Monday, May 15, 2006
Cactus Flowering.
Encouraging cactus plants to bloom is usually a matter sunlight, water and especially the age of any specific variety. Cactus plants reach flowering age according to their species with some becoming ready to bloom in a few years, and others taking decades before making their first flowers. There are many varieties which almost never bloom as house plants, but the majority of them may bloom with good conditions. It is important to avoid thinking of cactus and succulent plants as unusual sorts of vineless garden vegetables. The same considerations for garden plants like sunlight, water and soil nutrients are important, but increasing all of these things as though the cactus were a tomato plant will often fail to achieve the desired results. These things do encourage flowers to happen, but must be considered according to the specialized needs of succulent and cactus plants. Keeping all care in the order of seasonal changes when providing the plants with sunlight, water and soil nutrients will encourage cactus plants to bloom as long as they are old enough.
The most important flowering requirement is sunlight in the growing seasons, and the amount of sun light needed to produce blooms will very greatly for different species of cacti. For cactus plants which seem unwilling to bloom more sunlight is the first thing to try by finding brighter locations for these plants. To encourage flowers as well as the general health of these plants, light needs to be abundant primarily in the spring, summer and fall. Most species of cactus plants will flower better if light is lowered in the winter and then increased in the spring in order to stimulate buds. Winter is a time for keeping cacti cool, dry and out of excessive sunlight and for most species this is more beneficial than keeping them in the hottest southern window all winter. In this winter rest period too much sun becomes counterproductive and causes plants to use up their stored energy reserves just to survive instead of saving resources for making flowers. If cactus plants are old enough to bloom but haven't made flowers yet, the first and best thing to try is increasing sun exposure during their growing seasons.
Watering cacti must be done according to seasonal changes, and for the promotion of flowers water is a necessity. For most species; plenty of water is needed after the plants begin to show signs of their new spring growth, occasional small amounts of water in the summer and only slightly increased amounts from late summer to fall. The winter season requires a long period with very dry soil and it is ineffective for encouraging flowers to water cactus plants too much while they are resting. Wet soil in the winter causes numerous problems like distorted growth, scaring of the skin, and worst of all watering may cause them to die from fungal infection. To end the long dry winter resting period for most cactus varieties it is usually best to wait and see that they are showing signs of new spring growth, and then resume watering. Water must be given or withheld according to seasons, and after they have started to develop their flower buds or are growing new spines from the top of the plant they will need plenty of water to make flowers. Please note that some species of cacti like Epiphyllum, Hatiora and Schlumbergera need some water year round and an extended winter dry period will harm these varieties.
Fertilizer is often considered to be a way to produce flowers from many plant varieties, but with cactus plants it's difficult to tell whether adding nutrients to their soil actually makes them more willing to flower. If fertilizer is going to be used it is best to use a product designed specifically for cactus and succulents and follow the label directions. If there are no specific directions an application of fertilizer once in the spring may give the plants a slightly higher potential for producing flowers, but for the most part fertilizing only makes the plant caregiver feel like they've made their best efforts. Cactus and succulent plants grow slowly and store up the energy they need for flowers over long periods of time, and in most cases it's more a matter of waiting for the plant to reach a mature age than increasing the fertility of their soil.
It's important to avoid imagining that cactus plants are like vineless garden vegetables which will bloom with lots and lots of sun, water and fertilizer. Cactus and succulent plants are resourceful and conservative which allows them to live in harsh environments, and it is counterproductive to pamper them with abundance. Giving them sun, water and good soil will cause them to produce flowers if their needs are met according to seasonal changes. ^
