If you are interested in gardening or home decorations and house plants, you will have probably noticed that there has been an increase in the popularity of cactus. Yes, they look imposing and intimidating and you probably think that they may be hard to grow because they are normally associated with arid and hot conditions. The actual reality of growing them and maintaining them couldn’t be more different.
Apart from their striking and exotic look, have you ever stopped to wonder what the point of cactus is and why they have become as popular as they have? In the following post, that’s what we are going to look at.
Cactus Are Easy to Grow Even From Seed
Some succulents are known to be troublesome and tricky to grow; cacti are one of the exceptions. As the seeds for these fascinating plants are much larger than those of other succulents, they are much easier to germinate.
They Are Incredibly Easy to Propagate
To get such spectacular looking plants you may be under the illusion that cacti are hard to propagate. When in actual fact, many varieties of this hardy and eye-catching plants will easily take root when they have been taken during their natural growing season. All it often takes is cutting an offshoot with a set of sharp and clean scissors and then placing the cut part in a shaded area to allow it to callous for at least 7 days. You should treat both wounds, on the original plant and the newly cut one with sulfur powder. Be careful too of your fingers and hands, or you might need to remove needles.
Then you just need to plant the offshoot into a plant pot with 50% pumice and 50% potting soil and sprinkle a layer of grit over the top so that the cactus maintains an upright position. Water it in and then wait until the soil has dried out completely before doing it again. You can check it has rooted every few weeks by tugging on the plant using tweezers. If there is any degree of resistance, this means it has taken root.
Want Better Air Quality, Get Cacti
All forms of cacti are considered to be among the best plants at reducing the levels of bacteria and radiation in their surroundings. If you are looking to improve your air quality, you should get a cactus.
After dark, a cactus will absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and then release oxygen. Not only does this mean you have better air quality being inhaled into your body, but the extra boost of oxygen helps you to sleep better.
Extremely Low Maintenance
Some plants that are easy to plant, are often harder to maintain. This is another area where cactus is a real exception. As they are famous for their water storage capabilities, they are very hard to neglect. As the spines of cacti are actually modified versions of leaves found on other plants, they in conjunction with the waxy coating of the plant, help to contain and retain liquid for extremely long periods.
As long as you give it some sunshine, some love and attention, and a bit of water, your cactus will live for a reasonably long time.
They Bloom Beautiful Flowers
When you think of cacti, like most people who have never grown them before, you likely imagine those spiny and fascinating but not exactly beautiful plants. Did you know, though, that they actually bloom flowers? You need to have a lot of patience and provide them with the right amount of light, fertilization, and watering. When you do all that, you benefit from truly stunning flowery displays.