Cacti

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Description  Cacti Photo Gallery

Name: Cacti (Orchid Cactus, Easter Cactus, Christmas Cactus)
Scientific Name: Eipephyllum Hybrid, Phispsalidopsis Hybrids, Schlumbergera Hybrids
Family: Cactaceae

Soil: there are specialized soils for cactus. For my orchid cactus, I used Gubler Orchid Grow Mix.
Sun: Plant it in a bright and sunny spot. Orchid cactus require some shade from the afternoon sun.
Water: Water the cactus orchid a couple of times a week when the weather is hot. Water other types of cactus once a week.
Fertilizer: I use diluted Schultz cactus food every other week during spring and summer.
Care: Keep the cactus clean by trimming the dead flowers as well as some dead parts.
Tips: This plant requires very little care and can be rewarding since it has very brilliantly colored flowers. All cactus plants can be propagated through leaves. Simply break off a large part of a leaf and plant it in soil, roots will establish shortly.

Description:

Some time ago, I purchased several orchid cactus online. Each came as only a single leaf, with no roots. I wasnĄ¯t sure what to do with them. Since they are called orchid cactus, I planted them in some orchid mix. They thrived and soon enough, new leaves emerged. They have grown substantially since. The flowers of the orchid cactus are large and can be various colors.

As the name implies, the night blooming orchid cactus blooms only for a few hours, at night. The flowers are white with delicate layers of soft petals. The contrast between the soft, white petals and the dark of night gives delicate layered flowers a haunting beauty. It is no wonder that throughout history, many beautiful poems have been written of it.

I also have two Spring Cactus, one purple and one red. When it blooms, its tips are covered with star shape flowers.

I also have two nice planters with cactus in different shapes and sizes. They all have sharp thorns and spiny hairs. In order to protect my toddler, I put them very high above everything else. Luckily, they require very little watering, so it all worked out great. At least I donĄ¯t have to climb up all the time to water them.

Since they require very little care and very little water, in comparison to other plans, it is a wonderful plant. They can tolerate the occasional forgetfulness of their caregivers better than most plants.

 

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