation in the crannies of trees, the roots are comparatively confined in space and although the `soil' mixture is rich and generally moist it is really wet only for brief periods.
So we should give them as much light as possible at all times, winter and summer, yet at nights and during the winter temperatures may be allowed to drop to about 40F. (5C.). Because of their liking for bright sunshine it is well to give cacti plants a holiday in the garden or on the balcony during the summer. So long as they are watered well and not forgotten this sojourn in the sun will be of great benefit to them.
As each bud grows and develops it receives minutely different amounts of light, dependent upon its position on the stem and distance from the light source. It is helpful (though not always vital) to maintain this pattern, and for this reason once bud initiation has begun and the plant is brought indoors it should not be moved from its position until flowering of the entire plant has been completed, a matter which can sometimes take several weeks.
If the plant must be removed to water it, make sure that it is replaced in exactly the same position and the only way to do this is to mark both the pot and the shelf, window sill or other location.
Propagation of nearly all cacti, whether terrestrial or epiphytic, is usually a comparatively simple matter from cuttings. Seeds of terrestrial cacti are simple to germinate and can sometimes produce interesting plants.
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Houseplants should be kept moist all the time in your indoor garden. Houseplants should also be kept in a cool and airy place.
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