Sie sind auf Seite 1von 2

Know your cacti

There's a lot more to these striking houseplants than just their


prickles!

1. Are they indestructible?

No, if you've ever killed a cactus you are not alone. The easiest way is
by over watering, poor drainage and using the wrong compost. Ordinary
potting compost holds water well, which is a huge bonus for most plants
but not for cacti, they need very good drainage. If you want to keep
them alive it's best to use specialist cactus compost instead.

2. Do they flower?

Cacti are all flowering plants, but some have more prominent blooms
and there are a few, such as Mammillaria, Gymnocalycium and Parodia,
that will flower quite easily with impressive, colourful displays.

BUY NOW
Cactus Mix - 10 Plants by Gardeners Dream, £19.95, Amazon
AMAZON

3. How do I get them to flower?

Cacti flower on fresh growth, so if your plant just sits there, unchanging
year after year, it's very unlikely to flower. What you should do is to get
the plant to follow its natural growth cycle. It needs to go dormant in
winter and then wake up in spring. So, put it somewhere dry and cold,
but not dark, over winter, and stop watering all together. In spring give it
as much sunshine as possible and start to water it.

BUY NOW
Cacti Selection Box by Geo-Fleur, £24, Notonthehighstreet.com
NOTONTHEHIGHSTREET.COM

4. Which are the best varieties for beginners?


Moon cacti have very colourful tops, usually red or yellow. These aren't
flowers so the colour is there all year round. Bunny ears, also known as
polka dot cacti, have spots of golden bristles against a green
background so they look modern and geometric. Probably the most
common variety is a tiny 'pin cushion' cactus, it's easy to grow and has
lovely little pink flowers.

5. How do you handle them?

Carefully! Either with very thick gloves or use folded newspaper to loop
around the top.

MAARIGARDGETTY IMAGES

6. Are all cacti prickly?

No. What we usually think of as cacti are desert cacti, but there are also
forest cacti without the bristles, however the range available as
houseplants is quite small.

7. How long do they live?

In the wild cacti can live for hundreds of years. Indoors they may survive
for 10 years or more. The trouble with old ones is that every single
knock, scratch or blemish they get stays with them, so they tend to look
less appealing as they get older.

15 garden and outdoor accessories under £25



Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen