CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What soil should I use to grow Christmas cactus?

1. What kind of soil should be used to grow Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus likes loose, well-ventilated, well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic soil. During the cultivation process, you can use garden soil or a mixture of peat soil, leaf mold, fine sand, etc. to prepare the soil. Apply decomposed organic fertilizer every 20 days during the growth period of the plant. Pay attention to preparing the ox tongue palm as the rootstock before planting. In addition, the potting soil of Christmas cactus should be replaced every two to three years.

What kind of soil is used to grow Christmas cactus? Christmas cactus likes loose, breathable, well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic soil. During the cultivation process, you can use garden soil or peat soil, leaf mold, fine sand, perlite, and base fertilizer to mix the soil, and regularly apply ferrous sulfate to the soil to maintain soil acidity.

How to grow Christmas cactus: Before planting Christmas cactus, you need to prepare a rootstock. It is suitable to use Ox tongue palm as the rootstock. After grafting, Christmas cactus can hang freely downwards, which is conducive to viewing. When grafting, select two to three thick, neither old nor tender modified stems at the bottom of the plant for cuttings. After the cuttings are completed, place them in a cool place for maintenance.

Maintenance and management of Christmas cactus: Christmas cactus does not have high requirements for water and nutrients. You can apply diluted decomposed organic fertilizer once every 20 days, and spray water mist once or twice a day to provide water for the plant and increase the air humidity. Note to keep the soil moist when watering, but do not allow water to accumulate.

Repotting of Christmas cactus When caring for Christmas cactus, change the potting soil for the plant every two to three years. The best time to repot is in the warm March to April. During the repotting process, thin out the old and dense branches, and shorten the too long branches of the Christmas cactus to encourage the plant to sprout new branches and bloom profusely.

2. What kind of soil is best for growing Christmas cactus?

1. Soil requirements (1) The soil should be loose. This type of soil is easy for the plant to breathe and is conducive to growth. Loose soil is not easy to clump, and the frequency of soil change does not need to be too high.

(2) The soil should contain as many nutrients as possible so that the plants can grow vigorously and not too much fertilizer is needed.

(3) The soil should have good drainage because the plant is more afraid of waterlogging. It should also have good air permeability to facilitate root development.

(4) According to the characteristics of the plant itself, the soil must be acidic, and the pH value should be between 6.5 and 6.8, which is slightly acidic.

2. There are many specific preparation methods. Only a few are listed here. Their effects are generally good.

(1) Mix peat soil with coarse sand. Peat soil is mainly composed of various grasses, leaves, roots, etc., and has more nutrients. Adding coarse sand will improve air permeability and drainage. So overall, this method basically meets the requirements.

(2) If you don’t have peat soil, you can also use leaf mold. You can also add some coarse sand. If you feel that the nutrition is insufficient, you can also add some organic fertilizer, bone meal, etc.

(3) You can also use mountain mud, garden soil, and humus soil, mix them in equal amounts, then add some coarse sand and some bone meal. You can also add plant ash to adjust the pH. This method is more troublesome, but the effect is the best.

3. What kind of pot is suitable for Christmas cactus

1. When choosing a pot, there are several factors that we must consider. The first is air permeability. The second is depth, about 15 cm is better. Not too deep, not too shallow. The third is drainage, it is better to have holes at the bottom. Generally speaking, among all kinds of pots, purple clay pots are the best choice. It has many advantages, not only the air permeability of earthenware pots, but also good drainage. Moreover, it is more beautiful and more conducive to increasing the ornamental value of plants. However, in addition to the choice of pots, more important is the type of soil inside and the subsequent maintenance.

2. Maintenance Notes (1) Soil: This plant likes fertile, loose soil. Specifically, you can use three parts of garden soil, four parts of leaf mold, and three parts of sand. In addition, there is another mixture, which is peat soil, leaf mold, sand, and perlite in a ratio of 2:1:1:1. In addition, before use, it needs to be disinfected, such as exposing it to the sun for a few days.

(2) Temperature: The specific temperature requirements for different stages are also different. For example, in the growth stage, the best temperature range is 10 to 28 degrees. If it is in the flowering stage, the requirements will be higher, between 15 and 25 degrees.

(3) Light: It is best to maintain sufficient light for eight to ten hours every day. Especially during the growth and flowering periods, if it is insufficient, it is best to use sunlight to supplement it.

(4) Water: It likes moisture and needs sufficient water. When the temperature is high, water it every two or three days. In winter, you can change it to once a week.

4. How to cultivate Christmas cactus

How to grow Christmas cactus:

1. Soil

Christmas cactus is suitable for living in moist soil, but not too wet. After germination, you should pay more attention to the humidity of the soil.

2. Moisture

In summer, when the temperature is high, it is easy to lack water, which will cause the growth of Christmas cactus to stagnate, but excessive watering may also cause root rot. In addition, in order to increase humidity and reduce temperature, it is necessary to ventilate frequently and spray water mist around it. When the temperature turns cooler, the soil should be kept dry and wet. In winter and early spring, the temperature is low, so keep the pot soil slightly dry as much as possible.

3. Fertilization method

Christmas cactus can grow more luxuriant branches when there is sufficient fertilizer. Topdressing can be started after Christmas cactus sprouts, and liquid fertilizer should be applied every half a month during the growth period. After winter, the frequency and amount of fertilization should be reduced. When fertilizing, it is best to apply along the edge of the pot, and be careful not to let the fertilizer liquid touch the leaves, otherwise it is easy to cause leaf burns.

4. Lighting

Christmas cactus cannot be exposed to the sun. In summer, it needs to be moved to a ventilated and cool place in time, or shaded with a shade net. After autumn, it can be placed in a sunny window to fully expose it to light so that the flower buds can differentiate. In winter, it needs to be given sufficient light to ensure its normal growth.

5. Disease and pest control

In a dry and unventilated environment, Christmas cactus is easily damaged by spider mites and scale insects. When pests are found, spray them with pesticides in time.

6. Notes

The Christmas cactus plant grows fast and is prone to being top-heavy. At this time, it should be supported by wire, wooden poles, etc. After the Christmas cactus plant flowers fall, the fallen flowers and the stem nodes at the end should be removed, and the amount of water should be controlled to wait for new buds to grow.

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Cultivation methods and precautions of Christmas cactus:

1. Selection of potting soil

Choose a clay pot with good air permeability, and fill it with a mixture of garden soil, leaf humus, sand, peat soil, perlite, etc. Use high temperature disinfection before planting to avoid residual bacteria and insect eggs.

2. Water and fertilizer irrigation

Christmas cactus likes moisture, so watering should ensure that the soil is moist. In summer, spray water to cool down the high temperature. During the growth period, topdress once every 15 to 20 days, and apply thin fertilizer frequently to avoid fertilizer damage. In winter and summer, extreme temperature weather, stop fertilizing immediately.

3. Light and temperature maintenance

The most suitable growth temperature range for Christmas cactus is between 15 and 32 degrees Celsius, and the winter temperature should not be lower than 10 degrees Celsius. It can be exposed to direct sunlight in spring, autumn and winter, but it should be shielded from strong light and ultraviolet rays in summer.

4. Notes

Every two years, the potting soil of Christmas cactus should be completely replaced in spring to ensure that the soil is clean and nutritious. During the growth process, it should be pruned more frequently to ensure the ornamental value of the plant and good ventilation should be done.