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Cactus - Survival of the Fittest
Whether it is thick dense forest or urban jungle of pollution, cactus has a remarkable ability to adapt to the habitat, albeit with some human help. You are familiar with either Christmas Cacti or Turk’s cap or the rabbit ear cactus. These lovely plants have adorned various landscaped gardens, rocky terrains and indoor plant arrangements. Long and obelisk like, rotund with fine thin hair jutting out, they bring out the best in the décor to the garden or indoors. Since the cactus have the ability to live with less water, it is ideal. Better plant them outdoors as they love the sun rays. That’s where they get their energy from. Too much water literally kills them- Now you now why they grow in the deserts so beautifully.
Growing cacti in the home garden is easy. In fact they are appropriate home grown plants as they add beauty and variety and compliment the other shrubs within the garden. They are also okay with little tending and caring. In summer they flourish with sunlight and in winter they barely need any water. Left on their own they grow independently. There are plenty of choices to pick from. One variety looks like the complex folds of the human brain; some resemble pebbles on the gravel and have fine hair or long prickly ones too. Like many other plants cactus can wilt if they are not handled well. All cacti need good sunlight. That is one of the basic requirements. Depending on the season, water them well. In winter once a month watering is enough for them to survive. The trick lies in just wetting the roots and not pouring water all over it, especially if they are in a terracotta pot!
Cacti belong to Cactaceae family. They are also called succulents as they absorb water. They are ideal ornamental garden plants and for indoor decoration as well. There are different types of cacti and species depending on the climate they grow in. They are arid cacti or rain forest cacti. They can also be colourful. One can buy them in form of seeds; get cuttings or divisions from the nursery. The seeds take about 16 weeks to germinate unlike other plants. The seeds need to be put on the top soil. If some seeds are very fine, they can be mixed with sand so that in the soil they are distributed evenly. When they are growing use spray or mist to water them. So be patient till they grow. Avoid growing them in organic soil materials that take up water. If the organic soil is used then there are chances that fungus may develop on it. Don’t put the cacti in the same flower bed as the other flowering plants. Too much moisture in the soil can spell ill-will for the cactus. If the seeds are being used then they is best sown in spring- This because the sunlight is best during this season. Cacti thrive on good sunlight in their growing years.